Month: October 2011

Young Professionals Perspective on EATING CLEAN…

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ Leave a comment
October’s CLEAN EATING blogs were written primarily from my perspective and I personally started eating clean post babies and husband.  Starting clean at this point in my life takes on it’s own challenges.  Having said this, I recognize that there are unique challenges of trying to clean eat while working a regular 9 to 5 job or cooking for one that I was unable to address.  This is a different “animal” and adaptations need to be made.  Having said this, INCREDIBLY the 3 “cleanest” eaters in my studio were young professionals.  They navigated the business lunches, eating out with friends, and weekend travel—and still came out on top!  KUDOS.  I asked if they would share just a few tips or reflections from their month in hopes to help and inspire other young professionals who see the clean eating journey as TOO difficult to attempt!
I would say the biggest thing to success in eating clean is to PLAN.  I know you have said this before but it completely makes the difference. You have to plan what you are going to eat–everything from breakfast to dinner and snacks in between before you go to the grocery.  You can’t just walk around and pick up the groceries that are clean and hope they can all go together.  You have to think about what are some dinner, breakfast, lunch, snack options.  
PREP is another big part of success.  Make the meals ahead of time (even salads) and have it divided out in the containers so that it is easy to just get and pack or eat.  If that means one dish for the week that you take for lunch, that’s great.  Just add other items for variety and make sure you also have enough recipes to rotate! 🙂  That is what I have done and it makes the world of difference.  I don’t want to waste the food so I have to eat it!!!  
I think it’s also so important that you have places to find information or ask questions.  That has been huge for me this year and I think a big difference.  Are these really clean?  What should I buy here? Going shopping with someone who eats clean was helpful as well.  
One last thing–you have to give yourself grace.  I know that there are times when one isn’t going to eat completely clean and you have to realize that it is ok.  October is a crazy time with football games, the fair, etc. (as is every month–there is always something) and I knew that it would be hard on football days to go to tailgates.  So I took the clean foods and then tried to eat more of those than the un-clean food.  To me, that is success.  Even if it is not considered a clean day, I know that it is a journey… 

Kate Garrison
Typically, my daily meals are looking like this:
 – Breakfast: Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats with almonds and banana
 – Snacks that I pack and take to work to eat throughout the day: Apple, Lara Bar, Baby Carrots, Dates, Almonds, Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread, Apple Sauce
 – Dinner: Steamed Vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cauliflower) with hummus and a smoothie (spinach, mixed berries, a little bit of coconut milk (unsweetened), water, cinnamon and protein powder). OR Brown rice, black beans, peppers, onions and SPICES (I have a newfound love for spices)! I have made sweet potato fries a few times with plain sweet potato slices, cumin & pepper
-I also still drink coffee w/ soy and cinnamon some days
-Water has been huge for me. I think it helps stop cravings that lead to bad food choices for me. I always have a water bottle with me now to make sure I’m drinking enough throughout the day. If I don’t have it, I get headaches that I attribute to hunger.
Eating out is still really tough I think. I don’t have any good pointers on this one. In general, I’m learning it’s best to just pack snacks everywhere I go!

Kristen Zwingler

This is no challenge for a procrastinator…preparation and thinking ahead is key!  The facts are simple–the days when I’m successful in my clean eating are the days that I’m prepared.  Likewise, the days that I fall short of clean eating are the days when I leave my meals to chance.  There is power in declining a lunch invitation from colleagues at work because I have brought my lunch.  NOT ONLY have I packed my lunch, but I have made an intentional trip to Trader Joes to buy my food, taken the time to chop my veggies and wash my fruit, AND brought it to work.  I’m NOT wasting all that effort just to go indulge in some mexican lunch that will only make me feel overly full and sluggish for the rest of the afternoon! 
I’ve learned that I most often leave my meals to chance when I’m on the road, out of town, or traveling.  Being away from home and out of my routine throws a kink in my schedule and eating for convenience becomes even more tempting.  So, I’ve taken this 30 day challenge to see if I can eat clean even when I’m on the road.  Sarah and I took a weekend trip to Charlotte for a wedding and we packed just as many groceries as we did clothes!  It made so much sense-when we got hungry; we just reached for our water bottles and grabbed our carrots and hummus out of the cooler that we packed in the backseat!  We laughed as we realized how accustomed we’ve become to the mentality that ‘road trip=fast food.”  Our hotel room had a table full of protein bars and other clean snacks and we never woke up starving and itching to make a quick run to Starbucks!  So my advice is to NOT over think this–just be prepared!  Just like you are with your outfits for work-you have to make sure the dry cleaning has been picked up, the laundry is done, and everything is ironed because you HAVE to get dressed everyday.  You HAVE to eat too, so prepare for it!     
Emily Utz
So very proud of each and EVERY woman that participated in POWER’s clean eating challenge.  Continue to take what you have learned and keep going!  This is just the beginning…

How do I get the FAMILY CLEAN?

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ 2 Comments

You may be saying,  “Okay, I personally enjoy (most days) eating clean.  But what about my family?  How in the WORLD do I begin to help them to make the shift??”

Unlike the “culture shock” that we put our POWER girls though in our 30 days clean eating challenge…I would say SLOW AND STEADY is the BEST option! 
Over the past 3 years we have made a 180 degree shift with our family and their nutrition. Here are a few “dos and don’ts” that I would suggest.  We have seen the good, bad, and UGLY when it comes to clean eating as a family!  (Feel free to chuckle or commiserate with our families’ meal madness and battles with the “gag reflex”!  http://jenni-100cupsofcoffee.blogspot.com/2011/06/monday-mommy-confessions-meal-madness.html)
DO:
EDUCATE.   It helps for them to know a few of the “whys” behind the shift.   Don’t just say, “because MOM says so!”   Give them stats of childhood obesity.  Tell them food is fuel and explain when you go to the gas station it is important that you don’t put garbage in your car…it would not run!  If they are old enough have them watch Food Inc., or Super Size Me, etc.  
Include them…Take them with you to the grocery store and local farmers market.  Tell them they can pick out ANY vegetable they want to try.   Allow them to help cook.  Eeek!    Sometimes if they help prepare it they are more likely to try it!
Introduce 2-5 clean meals a week.  This depends on your level of family’s “buy in” and your ability to get family friendly clean meals on the table.   
Give Choices…we often have 3 vegetables and tell them they must pick 2.  Or ask, “do you want Quinoia or Cous Cous with your dinner tonight?”  When THEY are in the drivers seat battles are often diffused.    I have even had a “Tuesday Try It” with a huge “buffet” of raw veggies and different types of hummus that they can pick from and try.
Take out the worst stuff:
Go through your cabinets and THROW AWAY (or GIVE AWAY):
Anything with high fructose corn syrup, white sugar and white flour, additives, colors, preservatives, and foods high in sodium and fat. 
(Just as it is a process to change your palate…it is tough for theirs to change if Fruit Loops, and Teddy Grahams are begging to be eaten each day.)  It creates more of a fight and drama than you want.  We say, “our home is a DRAMA FREE ZONE”.   
Make them take a “POLITE BITE” (thanks Cathy).  No one wants dinner to be a battle zone but it will become “understood” if you stick to your guns. 
Throw them a bone.  At each meal I tried to ensure that there was SOMETHING on the plate that they would eat.  A fruit for dessert, a type of bread or protein that they liked, etc.  If it is ALL new it will bring about an automatic fight and empty tummies.  The amazing thing is that as they get better and their palates change so do the “bones”.  Our bone tonight was kale chips.   
Give incentives…
Bribe my kids to eat clean??  YEP.  Once a month my kids earn a dime for every bite of NEW food they eat.  WE choose the meal.  Usually it is one we know could become a new favorite but because it is new we suspect resistance!  You would be surprised how much of the plate will be clean with just a few dollars out of OUR pockets!  I also know Janine has had her teens receive a “point” per day and there will be substantial rewards at the end of the week/month for their clean days.  We only started this recently…I would not do this right away…you do not want them to associate every “clean” meal with pay outs! 
THE DO NOTs
Do not b.s. (be specific).  If you use the ingredients names to tell your children what they are eating:  they THINK they hate everything that is new including lentils, Brussels sprouts, or butternut squash.  Get creative…think of new names.  Don’t lie but maybe tell them what it is similar to—or focus on the color…tonight’s Butternut Squash and lentil soup was “Halloween” soup.
Do not quit!      It can be discouraging when they “balk” at your attempts!  It can take as many as 10-12 INTRODUCTIONS to a new food before children’s palates adapt or change.  Some of my kids least favorite last year, are their favorites this year!   One day they DO wake up and like a veggie or fruit that they refused before! 
Do not tolerate disrespect.   Yelling, “GROSS”, “DISGUSTING” is unacceptable.  This is wonderful wholesome meal that you found, shopped for, sweated in the kitchen and served.  It is worth repeating, do not tolerate disrespect.  
I can easily type these dos and dont’s because it has been a huge game of trial and error.  Some days are better than others.  The BEST eater in my house is my 3 year old.  He downs olives, black beans and just about any vegetable placed in front of him.  Let’s do the math…yep, he has really not known life without clean food in it.  This makes it easier.  He is not perfect—but is the least resistant to new things and that is certainly because he has been exposed to this type of food the longest.  The sooner you can get your kids on board the better!  The sooner you can make a few healthy shifts the better. 
Here are a few extra resources if your kids are older or your hubby is not on board:
Here is my favorite blogger she has some great thoughts on creating “clean teens”! 
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/teen-eat-clean/
These are also good thoughts when it comes to encouraging your hubby:
http://peasandthankyou.com/2011/08/20/it-bears-repeating-make-my-man-eat-plants-giveaway/
Check out the utube interview with Chris, who was ANTI-Clean and ANTI-vegetable until just 3 years ago!   He has some good thoughts and words of encouragement!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE37t1Dj1KI&feature=related)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2oGxnFIk8Y&feature=related)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybKdzeO2aUw&feature=related)
I am PASSIONATE about this subject because it has been a very intentional undertaking for the past 3 years.  Shifts CAN be made. Hang in there…I continue to say YOU are WORTH this shift…YOUR FAMILY IS WORTH IT TOO! 

Guest Blogger…Chris Cockerham on FOOD for FUEL

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ 2 Comments

As I entered the month of October knowing so much of the focus would be on food and nutrition…I felt getting a few other perspectives would be a good idea!   Over the next week or so I will have a few of my clients share their experiences of eating clean and what their journey has been like as they change their nutrition.

The first blog is actually from my hubby.   He has a “gift” for getting things on one page.  Last night he told me he was going to write a few of his thoughts down on one page concerning food.  Once they were on paper I realized they were share worthy!  Chris formerly was a “meatatarian”.  His two food groups were meat and potatoes.  He actually used to tell others that “vegetables stunt your growth”.  Bojangles was a bi-weekly occurrence and I believe he won the “pounder challenge” at Fudruckers a few years back.   So the fact that he now is on a totally different “page” when it comes to food and nutrition is quite a shock to myself and those who know him!  Having said this, he is quite passionate about this “food thing” and has great information to share.  I hope you enjoy his…

Fueling the Machine:  A Guide to Wise Eating
FACT…
We are what we eat.
So if we eat non-nutrient rich, crappy food, we will feel poor and crappy.  We will lack the energy, and in turn the motivation to exercise, and generally feel lethargic.  But if we fuel our body like the intricately designed machines they are, they will perform for us like we have never seen before.
The FDA does NOT have your best interest in mind.
It’s not the FDA’s job to make sure that everything that hits the shelves is healthy and good for you.  It’s their job to make sure that everything that hits the shelves won’t kill you THE DAY YOU EAT IT.  Therefore, don’t assume that just because it made it to the supermarket shelves that it is good for human consumption.  We must become savvy food shoppers. 
We have OVERVALUED convenience and value.
In our fast paced world, we avoid being inconvenienced like its the plague and we been romanced by the idea that, “there’s nothing like a bargain.”  We can often find ourselves thinking, “Well I know it’s not good for me, but it was sooooo convenient,” or “I know this is artery clogging, but it was so cheap I had to get it.”  Begin to develop an appreciation for good, wholesome, nutrient-rich food that you would commit to going out of your way or paying a little bit more for food that is good for you.  YOU’RE WORTH IT.
We have become slaves to our taste buds.
Most of us know that what we eat is not good for us.  But, instead of listening to the wisdom of professionals, or our own common sense, we instead do whatever our taste buds desire.  As soon as we walk into a restaurant and smell that deep fried fill-in-the-blank, our taste buds begin clamoring for it and we appease them by giving them whatever they want.  Take control…form an uprising…demand your rights…tell them who’s boss.  Discipline yourself to surround yourself with healthy options and make up your mind about what you will eat BEFORE entering the restaurant and are tempted to be enslaved by your taste buds.
Start with these simple, but intentional changes
Get down with the BROWN.
The research is very clear that the processed white food items (pastas, white breads, white rice) that we fill our plates with, should not be part of a healthy diet.  Instead, replace those items with WHOLE GRAIN items: whole wheat breads, whole wheat pastas, and brown rice.  If it doesn’t include the word “whole” then don’t get it.  “Multigrain” is a ploy…don’t be fooled…this just means that it is a variety of processed grains but not the WHOLE GRAIN (bran, germ, and endosperm).  The whole grain has all the vitamins and nutrients that we are intended to get from this food source AND a significantly increased amount of fiber, which is essential for good colon health.
Aggressively insert vegetables into your diet.
Without intentional effort, most or our meals would consist almost entirely of meat, cheese, and a starch (rice, potatoes or bread).  In our culture, we generally have to go out of our way to get vegetables on to our plates.  We don’t need nearly as much meat as the common American fare would dictate and indeed, the negative consequences of our meat, egg, cheese, and dairy addiction are well founded.  Try to limit your meat intake to once a day, at most.  Replace it with beans, nuts, and more veggies (even spinach is 51% protein).
Remove the EMPTY calories from your diet.
Sodas, chips, white bagels, donuts, cookies, etc…
These items have NO nutritional value and literally damage your body’s internal organs.  Commit to filling your body with NUTRIENT-RICH food.  

Chris Cockerham

Mommy Confession: Mommy Amnesia

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ Leave a comment

This weekend I had the pleasure of watching my dear friend’s 3 small children.  Lillie 6, Andrew 4, and Paul 9 months.   I will be honest, this was not a planned event, but an event that I welcomed.  All 3 children are extremely well behaved and get along swimmingly with my 3 children.  Paul being the 9 month old, is laid back and an “easy” baby.  With bright blue eyes and big chubby cheeks, we had a real live adorable Gerber baby in our house this weekend!   As easy as Paul may be, I must use that term loosely because when you are caring for 6 children, no baby is “easy”.  (At least not for me!)  It was in those moments when I was caring for the youngest “Walter” that I realized…every mom who has more than one child must undergo some sort of mommy amnesia.  She must FORGET what it is like to be on “call” 24/7.  She must forget what it is like to constantly be on alert to make sure that the baby is not eating a stray object or climbing the stairs, or plummeting down the stairs.  It is an incredible thing to be constantly “on” and responsible for not only preparing the little meal (that is different from everyone elses) but also then to feed the child the meal, and a bottle!  She has diaper duty so it is not just an occasional wipe but process of diapering and applications of desitin and the like.   I was in the “throws” of that life just 2.5 short years ago and yet with an almost 3 year old who feeds himself and even takes care of most bathroom issues I had simply forgotten!  A bit of amnesia perhaps?  It all came screaming back to me yesterday at 6pm when I was feeding Paul some sweet potatoes.  He was not super happy about it.  I didn’t have a high chair or seat so I was feeding him on my lap.  In the meantime the other 5 children were finishing up their dinner and had decided to play on the swing set.   Paul’s dinner was interrupted several times as there were cries from a fall on the monkey bars, and a need for a push on the swing.  Finally my husband went outside to “man” the swing set when my youngest came in to take care of some business.  With sweet potatoes all over Paul and myself I hear from the bathroom…”mom I need a wipe!”  He meant, “mom please wipe me!”  Of all the times to take care of this—really right now?  I started to put Paul down but he began to cry.  So with one baby on my hip and another in down dog position politely waiting to be wiped…I wiped his bottom.  It is a good thing I do yoga!  A mommy FIRST for me!  I thought I had pretty much done it all!  (To ease Sara’s mind, I did immediately wash my hands—and then went back to feeding Paul his dinner!)  Saturday night really reminded me of reality TV:   Jen and Chris Plus 6!  Today Chris worked so my show title could have been:  Jen Minus Chris Plus 6.  I don’t know how mothers of more than 3 (because that is my experience) do it?!    

Continue reading →

Eating Clean While Eating OUT?

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ 1 Comment
Eating out and eating clean can be QUITE a dilemma.  It seems safer to stay home!  (And sadly, it may be!)  Restaurants have studied what keeps consumers coming back and it is their mission to load up each morsel of food their with a “time tested” trifecta:  sugar, fat, and salt.  These 3 things little ingredients have addictive qualities…they are RARELY found in nature and yet, we as Americans are obsessed.  Our diets (often unknowingly) are filled with them!    The book entitled, “The End of Over-Eating” pulls the curtain back and interviews a top food industry executive who shared, “Sugar, fat, and salt make a food compelling, they make it indulgent.  They make it high in hedonic value, which gives us pleasure.”  When asked if they design food specifically to be “highly hedonic” the answer was “absolutely, we try to bring as much of that into the equation as possible.”  (Kessler, 18) The exec goes on to describe the ways that they “layer” or “load” each dish with as much sugar, fat, and salt as possible.  This brings their customers back for more.  Why???  Scientifically speaking, fat, sugar and salt are strong reinforcers, especially when combined together!  UNC Chapel Hill has done a ton of research on this subject and Sara Ward found that the breaking point for animals who would no longer “work” for a fat and sugar combination was just slightly lower than the breaking point for cocaine.   (Kessler, 31)  Yep, you read that right…when you say, that is so “addictive” you are actually correct…it is…and it was designed to be! 
Knowing that it is the job of the restaurant to lure you in and keep you coming back for you more it is OUR job to be great detectives on what we are putting in our bodies.  It is okay to ask for ingredient lists and nutritional fact sheets.  Even better I would encourage you to go in and “create your own meal”.  In other words…GET CREATIVE…BE HIGH MAINTENANCE!  Don’t be afraid to ask for exactly what you want and how you want it prepared. 
ALWAYS…
  • Ask for WHOLE WHEAT options for bread, pasta and tortillas.   (Even if you know they don’t have it…it raises the awareness of management that this is something patrons WANT)

  • Ask for your veggies to be steamed and cooked without butter
  • Ask for things without a bun or in a “bowl”
  • Ask for the chips to be left off the table
  • Ask how things are prepared…ask for meat to be grilled instead of fried
  • Order several SIDES instead of a main dish…(i.e. black beans, veggies, sweet potato, side salad, etc.) 
  • Box ½ of your meal before it is brought to you…portion sizes are OUTRAGEOUS
  • For a kids meal…create your own…ask for grilled chicken instead of nuggets and veggies instead of fries, more often than not they will do it. 
  • Create your OWN meal.  Don’t feel confined to the menu…often you can clean up something by just requesting it the way you would prepare it at home.
Let me be clear…I am not trying to start a WAR with big business and food industries.  I understand that they are dealing with the “bottom line” and their job is to bring customers through the door.   I am not saying all restaurants (or restaurant owners) are evil!  I am trying to raise awareness.   I believe that it is all about supply and demand and if customers start to demand healthier, nutrient rich options then businesses will respond.  I was thrilled to hear one of my pod girls who works for CFA share that they are now offering steel cut oats as a breakfast menu option!    It is our job as a consumer to be informed as to what we are putting in our bodies; and then by choices and where we spend our money, positively effect change.  
Here are a few restaurants locally that are Janine, LeAnne, and I frequent.  They are NOT perfect and at each one you could eat a nutrient rich meal or a meal filled with fat, sugar, and salt.  These particular places have MORE clean options than many, and for that reason they made the “list”.   
Quick Bites…
Chipolte
Doc Greens
(coupons in citipass)
Greek Fiesta
(coupons in citipass)
Moes
(kids eat free on Tuesday night)
(coupons in citipass)
Qdoba
Sweet Tomatos
(coupons in citipass)
Urban Turban
(awesome weekday buffet)
Whole Foods
(such a great salad bar and buffet…they also have yummy made to order sushi!) 
Z Pizza
(lots of options:  whole wheat crust, gluten free, tons of veggies and even soy cheese)
(coupons in citipass)
Date Night
La Shish
(citipass)
Irregardless Cafe
Shopping Around Town
Farmers Market (Western Wake and Raleigh)
Fresh Market
Great Harvest
(coupons in citipass)
Trader Joes
Whole Foods
Good options can be found and it is worth the search.  YOU are worth the search.  


Happy hunting!  
Jenni

Tummy Troubles?!?!

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ 1 Comment

As we have embarked on week one and two of P.O.W.E.R.’s Clean Eating Challenge,  Janine and I have heard many rumblings of concern.  Tummy rumblings that is.   We are hoping this is not because you are hungry–as this challenge encourages you to eat 5-6 times a day!  They are actually rumblings of discomfort.

This is because your body is likely going through a detox of sorts!    You may feel bloated, have extra gas, diarrhea, nausea, cramping, and many other intestinal responses.    It can even feel like you have the flu.   This is normal.  I know you are thinking, “I am eating healthier, shouldn’t I be feeling lighter and better than ever before?”  Slow down sister.  It takes a while for your body to move through the OLD stuff before it can process the NEW.     Fiber sweeps through your system like a broom.   Simply speaking, the extra fiber (a.k.a. fruits, veggies, beans and nuts) are all doing their jobs to eliminate toxins and remnants of processed foods and other chemicals in your body…and those things may have been hanging out in your intestines for years!   The response can be uncomfortable and annoying.  Truly when you make this shift it can feel like you are “detoxing” for a few days up to a few weeks.

The general consensus as you move through this adjustment period is to…

DRINK LOTS OF WATER…this helps to flush out the toxins and aids with digestion.

CHEW YOUR FOOD…this takes away from your body having to do the extra work.

EXERCISE…good news! You are in the right place!  This moves things through your system literally.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES…can also be a helpful addition to your meal if you continue to have difficulty…but research and find one that is right for you…and give the first 3 a shot first!

If you are having tummy troubles…hang in there…it is normal.  You should be feeling better and reaping the benefits of a healthier, stronger YOU very soon!  


P.O.W.E.R. on and P.O.W.E.R. through!








ALWAYS Be Prepared!

~ Jenni at 100 Cups of Coffee ~ Leave a comment

This fall I got in to a “dangerous” hunger place.  I had taught some classes, prepared my kids lunches, quickly drove them to school, flew to a meeting and then immediately ran to an appointment.   I exited the appointment and found myself deep in North Raleigh starving.  I am not familiar with North Raleigh.  All that surrounded me were fast food options.  Immediately I thought, “I could go grab something quick just this one time.”  You canfind some clean fast food options but they are more the exception and not the rule.  And quite honestly, I was not sure once I got to the counter that I would make the best choice…because I was SO famished.  Would I actually choose the salad with no dressing and a baked potato? On a normal day under normal conditions yes, but I was in a bit of a “frantic” food place.  I would not be home for another hour due to traffic.   I NEEDED to get back home asap because I had to pick up my kids from school.   I took a deep breath and began to drive.  I sucked down the last of my water that I had in my bottle and then said a prayer to have the will power to stay out of the drive thru and just get home.  20 minutes in to the drive I passed a grocery store and was able to quickly stop and grab something clean and then hop back in the car.  When I got home I was able to fully appreciate my long overdue lunch.  It was a close call though, and it was a tough decision.  Earlier in my journey I am certain I would not have made the same choice.

To help avoid the CRAZY BAD HUNGER place I compiled a few tips that help me and my family to stay prepared: 

·      Pack a lunch or (several) snacks the night before or in the morning
Even if you work from home this will help to not “think” and have healthy options and portions at your fingertips!

·      Chop your veggies over the weekend. 
Keep bags of carrots, snap peas, peppers, broccoli, and other quick veggies ready to go for easy prep throughout the week. 

·      Keep a basket in the car
I have two.  One for my children with tons of snacks for them and their water bottles.  Another one for me with my favorite lara bars, apples, almonds, and walnuts…individually packaged and ready to go to create ease and convenience.

·      Prep meals on the weekend. 
That way you will have a few “go to” items, some clean soups, muffins or granola bars.  We even freeze our “lentil burgers” (you could do the same with turkey burgers) so that we can pull them out throughout the week.  This helps to avoid panic on a full evening, knowing that you will at least have something to pull out for the evening! 

·      Have a weekly plan.
You don’t have to adhere to it perfectly.  You may wake up and not be in the mood for spaghetti squash that day.  But at least have an idea…especially on full nights, you will have something you can throw in the crockpot or something that you can pull from the freezer.  Preparation and planning are KEY to staying clean. 

·      Be High Maintenance.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a microwave and fridge when you travel.  When you go to a restaurant ask for exactly what you want, how you want it prepared, etc.  Even at a drive thru or coffee shop, “have it your way”.   
 
·      Stay fueled throughout the day!
Keep snacks on hand in a cooler, at your desk, in your purse, car, fridge and cabinets.  That means frequenting the grocery store to stay stocked.  

It is important to keep your metabolism burning throughout the day and it is important to not get to the crazy bad hunger place…hopefully a few of these tips will help along the journey!  


Blessings!


Jenni