Clean Eating: When, How Much, and What to eat

When 

I was brought up to eat 3 meals a day and this was a hard habit for me to break.  It takes 21 days to break a habit, so for the next 3 weeks set a timer on your phone or watch to remind you when to eat.  For instance, I usually eat my meals at 7 am, 10 am, 12:30 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm.   Set your timer for similar times (depending on when you wake up) and plan your meals for these times.

I like to eat my Starchy Complex Carbohydrates earlier in the day when I'm more active.  I usually have oatmeal for breakfast and then rice, quinoa, or pasta with lunch.  Occasionally, I will eat a SCC with my dinner, but often I will opt for a vegetable instead and then save the SCC for lunch the next day.   This is one of the ways that I adapt what I make for my family to meet my requirements.  Also if I'm going to workout in the evening, I might eat another SCC for my afternoon snack.  

How Much

Remember portion size too!  Here's a great video by the Clean Eating Queen, Tosca Reno.

 

What to eat

One of the Clean Eating Rules is to pair lean proteins with complex carbohydrates.   

When you combine LP and CC every three hours, 

you are encouraging your body to burn fat and boost your metabolism.  

Lean protein: 5-6 servings daily

Starchy Complex Carbs: 2-3 servings daily

Complex Carbs from fruits and vegetables: 5-6 servings daily

Healthy Fats: 2-3 servings daily

Lean Protein:  

• Boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast
• Egg (I eat the whole egg, because those yolks are packed with nutrients)
• Fish such as salmon and tuna
• Shakeology
• Tofu
• *Nuts such as unsalted cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts
• *Hummus
• Cottage Cheese
• Greek Yogurt (plain with no fruit on the bottom)
• *Nut butters
• *seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, chia
• Beans of all kinds
• *Avocado

*Healthy fats.  These can be confusing- are they a protein or a fat???  I count nuts, seeds, avocados as both a fat and a protein.  What does that mean?  It means that if I eat almonds and an apple for a snack then I count that as my LP+CC, but it's also uses up one of my servings of fat for the day.  

Other healthy fats include olive oil and coconut oil.

Complex Carbs from fruits and vegetables:  

• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Green Beans
  
• Peas
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Pears
• Raspberries and blackberries
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Brussels Sprouts
• Leafy Greens
• Spinach

Starchy Complex Carbs:  

• whole grain bread
• oatmeal
• whole grain pasta
  
• brown rice
• couscous
• *quinoa
• whole grain tortilla
• *teff
• bananas
• potatoes

*Also tricky.  Some SCC are also high in protein, such as quinoa and teff.  I do the same with these as fats.  I may have quinoa(LP) and blueberries(CC) as a pre-workout snack, but I count the quinoa as one of my SCC for the day and add in some nuts for a little more protein.  

Here's some more info 

Carbohydrates.

What I Eat

What is Clean Eating

Clean Eating Basics

Creamy Turkey Soup/Gravy

Turkey is not just for Thanksgiving.  I love to cook a whole turkey or a turkey roast about once a month.  I cook it at 325 degrees in my roaster oven.  All I do is sprinkle minced garlic, salt, and pepper over it.   We will eat it for dinner one night and then I'll usually make soup with it the next night.  I freeze the rest of the leftovers.

I concocted this recipe as a way to secretly get my family to eat vegetables.  I have found that if I blend the cooked vegetables up and make them into a thick broth, my family will gobble it up.  If I leave them as chopped pieces, they will pick out what they think they don't like.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped, cooked turkey
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 chopped onion
1 TBSP minced garlic

Directions:
Cook veggies in 2 cups chicken broth until tender.  Blend until smooth and add all ingredients together in crockpot.  Allow to simmer until ready to serve.

My husband and kids used it as a gravy over leftover mashed potatoes.  I'm not a big potato fan, so I had brown rice.  It was super delicious and everyone LOVED it!!!  They had no idea that it was FULL of vegetables.

Shakeology recipes

This is the easiest post that I have ever written!!!  

Or rather copied and pasted.

Just click on the calendar to see a larger view 

or print it out.

Chocolate

Vanilla

Green Berry

Strawberry

Why I chose Shakeology

I wanted to clear up any questions that people may have about Shakeology and share my reasons for drinking it.  It has changed my life!  For even more info check out my Beachbody Coach page

1.  My why.
This is the video that started it all for me.

When I watched my friend, Kimberly Wynn's story I felt like she was talking about me (except for the appendectomy and adhesion part).  I had been struggling with gastrointestinal issues for YEARS.  After much debate, I finally decided to try out Shakeology.  I decided to jump in head first and sign up as a coach.  I told my husband that if I didn't make enough as a coach in 3 months then I would quit.  It paid off in one month!!!  Now, my husband is also drinking it and we both have more energy, feel better, perform better and, in my opinion, look better.

2. What sets Shakeolgy apart from other shakes is that it's a meal replacement
Shakeology  is an entire MEAL REPLACEMENT.  That is, if you were to go through the salad bar 5 times.  I love this video: Tony Horton "checks out" Shakeology.  Okay, the lady is a little bit scary, but I love Tony!  He is a nut!!!  Seriously, there is no way that I can get all of those superfoods into my daily diet.  I love fruit and I tolerate vegetables, but sometimes I get tired of trying to figure out how to get them all into my daily meal plan.  I often drink Shakeology to replace my lunch or dinner. I count it toward one of my servings of vegetables for the day and I feel pretty darn good about that.

3. It's perfect for on the go!
I had someone ask me if Jamba Juice was a good snack when you are out running errands.  I would say-no!  Check out not only the difference in cost, but also sugars, carbs and calories.  This one is a no-brainer.  I carry a packet of Shakeology in my purse at all times for emergencies.  I never know when a few errands will turn into the whole afternoon.  I can just dump the packet into my water bottle and I have a nutritious, convenient snack.




4.  It is cost effective when compared to buying each of these ingredients separately!

Most of the ingredients in Shakeology you can't even find in a regular grocery store.  You would have to go to a specialty food store for them.  The difference in the cost is crazy too.  Plus it's hard to always find everything in season or fresh, not to mention organic. I am super busy, but I also want to get the best bang for my buck.  That's what Shakeology is.  I found it to be the greatest value in nutrition.  This video shows how the developers of Shakeology have traveled the world to find the ingredients.
Shakeolgy: Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition

5.  It is not a protein powder.

Shakeology does have about 16 grams of protein per serving, but it is not just a protein powder.  I used protein powders for years.  I never really felt like they were benefiting my health in any way.  Actually, when I quit them I instantly felt so much better.  I'm sure that it helped that I started Shakeology soon after I finished my last bag of protein powder, but the difference was very noticeable.



6.  I have more energy and less cravings.
Within 10 days of starting to drink a daily serving of Shakeology, I no longer had the "drag-butts" at 3 pm.  I was able to quit drinking pop and never look back.  I still have a sweet tooth, but it has decreased drastically.  I also lost a few pounds quickly after starting it, without changing anything else.

Another great video is 3 Reasons to Drink Shakeology.  Do it for your health, for your happiness and for your family.

Food Journal

I know that I lost most of you with the title here.  The dreaded food journal.  I even fight this one- and then I regret it because I end up overeating and gaining weight. I forget what I ate earlier in the day.

Sometimes I'll think, I can eat that because I haven't eaten that much today.  Then when I sit down and figure it out, I realize that I really did eat a great deal more than I thought that I had.

Have you ever had a dish of candy on your desk or counter?  Did you walk by every time and just grab a
few.  Then before you know it you had eaten 500 calories or more. Did that handful of M&M's turn into 6 handfuls?

How about a bowl of cashews?  They are healthy, right?  Yes, they are a great source of protein and healthy fats, but there are about 180 calories in one handful!!!  That is A TON OF CALORIES if you are grabbing a handful every time that you walk by the bowl.

WEIGH, MEASURE, AND LOG your food for the very best results.

What I have found that works the best is to write out my plan for the day, either the night before or the morning of. I don't always specify exactly what I will eat for each food group, for example protein- I may put chicken, ground turkey or eggs on my salad or with rice or quinoa and a side salad or peppers, etc. I may feel like an apple instead of a bananas.

Since I have lots of food already cooked and chopped in my fridge/freezer I can just choose what I feel like when it's time to put together my meal.

This is where the containers from the 21 Day Fix have been so useful.  Today, for example, I felt like eating a banana and an orange AND some pineapple.  I just followed the guidelines and filled my purple container with a little of each fruit.  The containers take all of the stress out of counting calories or worrying that I missed a food group.

Start Small

This is a SECRET!!! DO NOT TELL MY FAMILY!!! I substitute cream soups and mayo with greek yogurt in my casseroles and soups. Yep, no one has noticed! 

I also started using ground turkey in soups, spaghetti, tacos several years ago. We still have to use ground beef for our hamburgers, but my brother raises his own beef so it's as organic as you can get. 

The other day I was pulling out whole grain noodles to cook and my teenage son said "Gross, don't use the brown noodles." I told him that I had been using "brown noodles" for the past 5 years. He said "Oh." I'm so sneaky!!!\

Start small. Change one thing every week: Start replacing your white, processed foods with whole grains. 

Then quit buying sugar loaded beverages. 

Take the candy and cookie jars off the counter and replace them with fruits. 

Leave a plate of veggies on the kitchen counter in the afternoon for when the kids come home from school and for when you get the munchies. 

Make your food from scratch to limit additives and preservatives.

Carbohydrates

I instructed my challenge group to eat 5-6 small meals daily, pairing a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate.  I soon realized after several questions, that I had been very vague by saying this.  What I should have said it to include a fruit or vegetable with each meal, pairing it with a lean protein, and to limit starchy carbohydrates to 2-4 servings daily.  Eat at least 4 vegetables with a low Glycemic Index each day.  For more info on Glycemic Index, check out What is the Glycemic Index? 

So what are carbohydrates?  

Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple and complex.  Simple carbohydrates (SC) include processed starches, fructose and refined sugar. SC are digested quickly into glucose causing spikes in blood sugar. Most SC are empty calories because they contain few nutrients.  Complex carbohydrates (CC) include whole grains, legumes, vegetables. CC are nutrient dense and when paired with a lean protein help to keep you fuller longer while rebuilding muscle.  CC are digested more slowly, causing glucose to enter you blood stream more slowly and help to maintain a more even blood sugar level.  

Fruit and Other Natural Sugars

Fruit, honey and milk products are SC.   However, these are whole foods and are considered clean.  I

recommend eating 2 servings of  fruit per day.  Not only are they delicious and satisfying, they are nutrient dense.  I do use honey, pure maple syrup and other natural sugars in small amounts nearly everyday.  There are many recipes for breads and even clean sweets that you can replace processed sugar with honey (add 1/2 the amount called for).  Honey is still high in calories, but it is a far better choice.  I drizzle about 1/2 Tbsp of pure maple sugar on my Pumpkin Protein Pancakes.  

Starchy Carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates include bananas, potatoes, rice and grains, pasta, and breads.  These carbohydrates are all full of nutrients such as fiber, calcium, iron and B vitamins.  Many people try to avoid starchy carbs when dieting.  However, since clean eating isn't a diet, I recommend eating them in moderation.  Keep the proper portion sizes and keep it to 2-4 servings of starchy carbs per day.  If trying to lose weight, aim for only 2 servings.

  

Oats:  I buy oats in the bulk section.  I use them in my meatloaf, meatballs, for cereal, granola bars and I grind it to make oat flour.  Usually oats are the only grain that I eat in a day.  This is due to my own preference.  I would rather get my starch carbs in the form of fruits and vegetables.

Brown Rice and whole wheat pasta are other great clean starchy carb option.  I switched over to brown rice

and whole wheat pasta several years ago.  The other day I was putting pasta in a pot to boil and my son said "Gross, why are you using brown pasta?"  I told him that I had been using it for years and that I hadn't bought "white" pasta for a very long time.  He had never noticed.

  

Flour:  Replacing processed white flour for wheat may seem daunting, but overtime you and your family will adjust to it.  I have white flour in my food storage, but I haven't used it for several months.  I have even been putting all wheat flour in my cookies lately.

Bread:  Not all breads are created equal.  Once again, it is important to read the labels.  Just because the packaging says whole wheat, doesn't mean it isn't processed.  The best bread I have been able to find is Harper's Homemade Honey Wheat.  The very best option is to make your own (which I don't do because I would eat the entire loaf).

Clean Eating Challenge Group

At the beginning of the new year I really needed a change.  I had slowly been slipping back into some old habits-drinking pop and eating sweets. Then my friend introduced me to Shakeology and I was hooked.  I love the team/coach approach.  I am on a team with fabulous people that are inspiring me to take "Clean Eating and Fitness" to a whole new level.  It didn't take me long to realize that the natural thing for me to do was to direct this passion to becoming a Beachbody Coach.  I decided to do my first challenge group based on the Clean Eating principles.  Today is day 5, so I thought I would share what we have been working on so far.

Day 1:  Water

I have been debating where to start with this challenge. All of the "rules" of clean eating are important and it's hard to separate them. I promised all of you that this would be very basic, so we will start with the the most basic necessity of life: water. Water will help you these next 3 days as your body detoxes from the chemicals from pop and sugar. You will probably have a headache, BUT- after you get past those first 3 days, I promise you will feel so much better. Before I started eating clean, I would take Tylenol or Ibuprofen at least three times a week for headaches. Now I might have a headache once a month.

Water makes up about 60 percent of the human body, and it is involved in every system in the body. It regulates body temperature, cushions and protects vital organs, transports nutrients, and eliminates waste. So how much water should you drink? The rule of thumb is you should strive to drink half your body weight in ounces.

Make water your first choice. Americans consume 21 percent of their daily calories from beverages. Few people are aware of all the “liquid calories” they drink. Sugar-sweetened sodas with high-fructose corn syrup or other refined sugars are not included on a clean diet. Water is your best bet.

I drive my husband nuts because I leave glasses of water on the counter tops, bedside table, dresser, computer desk, lamp tables, and in the car. Sometimes I will have 4 or more, empty water bottles floating around in the car. I hate to be stuck without water though and an empty water bottle is usually easy to fill up at a drinking fountain or even at a convenience store.
When you think that you are hungry, and it hasn't been 2 hours since your last meal, try drinking a glass of water or herbal tea before you seek out a snack. Often your mind is confusing your need for water with food. I drink a lot of herbal tea, especially in the winter, when I want to curl up with a good book.

Make sure that you do not leave home without your water bottle. Stick it in your purse, car, strap on to your belt around the house - is that going too far?!?!

For this challenge we will be drinking 2-3 liters of water per day, striving toward the 3 liters for the next 3 days. You can add fruit, like lemon slices, or vegetables, like cucumber, but do not count any of the water that you add anything else to- such as crystal light. Post how much water you drank today.

Day 2: Lean Protein

Eat a serving of lean protein with each meal.  

Examples of LP: 
egg whites, lean turkey, chicken and pork, beans and legumes, lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus, quinoa, spirulina, sea vegetables, protein powder, tofu and tempeh. 

Think of these food lists as general guidelines to what you should include in your food plan -this is not a diet. If you have a clean, (or healthy) alternative that's not here, give it a try. You don't have to include everything in your food plan either. Pick and choose what fits best for you according to taste, cost and availability. Preferences change from person to person, so choose what tastes best for you. If you like what you eat, you'll enjoy the plan and stick to it. 

Day 3:

Complex Carbs in the form of fruits and vegetables

Eat at least 4 servings of vegetables per day and eat 2 servings of fruit.  

 Remember, above all,this is NOT a diet. This is eating real foods. I know that yesterday was really hard. I know that your body is craving those non-foods that you aren't eating. You know what though, it's just food!!! Don't give food power over you, especially food that will do nothing but sabotage your goals. 

Day 4: Eat 5-6 meals a day. 
Eat like a baby. Babies eat every 2-3 hours and we should too. You should feel hungry within this time if you are eating the right portions of food. Eating 6 small meals keeps your metabolism revved up throughout the day. Make sure that you are getting your 4 veggies, 2 fruits and eating a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrate with each meal. 
Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so DO NOT SKIP it. Make sure that you eat breakfast within one hour of rising. Tosca Reno (the clean eating lady) says that "people who do eat breakfast are many more times likely to be slim than those who don’t. Eating breakfast on a regular basis helps keep the body nourished and satisfied while providing abundant energy." Also starting your day off with 1/2 lemon squeezed into 8 oz of water is a natural "cleanser." I even like to add lemon slices to my water for something different. 

Day 4: Eat 5-6 meals a day. 

Eat like a baby. Babies eat every 2-3 hours and we should too. You should feel hungry within this time if you are eating the right portions of food. Eating 6 small meals keeps your metabolism revved up throughout the day. Make sure that you are getting your 4 veggies, 2 fruits and eating a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrate with each meal. 

Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so DO NOT SKIP it. Make sure that you eat breakfast within one hour of rising. Tosca Reno (the clean eating lady) says that "people who do eat breakfast are many more times likely to be slim than those who don’t. Eating breakfast on a regular basis helps keep the body nourished and satisfied while providing abundant energy." Also starting your day off with 1/2 lemon squeezed into 8 oz of water is a natural "cleanser." I even like to add lemon slices to my water for something different. 

Day 5: portion control. 

I will say it again- THIS IS NOT A DIET!!! To me a diet means short term. It's the quick fix. Clean eating is a lifestyle. It's learning how to eat food that provide fuel to your body so that you look, feel, and perform better. What happens when you put the wrong fuel in your car? Your car breaks down. Your body is no different. That's what days 1-4 were all about: putting the right fuel in your body. 

The problem is, you can gain weight clean eating. What?!?! Yep, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. That's why portion control is so important. If you eat clean foods, in the right portions, every 2-3 hours you will lose weight - if that's your goal. Eating sweets isn't the only thing I struggle with. I also have a tendency to over eat. That's why I needed this challenge group too. I'm back to adhering to appropriate portions sizes. I measure and weigh everything but my fruits and veggies. I try to just pile those, especially the veggies, on my plate and eat to my heart's content. I love to use my hands to measure. The reason it's best to measure with your hands is because it fits your needs. 

If you are interested in joining a challenge group send me an email at lisaborden7@beachbodycoach.com.  You can also follow me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clean-Eating-and-Fitness-A-Journey/545595565460568.