Clean Eating Tips

CLEAN EATING TIPS TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

I wanted to talk about clean eating because it seems as though exercising is a fairly easy task to accomplish but eating the correct amount of foods and what exactly to eat are the most difficult things for people to master.  Below are some tips to get you started.

Portion sizes – The key really lies in portion sizes and pairing the correct foods together – not calorie counting. So once you learn these, it becomes very easy to stick to it because you don’t need any fancy sliders to figure out your calories or scales to measure your food.  A serving of protein is the palm of your hand.  A serving of complex carbohydrates such as apples, oranges, or veggies is 2 cupped handfuls and a serving of starchy carbs is the size of 1 cupped handful. If you follow the correct portion sizes you will stay on track and are less likely to over indulge.

Lemons – These are gold in my book!  Drink 1-2 large glasses of warm lemon water when you first wake up before you eat breakfast.  Lemon water is a natural detox and it also jump starts your metabolism in the am. It also makes you more alkaline.  I use a lemon squeezer and squeeze ½ a lemon in each glass and fill to the top with warm water.  I drink one glass as soon as I wake up and the second while I’m working out.  By the time I’m ready for breakfast, I’ve already had 32oz of water! 

Get a lunch tote. On Sunday I always sit down and plan out my meals for the week.  I make my grocery list and then I cut up fruits and veggies and portion into serving sizes for the week.  I measure out hummus, all natural PB and nuts as my proteins to pair with my fruits and veggies.  Then, if I am out doing errands I always pack a snack and even an extra one!  I always throw in my shaker cup and Shakeology because you can always find water somewhere!  Then, I am never stranded and starving!  I will never let myself get to the ravenous stage where I eat everything in sight!  This has been my saving grace when there were no healthy alternatives at a function as well.

Carry a refillable bottle with water everywhere you go.  You can add lime, lemon, cucumber and strawberries to your water to give it flavor.  NO SODA OR JUICE!  I’m telling you that it’s full of empty calories and you are not going to lose the weight if you drink soda or juice!  Just WATER!

Drink green tea when you are hungry, I noticed that it helps with my cravings especially in the late afternoon or evening!

Buy and prepare in bulk.  Both my husband and I go through a lot of grilled chicken, so I buy large packs of it (organic whenever possible.)  On the day I am prepping for the week (usually Sunday), I will grill all of it at once.  That way it is ready to be used on top of a salad.

 

BODY BEAUTIFUL/BODY HEALTH FORMULA

80% nutrition + 10% exercise + 10% genetics = body beautiful/body health

EAT CLEAN PRINCIPLES

1. Eat six small meals a day. Eat every two-and-a-half to three hours.  I literally set the timer on my watch to remind me when to eat!  Now that I have been doing it for so long my body just tells me that it’s time to eat!  My husband always jokes that I eat non stop all day long!  And I DO!!!
2. Eat breakfast everyday, within an hour of rising. I exercise first thing in the morning and I don’t eat beforehand.  I workout, take a shower and then make breakfast.  I always have two glasses of  warm lemon water each morning as my wake up and detox!  I squeeze 1/2  lemon into each glass.  I make it a rule that I cannot eat my breakfast until I drink the entire glass of water.
3. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal. A lean protein would be your plain unsalted nuts, almond butter, all natural peanut butter, white meat such as chicken and fish.  A complex carb is your fruits and veggies such as bananas, apples, oranges, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, just to name a few.
4. Eat sufficient amounts (two or three servings) of healthy fats every day (coconut oil, avocado)
5. Drink two to three liters of water each day. I make this a MUST!  If you want to lose weight then you must drink a lot of water each and everyday.  If you do not drink enough water your body actually holds onto water weight.  Drinking water speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight.  You should aim to drink one half your weight in ounces of water each day.
6. Carry a cooler packed with clean foods. Even if I am pretty certain that I am going to be home before my next snack or meal I still throw in an apple and a handful of unsalted almonds and a bottle of water.  It is also super easy to throw in a packet of Shakeology and your shaker cup.  Then you are never left scrounging for a meal.  You always have a healthy snack or meal to hold you over!
7. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes. Limit your starchy complex carbs to two to four servings each day.  I suggest not relying too heavily on green juices.  I would aim to get your servings of fruits and veggies each day from actually eating them.  This way you get the added fiber from the skins of the fruits!
8. Adhere to proper portion sizes.

Protein:  palm of one hand

Starchy complex carbohydrates:  What can fit into one cupped hand

Complex Carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables:  What can fit into two hands, cupped together

Healthy Fats:  One scant handful of nuts, 1 to 2 tbsp of oil.

 

TOP 10 THINGS TO AVOID

1. Sugar, white flour and over processed foods. Especially when I was trying to lose the weight I would avoid bread at all costs.  I even avoided Ezekiel bread or most starchy carbs.
2. Artificial sugars – EQUAL OR SWEET N LOW ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU! I recommend natural (unprocessed) stevia or honey if you need to sweeten something.  Even then I still think you should use it sparingly.  Again, sugar is addictive and the more you have the more your body will crave it!
3. Sugar – No soda and juice- NONE, ZILCH ZERO!!
4. Super sizing your meals or portions – If you are at a restaurant always ask for a box and take half of it home! Restaurants are known for their oversized portions.  Even if it’s a healthy meal that does not give you permission to throw your rules out the window!  You can eat the right kinds of foods but have too much and still not see results.
5. Alcohol, try your best to limit. My rule of thumb is for every alcoholic drink that you consume you must have 1 full glass of water!  Alcohol is full of sugar and empty calories so you need to ask yourself,  is this short term sacrifice of not drinking worth the long term results of me feeling amazing in my body and having the confidence to put myself out there?
6. Chemically charged foods – Stay away from anything that is heavily processed (especially frozen meals, like Lean Cuisine, etc. Take a look at the labels on your food.  If there are more than 3 ingredients and you don’t understand what they are then you probably shouldn’t buy it!
7. Foods containing preservatives – these will usually have a lot of sodium also
8. Artificial foods such as processed cheese slices
9. Saturated and trans fats
10. Anti-Foods – calorie dense foods with no nutritional value.

 

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAKE EATING CLEAN EASIER FOR YOU

1. Pack a cooler everyday
2. Carry a water bottle everywhere
3. Make a shopping list and stick to it – Prepare your list by preparing your meal plan. Know what you will be eating each week.
4. Prepare planned leftovers
5. Keep your pantry stocked with staples. Staples in my pantry are all natural almond butter, almonds, cashews, raisins, flaxseed, and olive oil!

TOP FIVE EXERCISE TIPS

1. Set realistic goals for yourself – weekly, monthly and yearly.
2. Train all of your major muscle groups, arms shoulders, chest, back, legs and abs.
3. Challenge yourself – vary your routine every few weeks.
4. Keep cardio fun – try new activities
5. Stay focused – put your mind into your muscle.

Many of these tips were taken from this book.  If you want to go further in depth, I highly recommend it!

If you would like more information on how you can transform your lifestyle with eating clean please message me at katiafitfab@gmail.com or send me a friend request on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/katiacolaprico