Category: Health

What Does It Mean To Eat Clean?

making the right choice

The term “eating clean” has been tossed around a lot these days.  I have to admit when I first saw the phrase pop up on the internet my initial reaction was a big eye roll.  I thought “Oh great, another fad diet designed to make people feel guilty about what they eat.  We have enough of those to last an eternity!”

Fortunately, that’s not what it’s about.

While there’s no scientific definition attached to the phrase “eating clean,” the concept is actually a good one.  The goal is to eat food in as close to its natural state as possible.

Clean eating is about understanding how to read labels, knowing where the ingredients came from, and what process they went through to make it onto your plate.  Things like additives, preservatives, and ingredients that add flavor can contribute to making a food less wholesome.

It’s about shopping around the perimeter of the store for as much of your food as possible and knowing what to look for when tackling the center aisles full of prepackaged food.

Please understand, I’m not suggesting that you should never eat anything processed.  One of the challenges with many of the clean eating plans is they usually have too many rules and restrictions.  However, a balanced approach to “eating clean” is a wise choice to help you maintain your weight and your health.

Here are five simple tips to help you make cleaner choices when you are shopping at the markets.

Cook as much as you can.  One of the top reasons I encourage meal planning and cooking your own food is that you have more control over the ingredients.  You can modify recipes to suit dietary needs and have 100% control over what goes into your body.  Magazines like Cooking Light are a great place to find healthy recipes that  won’t skimp on taste or ingredients.

Not all processed food is unhealthy.  Food that is deliberately changed before it is made available for us to eat is considered processed.  It’s usually packaged in boxes or bags and contains more than one item on the ingredient list.

Some processed foods are actually healthy for you and can be great time savers.  Foods like precooked whole grains, greek yogurt, nut butters, frozen fruits and veggies, organic soups, and canned beans are all great examples of healthy processed foods.

Take a quick look at the ingredient list before purchasing processed food.  Ask yourself if it’s something you could make at home or can it only be made in a lab.  If you see things like high-fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated fats (transfats), the food has undergone a chemical process.  I recommend avoiding these chemicals in your food as much as possible.

Load up on fruits and vegetables.  Choose recipes like stir fry’s that include a lot of vegetables.  Try adding a side salad with your dinner or lunch, or including a piece of fruit with your snack.  If you like to keep it simple, fill up half of your plate with fruits and veggies and then add your protein and carbohydrate.

Know where your food comes from.  Ask your market where the food you are buying came from.  Look for meat that is grass-fed and raised without antibiotics or hormones.  Produce that travels a few hours to get to your plate is less likely to have artificial preservatives than the fruits and veggies traveling 1500 miles or more from other countries.  Buy produce that’s in season and shop weekly.  If spoilage is a concern, buy frozen organic fruits and vegetables.  They will last  longer and can be more budget friendly.  I like to buy a combination of fresh and frozen every week and then focus on using the foods that have a shorter shelf life first.  Freeze meat and defrost it as needed.

Drink plenty of water.  Staying properly hydrated is important for numerous health reasons.  It also helps you limit beverages that contain artificial sweeteners.  Coconut water or sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon is a nice alternative to some of the chemically sweetened beverages available on the market.

Eating clean is really nothing new.  It’s a simply a new phrase attached to the way of life my great-grandmother would have understood living on their farm.  Food that comes directly from the farm to the table is usually about as clean as you can get.

I think my grandmother would have wondered what all the fuss was about.  🙂

To your health!
Jennifer

 
This post contains an Amazon affiliate link which means that if you click on the product link, I’ll receive a small commission. Twenty percent of all Amazon commissions will be donated to charity.  It’s a pleasure to serve you! 

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Five Basic Tips to Help You Lose Weight This Fall

Young woman at autumn forest

For many people Labor Day usually means that summer is coming to an end.  The kids go back to school (if they haven’t already returned), the air gets crisper, and the light begins to change. And even if you live in a place that stays a little warmer (like parts of my home state of California), the new fall season usually means a much busier or, at the very least, a different schedule.

A shift in schedule can potentially derail your weight loss goals if you let it. I’ve put together some simple guidelines on how to stay on track while adjusting to the new season.

FIVE EASY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR THE FALL SEASON!

1) Plan.  Fall usually means a more set routine. This can be used for your benefit to help you lose weight. Pull out your calendar and determine when you have time for exercise, meal planning, and healthy meal preparation. Write these activities in like like any other important appointment.

Avoid biting off more than you can chew. Look at your calendar before saying yes to extra projects. If saying yes will interfere with your weight loss goals, you may want to take a pass for now.

2) Brown bag it. Breakfast is key to successful weight loss. If time is tight in the mornings, a healthy egg sandwich or smoothie are easy to eat on the go. Do your best to eat by 9:00 am, and no later than 10:00.

Pack lunches and have healthy snacks on you at all times. No matter what your day looks like, busy and hungry are a dangerous combination for weight loss. By planning ahead, you’ll have more control over the food you eat.

And if you are shuttling kids, pack snacks to have on hand. Not only will it contribute to their good health, it will save you time as well.

3) Order out.  After looking at your schedule, you may realize that cooking some nights will be a stretch. Let someone else do the cooking for you! Order healthy pre-made meals from companies like Munchery or Spoon Rocket.

4) Get creative.  If your normal exercise time is conflicting with your child’s activity or sport, go for a walk while you are waiting for them. One of my clients decided to get a low-cost membership at the gym across the street from her daughter’s dance class. She’s going to run on the treadmill while her daughter is taking class. Another option would be to see if there was an adult class to try during her daughter’s class.

Early morning and lunch time workouts are a great way to sneak exercise into the day. This strategy helps you avoid missing workouts due to evening interruptions such as working late.

5) Create a fit lifestyle.  One of the reasons people are so much more active in the Summer is all of the fun outdoor activities that are available. That doesn’t have to end just because it’s Fall. Like the beach or hiking? Bundle up and take a walk. Personally, I think Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year!

Choose active recreation on the weekends to counter the less active time during the week. Recreational activities are a great cross-trainer if you are doing more formal gym workouts during the week. Try turning off screens (computers, TV, phones, etc. ) as much as possible on the weekends!

All it takes is a little bit of planning. Fall is a great time to meet your weight loss/management goals. Embrace this time of year and all of the fullness it brings!

Blessings!
Jennifer

Is it A Good Idea To Weigh Yourself?

iStock_womanlookinginmirror

A few years ago I was at the doctor’s office for an annual check-up. The nurse asked me to stand on the scale. I hopped on and she told me the number, “134.” Next, she escorted me into the room and left me by myself.

What happened next is very significant. I looked in the mirror and thanked God for my curves and my healthy body. And I thanked God for something even more important.  My freedom!  It is so liberating to look at weight and clothing size as simply a number.

There was a time when I weighed 116. Quite honestly, back then I considered 120 lbs or more to be unacceptable.  I wasn’t very healthy mentally or physically. My philosophy was the lower the number and the smaller the pants size, the better.

Hopefully, body image is not something you struggle with. But if you are someone who does and are tired of it, you may be wondering how I have become so comfortable in my own skin. Let me share some secrets with you.

Ignore your scale for a week. I have nothing against weighing yourself periodically, but this day and night weighing in can drive you insane. Weight fluctuates for many reasons. If you are someone who looks at those numbers as simply data and do not get emotional about it, I see no issue with a daily weigh-in.

However, if you get all worked up or even depressed, then I suggest a once a week weigh-in. It should be on the same day, same time of day, and without clothes. This will help you track your positive progress and catch any small weight gain quickly.

Embrace your body type. Avoid comparing yourself to others. Some are long and lanky, some are curvy. Some build bulk and some do not. I am not suggesting you accept being unhealthy or uncomfortable in your clothes. My desire for you is that you achieve your personal best–not what the media tells you is best for you.

My weight is considered heavy or overweight in Hollywood. But walking down the street, I am considered slender. Once I stopped comparing myself to the models in the magazines and focused on looking my personal best, I stopped obsessing about my weight.

Decide what YOU want. You may want to “look” like the guy or gal on the cover of Mens’ Health or Shape Magazine! But do you know what your role model eats? Do you know the amount of time he works out—or that he’s paid to work out?

Have you considered the photograph may have been air brushed–or the possibility that he’s had cosmetic surgery? A better idea might be to set a goal of feeling confident on the beach this summer. Or dropping one or more clothing sizes. You might even simply want to get the thumbs up at your next physical from your doctor.

Change your language. This is critical. Maintaining a healthy, trim, toned body for life requires a variety of different steps. However, without this one you will have a tough road. I absolutely cringe when I hear men or women announce they have fat thighs, or ugly calves, or a “jelly” belly. The brain fights to be right. So each time you speak this over your body, you are telling your subconscious that you are fat. This will cause behavior that is opposite to your desired goal. To quote Dr. Jack Atnip “Focus on what you want, NOT what you don’t want”.

Substitute negative self-talk with phrases like “body, you are strong and losing weight every day,” or “body, you burn off all calories I consume and my abs are getting tighter.” This can be tough for women who have friends or family that sit around and talk what I call the “fat language.” In the beginning you may just have to start with “if you don’t have anything nice to say to YOURSELF, don’t say it all.”

Your weight is very personal. Earlier I mentioned my weight of 134. This is the weight I currently maintain without dieting or damaging my body. At this weight I’m comfortable in my clothing, including my bathing suit.  I can afford to eat out once a week without even thinking twice about it.

Choose a weight that you are able to support long-term without feeling deprived or compromising your health and be content with it.  I’d much rather you be satisfied with a weight you can realistically maintain than suffer the emotional roller coaster that is attached to chronic dieting.

I tend to weigh myself periodically and it’s usually when I take one of our dogs to the veterinarians office. This helps me pay attention to any changes in my weight before things get out of hand.  I know what causes me to push the needle up, so I make healthy choices without depriving myself.

Avoid focusing on only numbers and pay attention to things like: how your clothes fit, the results of your most recent physical, your energy levels, and how strong you are.

Remember–there is only one you! You are uniquely designed.  Don’t let anyone set your goals for you—not the media, the medical community, your friends, or your family! When you are living your own life, you can achieve anything!

Blessings to you and yours,
Jennifer