Remember When...

...I used to blog?
Rethinking this...again.
Time to change it up...again.
Considering starting something new...again.

Oh by the way, our family has grown to include Mr. Myles!

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So you want to eat clean?

Well it looks like I have inspired a person or three to eat clean or at least start introducing more clean whole foods into their diet. As a resident expert on eating clean (after all---I've been at this 40+ days!...) here are a few tips for getting started.

1. If you can afford it---go buy Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Recharged Book
2. Buy her cookbook next
3. If you cant buy that right now, start here--Buy yourseld a big water bottle! A cute one that will inspire you to keep drinking from it all day long.
4. Make a commitment, I think 30 days is great. Its one month. No fast food. No soda. No sugar (you can do it) and that does not mean fruit. You can still eat fruit.
5. Throw out the oreo cookies and chips in your cupboard.
6. Be prepared to eat more of the same meals, variety can come later. Its time to just train yourself to eat clean and I think its less over whelming if you just have a few core recipes that are easy and you like.
7. Go get some quality protein powder. This really helps in getting in that protein/complex carb combination that you will need at EVERY meal and snack.
8. Don't be scared of the bulk food section
9. Dont drink alcohol. If you must...seriously alternate water and alcohol and try and stick to one night a week. I used to drink wine every night. If I can do it...you can.  This will help you to sleep better, get up earlier and make better food choices.

Kitchen supplies that really make this easier:

• Minature crock pot (less then $10 at walmart)
• Grinder ($9-$15)
• Blender
• Blender Ball (its a shaker with a wire ball in it---makes protein powder and water a lot easier to mix when you are in a hurry)
• Apple Slicer/corer (I eat a lot of apples and peanut butter and this way I can slice my apple in 5 seconds)

Okay...so NOW--you are ready to begin.  Its time to go to the grocery store. I like Costco and Sprouts and Kroger and Market Street.  Of course I love Central Market and Whole Foods...but we are on a budget. 

• I hope you like eggs. You'll be eating them a lot. Buy 24 eggs (preferably organic) and lots of egg whites. Make sure these arent egg beaters. You can buy 100% egg whites in the refrigerator section.
• In the bulk section--steel cut oats, flax seeds--to grind before use (this maintains the flax power), Millet, brown rice, cinnamon).  This is going to be your breakfast most days with protein powder and water. I'll post the recipe later
• Chicken Breast
• Tilapia or Salmom. Wild caught. I buy the individually frozen ones at costco.

Okay will update more later....



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Meals as of Late

Day 40!
And I feel great.

So I have mostly use Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet as my baseline for everything I am making/eating and then checking out Blogs, Magazines like Oxygen and Clean Eating and then modifying recipes I already have.

Some of my favorite recipes so far:

Turkey Tacos
1 lb. lean ground turkey breast (healthier then ground turkey)
2 cloves garlic (pressed)
1/2 onion
1 tblsp. Cumin
dash red chilli flakes
1 tblsp. chilli powder (less if you don't like spicy)
sprinkle paprika
1/4 cup water

Brown Meat, onion and garlic (you should use coconut oil, but olive oil will be fine). Add Cumin, chilli flakes, paprika and water and simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

This is where you can get creative---whatever you like on tacos (avoid cheese and sour cream)
I used:
8 leaves butter lettuce--instead of taco shells
1/4 red cabbage chopped
Diced Tomato
Green Onion
Fresh Salsa
(that is what I had)
You could use:
Corn, black olives, Zuchini, squash, avocado, the list goes on...
Ta Da! Enjoy.

Spaghetti Squash
1 Spaghetti Squash (most grocery stores have these) Cut in half- scoop out seeds

Pre-heat oven 375F. Put squash face down on cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.

Sauce
I make a huge batch and then freeze it in smaller containers so I can just pull out sauce for dinner when we feel like it.

1 lb. of extra lean ground beef. You could use turkey or nothing at all.
4 cloves garlic, pressed.
1/2 onion diced.
Brown all of this, drain and set aside. I actually rinse it to get all the excess fat off.


This is where I get as many vegetables as I can into my sauce. Get a huge stock pot. Mine is HUGE!

Saute the following:
3 Zucchini (chopped small)
1 Large onion
2 cups of diced baby portabello mushrooms
2 carrots grated
1 red bell pepper diced

Now add-
2 cans Tomato Sauce
3 cans crushed tomatoes
3 cans diced tomatoes
2 jars of regular spaghetti sauce
1 package frozen chopped spinach
Fresh Basil, chopped small (1/4 cup)
Dried Basil 1 tblsp
Dried Oregano 2 tblsp.
Simmer for an hour...on very low. Stir Occasionally.

Tilapia with Black Bean Avocado Salad
...recipe coming soon

Turkey Meatballs
...recipe coming soon

Grilled Chicken Spinach Wraps
...recipe coming soon


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The end is the new beginning

Okay--so I am 27 days into my 30 day challenge and while I have not been able to stick exactly to all of the challenges every day...I have done pretty awesome. I feel lighter, more fit and healthier. The side effect of that is I feel happier. So, this has really just spurred on more challenges or rather changes as I continue on my journey. I want to get FIT. Seriously.

So--I am going to start Cooler Plan 1 of Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Recharged. Its strict. I am going to committ to a week of this rigid eating plan and then go from there. I will be stocking up on lean protein, tons of veggies, steal cut oats and water water water. Wish me luck...and I promise, if I hit my goal, I will post pictures. :)

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Half Way Update.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." James 12:11

Well it’s a little more than halfway through my challenge --17 days in to be exact and I have good news to report! First and foremost, I have more energy. Getting up at the crack (I mean the serious crack) is getting easier. It also only takes me 1.5 cups of coffee to come alive rather than my usual 3. AND I can now drink that first cup with my eyes open. So something interesting happened last week, my mom go admitted to the hospital late Sunday night. As the only child in Texas with a valid driver’s license not to mention over the age of 18, I became a regular visitor of Harris Methodist. In all honesty, it would have been completely easy and not unlike me to just say...you know what this is too hard, I'll start my challenge after she gets out and my life gets back to normal. Then proceed to eat mac and cheese from the cafeteria and stop by Target to pick up some red wine to eat with spaghetti. But in my ever increasing wisdom slash maturity I have realized that life never gets back to normal. There will always be something that comes up unexpectedly that gives us the excuse to stray from our way. That line of thinking is essentially what got me to wear I am. So I made a decision, I'm not going back; I don’t want to go back. I choose to move forward in my plan and stick to it. It's hard sometimes and a little painful honestly, but I know that remaining disciplined will produce that peace and results that I so badly want. Today, on day 17 I can say I made it. My mom is out of the hospital and I am ok. So--the results so far besides drinking coffee with my eyes open. I have lost 10 pounds! I can’t stress enough how much I love this Eat Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno. I feel like it is the answer I have been searching for all of my life. Now I know this whole challenge isn’t just about eating, but that is a really big part of it for me. I will admit that I didn’t stick to the running--I barely had time to sleep, but last night I had a great run, 4 miles in 50 minutes (which is good for me) and it’s the weirdest thing, my favorite place to run is the cemetery behind our house. It’s so peaceful and it always causes me to reflect on life and the inevitability of death on this earth and how truly my only hope is in eternity with Christ. I know... that sounds crazy...I also think of my dad every time I run through there. He is not buried there, but I guess it’s just that quiet place among the trees and the graves that I can think of my dad in heaven and his life on this earth and all of the good memories I have of him. This post went to a random place that I wasn’t expecting, but there you have it. Things are well. Stay tuned for progress updates and picture posts about Wyatt…I promise!



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