Your body needs a certain amount of healthy fats to function properly. Fats help insulate our organs, help regulate body temperature, give us healthy hair, skin and nails, support our immune system, and are the structural part of our cells. We need fat! However, not all fat is created equally. Some fats harm our body more then they help, so it’s important to be mindful of the fats we select.

So what is a healthy fat? A healthy fat is a monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and omega 3 fatty acid. That includes things like avocado, olive oil, nuts & seeds, grass fed butter or ghee, salmon, chia seeds, avocado oil, nut butters, and eggs. These fats help keep our body functioning properly.

Unhealthy fats are saturated fat and trans fat. That includes things like margarine, whole fat milk products, red meat, pork, poultry skin, lamb, certain cooking oils, lard, and some highly processed foods. These foods can cause severe issue within your body and lead to problematic health issues.

Let’s talk about healthy oils you can cook with. There can be a lot of confusion regarding cooking oils. There are varying opinions on which oils are healthy and which are not, so I am going to give you my opinion based on what I have learned. The oils that you should have on hand and use are olive oil, avocado oil, grape seed oil, and ghee. I think coconut oil is acceptable occasionally, however, it is a saturated fat and should be used sparingly. It is also perfectly fine to cook without oil. You can use water or broth to cook with instead of oil. It works great, unless you want to fry something, but fried foods are not healthy anyways.

Some of the oils I feel you should avoid are vegetable, canola, peanut, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, and corn oil.

Try adding healthy fat into your diet. Swap out highly processed, unhealthy fats, for whole, healthy fats. Use moderation, as even healthy fats can cause weight gain too.

We are three days into this clean eating challenge, and so far we have talked about increasing water consumption, eating more veggies, reading labels and picking foods with fewer ingredients, and now we will talk about sugar 👍🏻.

Sugar can be a very hard thing to reduce or eliminate if it is your weakness. Some people are not tempted by sugar and lean more towards the salty and savory foods, but some of us LOVE sugar! Sugar is my weakness. I can pass on chips and salsa, but place cookies, ice cream, or brownies in front of me, and I have to dig a little deeper to resist diving in. I call it the Sugar Monster syndrome. My grandfather loved sugar, and I remember as a kid, seeing his box of See’s candy, cabinet full of cookies and treats, nightly bowl of ice cream, and thought of him as a sugar monster. I think I actually called him that! I didn’t mean it as a put down, but more as an endearing nickname. I just knew he loved his sugar. Now I can be a sugar monster if I allow myself to be😆.

There are times when I allow more sugar into my diet then I need, but for the most part, I keep it under control. I know the harm it causes my body, so I choose to walk away from it. I also see the effects it has on my body. I become more bloated, I have less energy, my clothes get a little tighter, and I just feel blah! Keeping sugar out of my diet makes me feel so much better, keeps my clothes fitting better, reduces the bloating, and gives me more energy.

So how much sugar should you allow in your diet? The current recommendation is 25 grams per day ( 6 tsp) for women and 37.5 for men. That really isn’t very much! A Starbucks drink can have 50-80 grams of sugar! That is just one drink! Imagine adding that on to what you consume for the rest of the day. A can of soda has about 39 grams of sugar, so well above your daily allowance. Have you ever considered how much sugar you consume each day?

Today I challenge you to reduce the amount of sugar you eat or drink, and pay attention to see how much sugar is in the things you normally reach for. You don’t need to eliminate fruit. That is a natural sugar, and not the same as processed sugar. Check your coffee creamer, snack items, sauces, salad dressings, ketchup, bread, ect….

Can you stay under 30 grams of sugar today?

When it comes to the amount of ingredients in our food, less is more! The less ingredients listed, the better. When you pick up an item at the store, with an ingredient list of 5-7 things or more, that should be a red flag. It is especially alarming if that list includes dyes, additives, preservatives, or words you cannot pronounce.

Clean eating has become a trendy term, and it can be misused for marketing purposes. To make it simple, clean eating includes foods that are from nature (not created in a factory), with zero to very few added ingredients.

Here are a few examples of what to look for on an ingredient list:

Be a food detective! Read ingredient lists, choose fresh foods whenever possible, and look for food items that have 5 or less ingredients. Your health, and the health of your family, is important. It doesn’t matter how you were raised eating or what others do around you. You can educate yourself and take responsibility for your food choices. You are in control of what you feed yourself and your family. Choose wisely😊

One of the most important things you can do for your body is drink water. It is a beverage that is often overlooked or replaced with sodas, sugary coffee drinks, or juice. Many people function in a dehydrated state due to lack of water consumption. They feel thirst, but try to quench their thirst with soda, Gatorade, or Starbucks.

Today I challenge you to focus on drinking more water! The current recommendations for water intake is 91 ounces for women and 125 ounces for men. This can vary from person to person based on activity level, climate, and weight, but it is a good overall guideline. The goal is to drink water throughout the day, not try to consume all your ounces in 2 hours. Your kidneys can only filter 7 gallons ( 28 liters) of water per day and only 1 liter per hour. Bombarding you’re body with too much water too quickly can drop your sodium levels too low and cause other horrible side effects.

The other overlooked thing in our daily lives is our veggie intake. I have heard people say that they never eat vegetables! We need to change that! Vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to thrive. Make an effort to include a vegetable for lunch and dinner everyday. It can be a salad, roasted veggies, steamed veggies, or even raw. It does NOT count if you smother them in butter or heavy sauces. Try using light olive oil drizzled on your veggie dish, instead of heavy butter. For salads, opt for balsamic vinegar & olive oil, lemon juice, or a homemade salad dressing, instead of a highly processed, sugar filled salad dressing.

You can make changes slowly. Slow is good! You don’t have to throw out everything in your cupboards and fridge in order to start making small changes to your diet. Start by adding more healthy, clean food, rather then thinking of eliminating everything.

Remember that less is more with clean eating. The fewer the ingredients the better!

Clean Eating Food List:

This is a list of foods you can choose from to create a clean diet. You are not required to eat only foods listed below. This is just a list of ideas that can help you make better choices. We all have different preferences and dietary restrictions, so choose foods that work for you. The main goal is to reduce the amount of heavily processed foods you consume and focus on whole, real foods.

Grains & Proteins:

Brown rice, quinoa, millet, soba noodles, tahini, tempeh, black & pinto beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, lentils, raw almonds, raw walnuts, raw macadamia nuts, raw pecans, raw cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, buckwheat, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter.

Lean, organic free-range chicken, grass-fed meat, organic ground turkey, organic, free-range eggs, fresh caught fish.

Veggies & Herbs:

Spinach, lettuces, kale, arugula, dandelion greens, onions, garlic, cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, dill weed, rosemary, tomatoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, celery, green beans, zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, corn. 

Fruit:

Apples, banana, mango, papaya, kiwi, apricots, peaches, pineapple, oranges, grapes, all melons, all berries, lemon, limes.

Condiments & Flavoring:

Black pepper, Himalayan sea salt, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, tamari, salsa, hot sauce, djon mustard, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, raw honey, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, free-range low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth, hummus.

Flours:

Whole wheat, arrowroot, cassava root, tapioca, coconut, almond.

Healthy Fats:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, Ghee, grass-fed butter, avocado, nuts.

Super Foods Supplements:

Chia seeds, flaxseed, cacao nibs, spirulina, maca powder, ashwagandha, gogi berries, blue-green algae, wheatgrass.

Snacks:

Hummus with veggies, fresh popped popcorn, Larabars, RX bars, Ezekiel bread, Ezekiel tortillas, unsweetened apple sauce, plain Greek yogurt with honey and fruit, fresh fruit, veggies and salsa, leftovers, chia seed pudding.

Desserts:

Raw chocolate or 70-80% cacao chocolate, coconut ice cream, nice cream (ice cream made with frozen fruit & coconut milk)

Beverages:

Water, coconut water, kombucha, herbal tea, almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, iced tea, coffee. 

Foods To Avoid:

Processed meats and cheese, highly refined breads and pasta, white flour and sugar, artificial sweetener, sugary drinks (soda, juice, blended drinks), alcohol, foods with additives & dyes, sodium nitrate, artificial foods, saturated and trans fats.

There is a lot of confusion about what eating clean means. There are a variety of opinions out there on what is clean and what is not clean, and it can be confusing and overwhelming as to what to believe. Let me start off by saying that I am not an expert. I am not a registered dietician or doctor, nor do I proclaim to know everything there is to know about clean eating. I am a certified holistic nutritionist with a passion for nutrition, and a certified personal trainer with over 20 years of experience. I am going to share what I have learned and experienced myself. I also want to state that everyone has different dietary needs or restrictions, so you may need to modify food choices I offer to fit your own needs or consult with your doctor.

Okay, so what is clean eating? In my opinion, clean eating is eating food that comes from nature, with little to no extra ingredients, and has not been created in a factory or highly processed. Foods that grew on a tree or in the ground are from nature and clean. Foods that would not exist without being created and processed in a factory are not natural or clean. There is also the issue of pesticides and things that taint our soil, in turn tainting our food. Unfortunately, it is a common issue with most fresh foods, so I buy certified organic foods whenever possible to reduce the amount of “junk” in my food. So in a nutshell, the focus for clean eating is fresh, whole food that have not been heavily processed and have a minimal amount of ingredients.

What does that look like? It means filling your plate with veggies, fruit, pasture raised meats, organic free-range eggs, herbs, healthy fats, beans, lentils, whole grain foods, water, ect…. It does NOT include chips, cookies, crackers, soda, high calorie salad dressing, highly processed meats or breads, granola bars, and the list could go on! I know it sounds a little limiting, but once you start eating clean, you realize the abundance of healthy foods you can fill your plate with!

Change is hard, and reshaping habits is not something that happens overnight. I am not a fan of just going “cold turkey” and throwing out everything you have in your pantry. I believe that making small changes over time, and adding to your diet, rather then throwing everything out, is easier to stick with. Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, I like to focus on what healthy foods you can add in. As an example, perhaps the first thing you do is commit to drinking more water and adding a salad and a vegetable to dinner every night.

So what will this challenge look like? Well, each day you will commit to adding in clean foods, drinking more water, logging what you ate and how you felt afterwards, getting enough sleep, exercising at least 30 minutes per day (optional), and removing unhealthy foods from your diet. We will take it slowly, talk about the benefits of different foods you can add to your diet, and work through alternative food ideas when you crave “junk”! I will also have a list of foods to choose from with vegan and vegetarian options.

I will post daily on this blog, but I will also have a private Facebook group for anyone who wants more accountability and community. The private group will be more personalized, with daily motivation, tips, and discussion. Let me know if you want to join! We start on Monday, April 27th.

Do you ever struggle with ideas for making lunch? I do! It is my least favorite meal of the day! I don’t know why, but I would just rather skip it. I love breakfast and dinner foods, but I always struggle to find lunch foods that I enjoy. Here are a few ideas that I look forward to having for lunch or even dinner. Many of these dishes are created with leftovers from the night before.

Lunch

Blueberry & Mango Spinach Salad

(serves 6)

1 cup blueberries

1 chopped mango

½ sliced or chopped cucumber

6 cups spinach

salt & pepper to taste

chopped pecans

 

Dressing:

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

3 tbsp honey

Whisk together and pour over salad.

 

 

Skinny Taco Salad in a Jar

(serves 6)

½ pound cooked ground turkey meat

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

¼ tsp garlic powder

sea salt to taste

Mix together meat and spices

½ cup broken tortilla chips

3 cups lettuce

½ cup shredded cheese

½ cup salsa

Divide ingredients between 6 mason jars. Layer however you want.

 

Dressing:

2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp ripe, mashed avocado

juice of one lime

¼ cup salsa

Mix in blender until smooth.

 

 

Skinny Burrito in a Jar

1 cup salsa

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 cup shredded cheese

½ cup plain greek yogurt

• Add left over chicken or ground turnkey meat
• Top with avocado

When you are ready to eat, pour contents into a tortilla or lettuce wrap.

 

 Chicken Burger

Chicken burger patty topped with avocado, hummus, pickles or grilled sliced pineapple. Add a fruit or veggie on the side.

 

Sweet Potato Hash

1 cooked, cubed sweet potato

cooked ground turkey meat

salsa & avocado

*Mix sweet potato and ground turkey meat. Add salsa and avocado to taste.

 

Salad

Spinach or Romaine lettuce

Sliced strawberries

Pumpkin seeds or chopped pecans

Pre cooked chicken, salmon, or mahi mahi

 

Chocolate peanut butter Shake

1 cup ice

1 cup water + ¼ cup almond milk

1 banana

1 tbsp almond butter, peanut butter, or powdered almond or peanut butter

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

*I like Sun Warrior or 1Up Nutrition for protein powders

 

Green Smoothie or Bowl

3 cups frozen spinach & kale

1/3 of an avocado

1 banana

¼ cup frozen mango or peaches

1 cup ice

water (add depending on how thick you want it)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

¼ cup shredded coconut

*if you want to make it a smoothie bowl, add more ice. Then top it with chopped nuts or granola

Here is a core workout using a resistance band that you can do right in your living room. Adding the resistance band gives your legs a little mini workout too! If you don’t have a resistance band, no problem! Just do the exercises without one👍🏻.

1 minute per exercise for 2-3 rounds. Don’t forget to breathe! It’s really common to hold your breath during a challenging exercise, but it is really important that you breathe through it.

🔥bicycle crunch
🔥full crunch
🔥leg lifts with abduction pulse
🔥abduction pulse reverse crunch
🔥sit up alternating toe touch
🔥plank toe taps
🔥half V-up
🔥seated rainbow legs

Here is a recipe that I have been making for years for my kids. I change it up from time to time, but the basics stay the same. The great thing about protein power balls is that you can customize them to fit your taste buds. Change up flavors, add fun extras, or keep them simple.

Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked rolled oats, 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter, 1/3 cup ground flaxseed, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup.

Optional add ons: 1 scoop flavored protein powder ( I used Carmel macchiato from 1 Up nutrition), chocolate chips, cacao nibs, cacao powder, shredded coconut, or dried fruit. Let me know if you have any good add-on ideas!

Directions: add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. The consistency should be sticky and bind together. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After the mixture has been chilled for an hour, remove from fridge and roll into small or medium sized balls. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for a quick snack. You can freeze them too!

One of my all time favorites foods to eat is a sweet potato. I just love them! They compliment most main courses, or can be the main dish themselves. Sweet potato tacos is a favorite at my house!

Roasting sweet potatoes is my favorite way to prepare them. Sometimes I roasted them with a little sausage added in, or with taco seasoning to make them for tacos, or my all time favorite way is with apples, cinnamon and chopped pecans.

First I peel the sweet potato and cut them into cubes. Then I layer them in a baking dish and add a chopped apple. I lightly drizzle olive oil on top, mix well, and then sprinkle cinnamon on them. Next I will toss a handful of chopped pecans, stir them one last time and put them in a pre-heated oven at 375 for about 40 minutes.

My favorite cinnamon seasoning for sweet potatoes is Buttery Cinnamon Roll by Flavor Gods, but any cinnamon will do.

Check to make sure your sweet potatoes are soft before removing them from the oven. If they are still hard, cook them for another 5 minutes or until they are soft. I like making a large batch for leftovers! They pair great with eggs in the morning!

What is your favorite healthy food to make?