Clean Eating Tips That I use

If you do not own a copy of "Eat Clean Recharged" by Tosca Reno go out and get your copy now.  It not only tells you exactly how to get started eating clean but it really gives you the history behind why eating clean is the most beneficial for your body.  

Portion sizes- Tosca's strategy does not count calories or points.  Instead, you are guided by simply following correct portion sizes and pairing the correct foods together.  So it is very easy to stick to the correct plan because you don't need any fancy sliders to figure out your calories or scales to measure your food.  A serving of protein is the palm of your hand.  A serving of complex carbohydrates such as apples, oranges, veggies is 2 cupped handfuls and a serving of starchy carbs is the size of 1 cupped handful.

If you follow the correct portion sizes you will stay on track and are less likely to over indulge.  I literally measure out my blueberries in the morning for my oatmeal by scooping out 2 handfuls and tossing into the oatmeal.

Drink a large glass of warm lemon water when you first wake up before you eat breakfast.  Lemon water is a natural detox and it also jump starts your metabolism in the am.  I use a lemon squeezer and squeeze an entire lemon into my cup and fill to the top with warm tap water.  Then, I do not allow myself to eat breakfast until the entire glass of water is gone. 

Tip:  Lemons tend to go bad quickly so to get the most out of your lemons, squeeze all of the juice into ice cube trays and then just pop them out and go each morning!

 Get a lunch tote- I found that Whole Foods has these small grocery  bags that are just the right size for packing healthy snacks and meals.  On Sunday, I always sit down and plan out my meals for the week.  I make my grocery list and then I cut up fruits and veggies and portion into serving sizes for the week.  I measure out hummus, all natural PB, and nuts as my proteins to pair with my fruits and veggies.  Then, if I am out doing errands I always pack a snack and even an extra one!  I always throw in my shaker cup and shakeology because you can always find water somewhere!  The, I am never stranded and starving!  I will never let myself get to the ravenous stage where I eat everything in sight!  This has been my saving grace when there were no healthy alternatives at a function as well.

Carry a refillable bottle with water everywhere you go.  You can add lime, lemon, cucumber and strawberries to your water to give it flavor.  NO SODA OR JUICE!  I'm telling you that it's full of empty calories and you are not going to lose the weight if you drink soda or juice!  Just WATER!
 
Drink green tea when you are hungry, I noticed that it helps with my cravings, especially in the late afternoon or evening!

Are you the type of person that needs something sweet after dinner?  I always have a bowl of fruit out and leave it on the table for something sweet after dinner for the rest of the family.  I usually don’t eat it unless I can’t resist.

 Buy in bulk, I go to Safeway and buy their family package of chicken and freeze.  It is better to buy fresh produce than frozen.  I cook extra chicken for lunches on Sunday  and Wednesdays or whatever day you is going to use as your prep day.  That way you can slice it up and put it in a Tupperware and pull out for salads or wraps for the rest of the week.

 
Also, cook extra when making dinner and place in containers for lunches throughout the week.

You can replace any foods so long as you replace a complex carb with another complex carb etc.  So if you don't like bananas replace them with an apple.  If you don't like almonds replace with all natural PB!

BODY BEAUTIFUL/BODY HEALTH FORMULA

80% nutrition + 10% exercise + 10% genetics = body beautiful/body health

EAT CLEAN PRINCIPLES

1.      Eat six small meals a day.  Eat every two-and-a-half to three hours.  I set the timer on my phone to remind me when to eat!  Now that I have been doing it for so long my body just tells me that its time to eat!  

2.      Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising.  So give or take when you exercise.  I exercise first thing in the morning and I don't eat before hand.  I workout, drink my results and recovery drink, grab a shower and then make breakfast.  I always have a warm glass of lemon water each morning as my wake up and detox!  I squeeze 1/2 or a whole lemon into a glass of warm water.  I make it a rule that I cannot eat my breakfast until I drink the entire glass of water.

3.      Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.  A lean protein would be your plain unsalted nuts, almond butter, all natural peanut butter, white meat such as chicken and fish.  A complex carb is your fruits and veggies such as bananas, apples, oranges, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes just to name a few.  

4.      Eat sufficient (two or three servings) of healthy fats every day (EVOO, avocado)

5.      Drink two to three liters of water each day.  I make this a MUST!  If you want to lose weight then you must drink a lot of water each and every day.  If you do not drink enough water you body actually holds onto water weight.  Drinking water speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight.

6.      Carry a cooler packed with clean foods.  I seriously cannot leave the house without my 31 cooler bags.  Even if I am pretty certain that I am going to be home before my next snack or meal I still throw in an apple and a handful of unsalted almonds and a bottle of water.  It is super easy to throw in a packet of shakeology and your shaker cup.  You are never left scrounging for a meal or needing to hit the drive through.  you always have a healthy snack or meal to hold you over!  

7.      Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.  Limit your starchy complex carbs to two to four servings each day.  I suggest not relying too heavily on juices.  I would aim to get your servings of fruits and veggies each day from actually eating them.  This way you get the added fiber from the skins of the fruits!  Juices more often than not have added sugars and additives that our bodies do not need.

8.      Adhere to proper portion sizes.

PORTION SIZES

Protein:  palm of one hand
Starchy complex carbohydrates:  What can fit into one cupped hand

Complex Carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables:  What can fit into two cupped hands together

Healthy Fats:  One scant handful of nuts, 1 to 2 tbsp of oil.

TOP 10 THINGS TO AVOID

1.       Sugar, white flour, and over processed foods.  Bread at the bread table when you are out to eat.  Especially when I was trying to lose the weight I would avoid bread at all costs.  I even avoided Ezekiel bread or most starchy carbs.

2.      Artificial sugars- NO STEVIA OR EQUAL OR SWEET N LOW ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU!  I recommend Agave nectar and honey if you need to sweeten something.  Even then I still think you should use it sparingly.  Again, sugar is addictive and the more you have the more your body will crave it!

3.      Sugar-loaded beverages such as soda and juice- NONE, ZILCH ZERO!!

4.      Super sizing your  meals or portions- If you are at a restaurant always ask for a box and take half of it home!  Restaurants are known for their oversized portions.  Even if it's a healthy meal that does not give you permission to throw your rules out the window!  You can eat the right kinds of foods and have too much and still not see results.

5.      Alcohol, try your best to limit.  My rule of thumb is for every alcoholic drink that you consume you must have 1 full glass of water!  
Alcohol is full of sugar and empty calories so you need to ask yourself,  is this short term sacrifice of drinking worth the long term results of me feeling amazing in my body and having the confidence to put myself out there!

6.      Chemically charged foods- So this mean smart ones, lean cuisines or any other processed meals.  Take a look at the labels on your food.  If there are more than 3 ingredients and you don't understand what they are then you probably shouldn't buy it!

7.      Foods containing preservatives

8.      Artificial foods such as processed cheese slices- I very rarely eat a piece of cheese.  I tend to choose feta cheese if I go that route!  Once again your body holds onto bad fats!

9.      Saturated and trans fats
10.  Anti foods, calorie-dense foods with no nutritional value.

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAKE EATING CLEAN EASIER FOR YOU

1.       Pack a cooler every day

2.      Carry a water bottle everywhere

3.      Make a shopping list and stick to it- I grocery shop for 2 weeks at a time.  I sit down on my white board, grocery list, and recipes and plan out my meals so that my entire family can follow the same eating schedule. It works and we are all happy!
4.      Prepare planned leftovers
5.      Keep your pantry stocked with staples.  Staples in my pantry are plain unsalted rice cakes, all natural peanut butter, almonds, cashews, raisins, flaxseed, and olive oil!  If I run out of fresh fruits and veggies I turn to rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins!

TOP FIVE EXERCISE TIPS
1.       Set realistic goals for yourself weekly, monthly and yearly.
2.      Train all of your major muscle groups, arms shoulders, chest, back, legs and abs.
3.      Challenge yourself-vary your routine every few weeks.
4.      Keep cardio fun-try new activities
5.      Stay focused-put your mind into your muscle.

EATING OUT TIPS
McDonalds
Garden fresh salad with warm crispy chicken and balsamic vinaigrette and water.
McDonalds chicken fajita, apple slices without Carmel dipping sauce and water
Burger King flame broiled hamburger and BK side salad with no croutons or dressing and water.
Wendy’s home style chicken go wrap, plain baked potato and water
Subway 6-inch turkey breast or ham sub, apple slices and water.  No dressing or cheese on the sandwich!


If you would like more information on how you can transform your lifestyle with eating clean please message me at christine.chowning@yahoo.com or go to www.teambeachbody.com/christinechowning and create a free account and together we can reach your health and fitness goals one day at a time!