How to Eat Clean On-The-Go



Lovely Friend,

  One of my biggest downfalls to clean eating occurs when I am on-the-go. It seems like I always end up being gone longer than I planned, which often means I am out during meal times.  This has really thrown a kink in my clean eating on more than one occasion and I have decided to face this battle head on!

  I have preached about how great preparation is and it is still an area that needs lots of work in this house.  It is also a huge key to fighting the on-the-go pitfall.  This week (actually the part of the week that has been completed so far) has been a success for me!  Preparation has helped me stay on track in a big way!!

   To begin my meal prep, I have been making breakfast or lunch the night before. This has kept me from rushing in the morning and conveniently leaving this prep task off my already crammed morning to-do list.  Once we are ready in the morning, I can just grab the meal and head to the car easy-peasy.

  I am sure you are wondering what I have been preparing for my on-the-go meals (or sometimes snacks), so let me share a few of my favorites.

On-the-go Favorites:

1. One Green Apple- sliced and placed in a baggie with a sprinkle of lemon juice (to prevent browning) with 1/4 Cup of Raw Almonds in a baggie.

2. One Banana (when I'm detoxing, I only eat this after a workout) with 1/4 Cup of Raw Almonds in a baggie.

3. Nine Rice Chips in a baggie with 1/2 Cup of Fresh Salsa in a small container.

4. Four Ounces of Simple Truth Deli Turkey in a baggie with One Cup of Fresh Blueberries in baggie and 1/2 Raw Red Bell Pepper sliced in a baggie.

5. Four Ounces of Chicken-shredded and wrapped in a Gluten-free Tortilla with 1/2 of an Avocado.

   Those favorites have definitely helped me to stick to my clean eating plan and I hope that they will also help you!  However, if you jump track on your plan, I encourage you to forgive yourself and saddle up for the next meal!

Giving It My All,
Jess

THE Food That Is Both Budget and Health Friendly



Lovely Friend,

   Have you ever used the excuse that you couldn't eat healthy because of the expense?  I'll admit that the thought has crossed my mind a time or two, and I might even have been guilty of storing up on junk for the sake of the budget.  However it has been said that "you are what you eat, so don't be fast, easy, cheap, or fake!"  With that in mind, I want to be clean, healthy, and valuable, so my food needs to be also.  With clean eating, the value of the food is not in the dollars but in the nutrition that it supplies for your body.  To be honest, when you truly dig in to the nutrition of the food, you will quickly learn how unhealthy some health food is and how choosy you have to be about what you eat.  When I first started buying healthy food, my grocery bill went up tremendously, BUT I have learned how to bring it back down by planning and choosing high nutrition and lower cost food.

   I know it is crazy, but I actually enjoy budgeting and saving for particular goals.  Although saving for goals is long term, it makes me excited when I take a baby step and budget my grocery bill.  So in my madness with budgeting and eating healthy, I have discovered one of my absolute favorite foods!  The green bean.  Yep, good ole' green beans happen to be one of the best foods for both the budget and health.

  The green bean is so fabulous for the budget because of the low cost per pound.  These guys weigh in between $.99 to $1.29 per pound, and because they are so light, you get a lot of beans for only a pound.  My estimations are certainly not perfect or accurately measured but I estimate that each pound of green beans comes out to about three cups of green beans.  When I purchase the green beans, I grab about 4 pounds.  This amount is enough for 3-4 meals for my family and only cost $3.96- $5.16. Not only is the cost fabulous for the budget, but the health benefits are pretty amazing too!

   Now my love affair with green beans began because of their charming budget-friendly quality, and the fact that they were green.  In my mind, by default, anything green must be at the top of the nutrition list.  I have long been exposed to the lovely bean and, as a kid, ate cans of it by the dozen. Really, this, and frozen broccoli are the vegetables that I remember consuming the most as a child.  I have long left the cans and now grab the green beans from the fresh section of the super market.  These fresh, beautiful little beans are known for their fabulous health contributions.  They contain vitamins to maintain the health of the eyes and bones, and also have good cholesterol-reducing fiber content (4g for only 1 cup!).  In addition to those great health benefits, these stringy pods have only 45 calories for a cup!  I love filling half of my plate with the beans to prevent overeating and making sure that I maintain regular weight loss.

   As you can see, I highly recommend the green beans for healthy and budget friendly meals! Next time you are at the store, be sure to pick up a pound or two.

Giving It My All,
Jess

P.S.
For some health benefits of green beans, check out  this link and this link.



  

How Do Nemo and Weight Loss Relate??



Lovely Friend,

   I am so excited to be at a place with a measurable amount that I have lost.  Technically, all the weight that I have lost is measurable, but it is actually starting to show now.  I know that I do not parade around announcing that I have lost a pound, because, quite frankly, that pound could be back on the next day.  My weight tends to fluctuate within a pound or two because of water weight, food choices, etcetera, so I'm typically not shouting it from the rooftops.  However, when I reach a milestone like 15 pounds, I am ready to do a happy dance, maybe not in front of anyone yet, but I'm pretty excited!

   Now that I am down 15 pounds I can tell that my middle is starting to get a tad thinner and my neck area is slimming as well.  I still have a long way to go to reach my weight loss goals, but I have achieved leaps and bounds with my health goals!  Truly this journey has always been about improving my health to make sure that I am serving God in every area of my life, including my health.  Now, because I am overweight, losing weight is an all inclusive piece of health improvement. For so long, I tried to just lose weight.  There are so many toxin filled gimmicks out there that promise quick weight loss totally separate from improving health.  These products can often be laden with various forms of sugar or caffeine both of which can be detrimental to your overall health.  These products also promise quick results for our microwave society, but the truth is change takes time.  It took me four and a half months to lose the 15 pounds and I couldn't be happier.

  Because I took the slow and steady route to losing weight, I gave myself time to really learn some recipes that my family truly loves to eat. I also learned how to combat temptations by planning ahead so that I would not be hungry during a tempting time.  One skill that I can say that I have mastered the most at this time is getting back to toxin free eating once I choose to have a meal or snack that is not the best choice.  I really believe that removing the time restriction from my weight loss goals has allowed me the freedom to learn how to change my habits positively.  It removed the stress of a timeline which tends to lead to my derailment of a healthy lifestyle.

  If you, my friend, are working to change your habits, I encourage you to give yourself the freedom to learn what works for your family and to keep getting back on track, even when you make mistakes.  Forgiving yourself for being human while tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit can be huge assets to your journey!  The best advice that I can offer you (and myself!), in the words of Nemo, "Just keep swimming!"

Giving It My All,
Jess

Motivation to Change



Lovely Friend,

   If you are like me, then you have struggled with the motivation to change your health.  Unfortunately, my motivation was often a "reward" of the food that I wasn't allowed to have.  What?!  Admitting that flaw is laughable and ludicrous, but for so long it was my bizarre motivation to get healthy.  If I just lost "x" pounds then I could eat a molten chocolate cake or some other highly craved "off-limits" food.  This strange motivator was not only ridiculous, but it only worked temporarily! With my new motivation to focus primarily on health improvements rather than weight loss, I have also decided to change my motivation.

   Because I know that I already have emotional ties to food, I have nixed using them as a motivation for continuing my health journey.  I also know that I was not motivated by my improved looks and new clothing size.  I am by no means saying that I would not love a much smaller clothing size, but this is motivator is too long-term to keep me going.  I know I  need something short-term, tangible and fun.  With those ideas in mind, I came across an ad for the color run on Facebook.  I clicked on it out of curiosity, and found it was the perfect fun and tangible motivator. With only 3 months to be able to run 3.2 miles, it also is a great short-term goal!

  Since deciding that this goal would be a good fit for me, I have gotten on a regular schedule going to the gym 3-4 times per week.  I am highly motivated by how great I have felt.  In addition to feeling great, I am able to even hit the gym when I don't feel like it because I don't want to lose the progress that I have made.  I know how hard that I work for just a small amount of progress, so I am motivated to keep going to not only maintain the progress, but keep it going.

  This goal has had a positive affect that I did not originally foresee, but I am so excited that it has occurred!  This new motivator has given my husband and I a new activity to do together.  My hubby has become my constant encourager.  He has become the one that matches each step and pushes me in love to reach a little further each time.  This has given our marriage a new depth and I absolutely love it!


  So, dear friend, I encourage you to round up a few friends and sign yourselves up for the next local run!  It can be such a great motivator and including some friends can definitely keep you accountable!

Giving it my all,
Jess