A little Motivation

Start your day off HEALTHY

Morning!

Coffee- check

Newspaper/TV- check 

Food....hmmm....Now is the time to reach for some healthy foods to start off your day.

A lot of us are running out the door or grabbing something on the way into work not knowing what we are really putting into our bodies.  Here is a break down of some common and 

bad-for-you breakfast quickies;

Bagel & Cream Cheese- this will cost you about 450 calories and about 21 grams of fat.

Blueberry Muffin- A total of 400-500 calories and 15-20 grams of fat in this little sweat treat.

Yogurt, Granola and berries- Seems SO healthy, but is 520 calories and about 13 grams of fat. 

SO WHAT CAN YOU HAVE?

Take a little extra time in the morning to make;

Egg White Omelet- 3 egg whites and spinach and tomatoes will slim your waist with only 

120 calories and 3 grams of fat, not to mention a great dose of protein.  This is great with a little salsa or hot sauce ;-)

Steel Cut Oats and fresh berries- This filling and super healthy breakfast is only 160 calories and 3 grams of fat.

Greek Yogurt Smoothie- Talk about delicious, combine blueberry or peach greek yogurt with a half a banana and 1/4 c of blueberries this morning!  You will drink 200 calories, 14 grams of protein and minimal fat.  It is a little high in sugars, but if you need to satisfy that sweet craving instead of a donut, this is your go-to!

If you want to stay healthy but do find yourself running out the door, you need to prep some food for the quick grab & go morning.

Pressed for time?

Boil a dozen eggs on Sunday for the week ahead

Pre-blend your smoothie the night before and have ready in a sealed to-go cup

Throw a couple oatmeal packs in your bag to microwave when you get to the office

Mix up a strawberry whey protein shake with Almond milk

Hope these numbers open your eyes to the hidden dangers of breakfast foods.  I didn't even get into the sugars (and bad fats) that are in a lot of baked breakfast foods. These sugars leave you energy deprived just a few hours into your work day.  Put a little time into your mornings, your body and mental focus will thank you!

<3

Missy

5 Foods

Here are 5 foods I feel that everyone should have in the their diets at one time or another. 

Blueberries-  They are packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants, low in calories and delicious.  If you are looking to add fruit into your diet, berries is where you should start.  1 cup of blueberries has 80 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, 20 carbs and 1 g of protein. 

How to eat?  Throw half a cup of berries in your morning oatmeal, or have them as a quick snack with some protein to satisfy your sweet tooth the healthy way.

Olive Oil-  YES it is a fat and YES you have to have it in moderation, but it's good for you.  It is rich in monounsaturated fat (the good-for-you fat) and antioxidants.  It is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.  

How to eat OO? Drizzle a 1/2 tbsp over your salad with a tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar for a flavorful dressing. But make sure to measure because a tbsp has 120 calories and 

14g of fat.  

Sweet Potato-  I love the sweet potato.  Of all the carbohydrates I've been able to eat during my training, it is the one that saved me from gnawing at my arms from hunger.  This potato is very low in saturated fat and sodium. It's a great source of Vitamin B6, A, C and Potassium...and it tastes great!

How to Eat?  Grill in foil, bake in foil, microwave, slice into round chips and bake or my all-time favorite cut into fries and bake with your OO and some salt & pepper (you don't even need the OO).  To add some flavor while grilling or baking, sprinkle some cinnamon (no sugar) over the potato- delish!

Quinoa- Pronounced Keen-wah, this is a super grain.  Quinoa compared to a lot of other grains has a high protein content. In one cup there is 220 calories, 4 gram of fat, 39 carbs and 8 grams of protein.  It has a light texture and a mild nutty flavor. Once again, this food is packed with antioxidants, high in magnesium and iron, it is considered a complete protein. This is a great source of protein for vegetarians or vegans.

How to Eat? You can have Quinoa for breakfast mixed with honey, berries or almonds. For lunch or dinner, you can get creative by adding chopped up veggies to make your own Qunioa salads.

Last but not least....

Asparagus- Yes it makes your pee smell funny, but it might be one of the best vegetables for you! Those funny looking stems are packing with nutrients including fiber, folate, potassium, Vitamins A, C, E and K.  It's a great side-dish for your lean protein dinners.  For one cup of asparagus you will ingest 40 calories, 0 grams of fat, 8 carbs and 4 grams of protein.

How to Eat?  Always buy asparagus fresh. Cut the ends and spread them on a baking sheet, drizzle with your OO, salt, pepper and bake for 20 minutes @ 350.  You can also grill or steam your asparagus. 

These are all mainly side dishes that I highly recommend you incorporate into your daily meals.  Make sure to pair with lean meats and plenty of water! 

Hope your having a Healthy & Fit day,

<3

Missy 

Healthy Roadwarrior

 A little background: I travel a lot.  Anyone that is a part of my life or follows me on twitter, knows that I am constantly on the go.  I move on average 3-4 times a year and in between moves, I travel at least once a month....I have experience!  Travel is the easiest way to stray off your fit path and also one of the easiest ways to make excuses to have a cheat here and there.  I want to share what I do every time I'm on the go, to make sure that that doesn't happen.

It is all about PREPERATION.  Depending on my travel, the first thing I do is look at how long it is going to take me to get there and my mode of transportation.  

If it is one day of flying, I make my meals the night before and package them in ziplock bags.  I always travel with a cooler, mine is a backpack cooler that I love because it is hands-free.  I pack everything in my cooler the morning of and I'm prepared - ready to go.  It is like any other day, with my meals cooked and ready for me when I'm hungry.  TIP: You are not allowed to travel with cooler packs, so I throw in a couple bags of peas to keep the food chilled.

If it is 2 or more days and I am staying in a hotel, there are a couple more steps to take.  When I book my hotel, I make sure that my hotel has a refrigerator and microwave.  I will not stay in a hotel that doesn't have refrigerators because I eat natural foods that need to be chilled or they will go bad.  The food prep is the same, just a larger quanitity.  The batch of second (or more) day meals, I freeze over night because they will have to last longer.  Same as above, I pack and go.  The first thing I do when I get to the hotel is upack my food and get it into the refrigerator.  TIP:  I freeze the meals that I wont eat that day and every night take them out and put them in the refrigerator to start defrosting.

The last travel senerio: Road Warrior!  This is what my family calls me since I have driven from D.C to Austin, Austin to Clearwater, Clearwater to Allentown, all in the last year- I think it's fitting!  I think driving is the most dangerous mode of transporation for the opportunity to cheat.  You HAVE to stop to get gas, you HAVE to stop to go to the bathroom, so you HAVE to go into the convient stores that have all these yummy, sugar and sodium loaded snacks calling your name.  JUST SAY NO!  If you have your food in your cooler next to you in the car, you don't need anything else.  Stay on your meal plan and if you need an energy boost, don't reach for the gummy bears, do a couple jumping jacks or stretches (you will be happier about 60 minutes later when you're not suffering from a sugar crash). I am a coffee junkie, so I do have a couple black javas on the road, but no snacks, cokes or junk.

Also, for those of you that don't like freezing your food or eating food that has been prepared the day before, there is an option for you.  It is a little more of a hassle, but you can buy a poratable grill (I've seen them at Target) or a George Foreman like contraption and bring it with you.  This means that you need to make sure there is a grocery store close to where you are staying to pick up your food and cook it in your room.  If you are squeemy about food, this is a great option for you. Another FIT TIP:  Prepare healthy snacks, like natrual trail mixes or fruits, to have on hand if the temptation gets too overwhelming.

Don't let traveling be the reason why you can't continue on your healthy and fit journey. Be prepared and you shouldn't have any reasons to stray.
Thank you for reading and please leave feedback or contact me with questions! 
Live, laugh and Rock it friends!!

What is CLEAN

CLEAN   [kleen]  Show IPA adjective, clean·er,clean·est, adverb, clean·er, 

1.

free from dirt; unsoiled; unstained

2.

free from foreign or extraneous matter

3.

free from pollution; unadulterated

4.

habitually free of dirt

5.

characterized by a fresh, wholesome quality

So what is eating clean?  

It is cleaning up your eating habits!  Taking the chemicals (dirt), lab/man-made (foreign matter) and saturated fats out of your foods.  It is making a lifestyle choice of eating  foods close to nature and in turn improving your health and you might even lose a couple pounds.

Overview of Foods

Clean Foods: Vegetables, Fruits, Lean Meats, Complex Carbohydrates, Nuts

Non-clean Foods:  Sugar & Sweets, Processed & Packaged Foods, Fried foods, Alcohol 

Example

Choose this:

NOT this:  

Got it? :)

Beginning to eat like this can be difficult, just like anything new, but it is not impossible. 

Here are some tips to start a clean and healthy life: 

-Reduce the amount of times you go out to eat.  

-  Write out your meals for the week so you have a visual

- Pre-cook your meals for the week or a few days ahead on Sunday

-Rid your pantry and refrigerator of all temptations

- When you reach for that carton of crackers or cookies, remember to check the ingredients- do you know what all of them are??

-Make an effort to eat whole and natural foods.

You don't have to feel deprived, there are a lot of foods that you can make your own 

clean version of....hello Sweet Potato Fries!!

In Summary, eating clean is a practice of eating natural and whole foods such as Fruits, Vegetables, Lean Proteins, Complex Carbohydrates and nuts. I won't forget to add that Greek yogurt, Almond, Coconut, Rice Milk and healthy oils are considered clean. 

Here is a grocery list of typical clean foods:

Proteins:  Chicken Breasts, Salmon or Tilapia, Lean Ground Turkey, Lean Ground beef

Veggies: Romaine Lettuce, Fresh Spinach, Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Onion, Asparagus

Fruits:  Apples, Pineapple, Blueberries, Raspberries and Mango

Complex Carbs:  Quinoa, Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Ezikel Bread, Black Beans

Extras:  Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Almond Milk

FOCUS & GO = RESULTS

FOOD

Hi all, 

THANK YOU so much for reading my blog and for the feedback this week. I have received a lot of questions about nutrition and foods to eat to lean out or to lose weight....so this week I am going to answer those questions.  I have a lot of experience and studies in nutrition- this blog is strictly my experience, ideas and thoughts.  Please check with your doctor before starting any food or exercise program.

It's NOT a DIET

I believe that what you put in your body not only determines the way to you look on the outside, but also the way you feel on the inside.  When you eat clean (I will go over this later if you don't know this term) and drink an adequate amount 

of water many things can happen;

-Well Functioning Digestive System 

-More Energy

-Clearer Skin

-Healthy Hair

-Weight Loss

-Stronger Nails

-Better Sleep

And these are just a few.  There are many studies that suggest that a healthy lifestyle and exercise can lower risks of certain cancers and diseases.

What on that list would you NOT want??  

To see these benefits you have to make healthy choices every day.  This is not a diet that you do for 3 weeks so you can look good in your bathing suit.  

This is about making real changes in you and your health.  

Over the next 7 days I will try to share the basics about clean eating for general health and for the competitors out there.  I will also share recipes, tips to help make this transition and what I eat on a daily basis (warning: there will be many food pictures).  Please send me questions throughout the week!

I hope you all are having a fit & healthy weekend.

Missy 

<3