A FEW SIMPLE WAYS TO START EATING "CLEAN"!

1-Drink half your weight in water ounces each day! For example, I weight 130lbs and I drink a minimum of 65oz. If your not a fan of plain water, add fruit! My fav is cucumbers and lemon!

2-Get ride of fake foods! Rule of thumb here is... If its made in a plant DONT eat it and if it comes from a plant EAT IT! A way to start gradually is replace your refined breads and pasta thats made with white flour with ones made from whole grains.

3-Trick your tastebuds! when your used to using salt, & other additives for your food, it can be hard to adjust to the new subtle flavors of whole foods. So mix the Old with the New. For instance, from brown rice to white rice, mix the two and gradually decrease to amount of whit rice each time you make it until your eating only brown rice:)

4-More fruits and veggies! Add a piece of fruit with breakfast and lunch and add a portion of veggies to lunch and dinner!

5-MEAT and Protein! Start out by simply buying lean meat that was grass fed. Eggs need to be free range or pasture raised.

6-Organic fruits and veggies! 

7-Shopping! Most of the whole natural foods are found on the outside aisles of the store.

8-Lables are bad! Avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors & colors, preservatives, high amounts of fat, sodium and added sugar. 

***IF IT HAS A LABEL-BAD***

***NO LABEL- GOOD***

*Last but not least- COOK AT HOME SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN YOUR BODY!

Click HERE if you would like more information on clean eating and fitness motivation!

TACO SOUP

***Ingredients***

1 lb extra lean ground turkey, grass-fed beef, or ground chicken breast

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg ranch dressing mix 

1 pkg taco seasoning mix 

1 can (16 oz) pinto beans, drained

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn

1 can (8 oz) rotel-style tomatoes

1 can (8 oz) diced tomatoes

***Directions***

1. Brown meat & onions, drain

2. Mix ranch & taco seasonings into meat

3. Add the rest of the ingredients into mixture (you may also need to add a little bit of water)

4. Simmer for at least 1 hour (we let ours simmer in the crock pot but you could also cook in a large pan)

*** We usually double this recipe so we have leftovers for lunch during the week***

QUINOA AND ROASTED VEGGIE SALAD

Ever tried quinoa? (pronounced: KEEN-waaaah)

If not, you’re missing out. This highly nutritious side dish provides a complete source of protein, and is loaded with

magnesium as well as all 9 essential amino acids.

***Salad recipe***

• Prepare 1⁄4 cup of quinoa according to package directions. (This is about 1 cup of cooked quinoa).

• Roast whatever vegetables you have on hand. Typical choices are broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, carrots, and asparagus. Just chop them into similar-sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

• Chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley (about 1⁄4 cup).

• Drizzle with dressing: Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

OH SO YUMMY CHICKEN BAKE

This is one of my favorite finds on pinterest!

***Ingredients***

-Skinless chicken breasts chopped into 2 inch cubes

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1 lb red potatoes chopped into 2 inch cubes

-1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces.

-Red and yellow peppers sliced into 1 inch pieces.

-1 onion sliced

-1/3 cup fresh basil

-4 garlic cloves sliced thin

-1.5 tbsp olive oil

-1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

-Ground pepper to taste

***Directions***

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and add chicken, potatoes, veggies, basil, garlic, chicken broth and olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary add pepper if desired. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender! ENJOY!

***Clean Eating Roasted Shrimp and Green Beans***

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

***Ingredients***

For the beans:

1 lb. green beans trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

For the shrimp:

1 lb. medium-large raw shrimp (thawed if frozen), peeled

1 tbsp olive oil (plus a little extra to brush on roasting pan)

zest from one lemon (save the lemon and cut into fourths)

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

***Directions***

Preheat oven to 425.

Once the shrimp has been peeled and cleaned, rinse it under cold water. Be sure to pat the shrimp really dry (if the shrimp is not dry it will steam rather than roast!).

Place the trimmed and cut beans in a bowl and toss with extra virgin olive oil, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Cayenne pepper.

Place shrimp in another bowl with the extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and fresh ground black pepper.

Brush roasting pan with olive oil or use a non-stick spray, then arrange beans on pan in a single layer (as much as possible). Roast beans 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, toss the beans and arrange shrimp on top and roast 8-10 minutes more or until shrimp are just done.

Squeeze the four lemon quarters over the shrimp and beans and serve immediately.

Makes 2-4 servings.

TACO LETTUCE WRAP

***INGREDIENTS YOU NEED***

1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
1 Package Taco Seasoning
3/4 Cup Water
Shredded Cheese
Tomato’s
Sour Cream
Salsa
Lettuce

***INSTRUCTIONS***

Step 1 – In a pan, brown the ground beef until browned

Step 2 – Add the Taco Seasoning and water to the ground beef and simmer for five minutes

Step 3 – Using the Lettuce like a boat to make a wrap add a half cup of taco meat and then add your choice of fixings like tomato’s, cheese, sour cream, etc. Enjoy!

These are so easy to make, you could even make the taco meat and keep it warm in the slow cooker until you’re ready for supper.

3-DAY REFRESH POST RESULTS!

My Love-Hate Fix It All!

I'm a little late posting but I wanted to give y'all an update on how it went! As you can imagine it's not easy to do this program but it is well worth the time an effort that you have to put into it! 

Now... The Nitty Gritty

I lost 3lbs and I lost 3inches overall and my pants fit great! Also you can see that I really chiseled out a lot. I have also been doing P90 and was currently doing the "A" portion of the program at the same time I was doing the 3-Day Refresh!  I'm extremely impressed with my results and will do another round after the holidays. I would recommend this program to anyone who has maybe fell off the "clean eating" wagon or just overindulged  during the holidays to get a fresh jump start to getting back on track!

If you would like more information on the 3-Day Refresh just click HERE!

OK, I blew it last week! I didn't gain any weight, I didn't go up a pants size, but I did snack here and there on stuff I shouldn't have and I drank soda for the first time since June 4th! 

I know that don't sound very serious but it wasn't just one can of Dr. pepper, it was a can every time I got thirsty for almost an entire week. 

No big deal right? Wrong!!! 

I have felt sick every since the first can, I can't believe how it sucks the life right outta you, & the headaches, and the bloated feeling has got to go! 

Why did I do it when I knew it would make me feel awful?

Because I'm a stress eater by nature, it just so happened that I was to stressed to really eat so the "convenience thinking" started... One can will make me feel better and its just one can...

 NOPE! I was wrong!

So I am fixing it! 

THE 3-DAY REFRESH!

I have a love hate relationship with this program, however, I'm so grateful to Beachbody for offering it! I'm not gonna lie, it's a hard program! It's not that its demanding it's just that you really have to plan it out:) This pic was took on my day one of three and I'm very excited to get back to feeling like myself! I will post my results on day 3!

If you would like more information on the 3-Day Refresh click HERE!