Health Archives

The Benefits of Core Work (and How You Can Improve Your Life Too)

Working the core can be SUPER fun if you find the right program

There are many benefits that I have noticed from working on my core strength. I used to have intermittent severe back pain that would incapacitate me for days, back aches, hip soreness, and even knee and neck pain.

If you have experienced this you will know what I mean here… Lower back issues that are acutely flaring up can cause the pain and muscle tightness to spread all over the back and body even leading to neck issues, headaches and more! In addition, having pain issues even intermittent, can lead to decreased mood, frustration and the use of pain killers which come with their own wonderful side effects to endure.

So what can be done about this?

Core strengthening leads to greater stability of the muscles surrounding the spine, hips and abdomen. By having greater stability here, it reduces movement within the spine that can lead to inflammation and pain.

I am currently on round 3, day 12 of this core blasting program and I notice a huge change in how I feel, my core feels super strong and agile and having no more back pain! What a relief this is! Being without pain is totally life changing!

Why strengthen Core?

The “core” is a term used to describe just about everything on your body that isn’t your legs and arms. This means you can think of your glutes, hips, abdominal muscles, inner abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and scapula as your core. Your core is where your power is generated in order to carry out any movement. While abdominal and inner abdominal muscles do play a large roll in core stability, they don’t make up the core all by themselves.

Beyond the management of pain and disability, working the core can really improve our performance in other activities as well.. with a strong core, we will be a better runner, horse back rider, jumper, court sports performer, hockey player plus have more stability in every-day activities such as picking things off the floor, lifting children or grandchildren, hauling in groceries, cleaning the house and so much more! To be able to do all of these functional activities with power, confidence and without injury is what we want, isnt it?

Tips to Strengthen your Core…

If a person is just a beginner with core work, the exercises should look a little different and please don’t focus only on the ab muscles in the front with crunches. Only doing crunches in the setting of an already weak core can have a negative impact on your spine!

It is important to start gentle if you are a beginner with core work. Timothy Bell does a good job giving you 5 exercises to start with to get your core muscles working for you…Check out the 4 minute video below that explains each exercise for you. Perform each exercise back to back for the below prescribed time and reps and do this every day for the most benefit

Bird Dog – 10-second holds, 8 reps per side
Band Anti Rotation – 10-second holds, 8 reps per side
Dead Bugs – 8 reps per side, alternating sides each rep
Clam Shell – 10-second holds, 10 reps per side
Tummy Vacuums – 5-second holds, 8 reps

Once you have built the strength of your core and you would like to consider more advanced core training, you may want to consider joining a Core Blasting Fitness Challenge with me. CONTACT ME once you are feeling ready for this.

Working on and optimizing your core strength can totally change your life. It has for me and to no longer be suffering with pain, or use of medications is a much better existence overall!

If you become a follower on this page, you will get notified by email when there is a new TIP available…plus you will get a free download about how to improve your self-discipline!.

Please COMMENT on this post!

Essential Hydration Tips (and Why I Need Help With This One Today)

It took everything I had to get my dynamic strength workout done this morning.. My muscles kept powering out, had a nauseating sweat going, felt weak and slightly dizzy. After the workout, I did not have my usual energy, and had to lay on the cool floor afterwards totally spent. I was thinking to myself…what the HECK is wrong with me!?

I took a minute to think about it and realized something! During my whole clinic shift yesterday, I was quite cold, so instead of drinking water, I turned to hot drinks instead…and it was coffee! This created a problem in more than one way. Firstly, I normally only have one cup in the morning, so all of that extra caffeine affected my sleep, plus I most likely got dehydrated as well with the large amount of caffeine and not enough water! A double whammy! ?

I certainly felt the awful effects of the dehydration and lack of sleep this morning with the fatigue, muscle heaviness and no energy!

Time to remind myself (and you) of the critical importance of proper hydration and why our body needs it!

Our body is composed of 75% of water for good reason! Why is adequate water so important?

Water helps to convert our food to energy and helps body to absorb nutrients and carry the nutrients and oxygen to our body’s cells.

Every cell in our body is constantly producing waste products and toxins that need to be flushed out and without adequate water, buildup can occur. Water helps our body to get rid of waste. It also helps our digestive system to move properly

Water regulates our body temperature…even mild dehydration can affect this.

Water boosts energy, makes brain feel clearer and boosts productivity

Water reduces risk of cancer by getting rid of (flushing out) oxidizing materials and more.

Water can help us lose weight and promote better hormone signalling in the body and better transportation to various organs.

Dehydration can result in headaches, depression, memory loss, chronic fatigue and muscle weakness….and loss of energy to exercise!!

I have learned my lesson today. I need to stay hydrated!

OK, so how much water should we be drinking each day? Take your body weight in pounds and divide by 2. That number tells you how many ounces of water you need each day. So, for example, if you are 150 lb, you will need 75 oz of water daily which works out to 2.25 litres! BUT, if you drink coffee or take in other caffeine sources or alcohol, water intake needs to be even higher!

To be one of my health and fitness LIFERS, be sure to enter your name and email address to get a FREE download about how to improve your self-discpline!

Feel the Fear, do it Anyways

Good advice for myself this morning. This advice applies to so many areas of life since our fears and choices set the direction of our life! How many times have I chosen NOT to do something because I was afraid to look foolish! How many times have I avoided doing something that I knew darn well would be good for me, but I was too afraid! Countless times! I shudder to think about it!

This morning, I was afraid to put myself into one arm burpies…afraid of failing, falling or hurting myself. I gritted my teeth and just told myself I could do it! I in fact did them and now that I have made myself do it, it has reinforced the positive belief I have in myself that I totally CAN and I will not be afraid the next time! ?? A torn ligament in one hand will not stop me!

Think about this today! What is it that you want to do or accomplish where fear is holding you back? Take the leap of faith, do it anyway and you will be surprised at how you feel!

#brave #feelfeardoitanyway #nevergiveup #loveyourself

CLICK HERE to receive a FREE download about how to get started NOW with Clean Eating!

Working Out for Beginners (and Grandmas), and the surprising way it will change your life.

...to be healthy and fit feels fabulous! — …to be healthy and fit feels great and is worth the work!

Thinking of working out, but you’re a little afraid?

Or maybe you’re afraid of getting bulging muscles. (Don’t worry ladies, that’s highly unlikely.)

Think you’re too weak or too old or too lazy, but you want to at least give it a try?

Good.

Then I want to quickly tell you how it’s going to change your life. I mean even in your everyday stuff. I’d also like to give you a bit of direction about how to start.

How Working Out Will Change Your Life

The first thing many want when they start on their fitness journey is to look different. Thinner, smaller, tougher, lean. And that may happen, but you need to know right at the start, you’ll get much more out of it than just looks.

Your energy will increase. Assuming you’re eating clean and getting enough calories, the adrenaline and other hormones released into your body by exercise will affect your energy.

Your body will work better. Exercise affects you even at a cellular level. When you’re active, the body will use food more efficiently, and many parts – like the thyroid, endocrine system, pancreas, digestive system – will all signal and function better as a result. It’s pretty amazing how movement (or non-movement) affects the body.

You’ll feel better. Client after client has reported feeling more positive, less depressed or lethargic, more motivated and a feeling of being more capable. Exercise improves mental and emotional health, not just physical.

You can do more normal stuff. I’ve noticed this in my own body. Since I began working out, I can do a lot more on my own. I can bring in all the bags of groceries by myself without huffing and puffing afterward. I can shovel snow without pulling a muscle. My joints are stronger. And, if I need to move the couch or fridge, I can do it easily on my own – all important things for a single grandma!

Working Out – Where to Start

It’s a bit tough to say where to start, because it really depends on where your body is at.

A person recovering from back surgery or a teenager will need a whole different routine than an overweight mid-forties woman who’s otherwise healthy.

It’s always best to get the personalized advice from a coach who can advise you based on your specific needs and fitness level. (I can help with that) So please take the following not as specific personal advice for you to follow, but more as a general guideline.

That said, it’s often best to start slow. For a few reasons. If you’ve been especially sedentary or have health issues, this is especially true. A good beginning for you might be to stretch daily or every other day, and go for a walk or bike ride. Keep it light to start – pushing too hard right off will only destroy your motivation and invite injuries.

The next stage would be to increase intensity by either lengthening the time of your walk or bike ride, or increasing the difficulty, perhaps by traveling uphill or going faster for portions of the workout. A person could also add a cardio workout routine or consider joining an accountability group! Click HERE to ask how!

The (Most Important) Thing Beginners Forget About

Most people stop there, forgetting to add the vital element of weight lifting (resistance training).

Wait ladies – before you envision giant barbells and bulging muscles – that’s not what I mean. Not at all.

Here’s the truth about muscles. If you don’t make them work, they weaken. They weaken a lot and actually shrink (atrophy), becoming nearly useless. A lack of exercise leads to atrophy of skeletal muscle, which essentially leads to a smaller number and size of the muscle cells!

Lifting is Easier Than You Think

Just so you know, lifting doesn’t have to be this big, demanding ordeal. I’ve been working out for years, and only lift 2-3 times a week. The rest is cardio. It doesn’t take huge amounts of time to get results.

It may suit you best to start out with smaller weights (3-5 lbs) even once a week, and work up to 10 or 15 as you gain strength.

The bottom line: if you don’t use your muscles, they’re going to leave you.
You need them. Work them. Even just a little at first. Starting small is okay.
The important thing is that you start.

To get tips about getting started on clean eating, click HERE.

To join the athletic grandma community, enter your email address HERE and get a free download about how to improve your self-discipline!

Energy and Youth, in only one shake a day

Perfect time for an icy shake...post-workout while red-faced and hot! yumm :) — Perfect time for an icy shake…post-workout while red-faced and sweaty! yumm 🙂

I call this stuff my youth and energy potion. ? Seriously though, over two years of drinking this superfood every single day has changed my life!! Cripe, it even has me bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 5 am in the morning!!

The things superfood has done for me is hard to fully describe, but I will do my best to give you a good idea of what it could do for you by giving you details of my experience 🙂

1. My energy is so amazing despite sleep deprivation and working full time (and raising baby grandson)

2. An indescribable level of well-being which then gives me a high level of positivity and has improved all of my relationships.

3. Has given me incredible mental clarity...feels great to be sharp, clearer thinking, and to be on my toes!

4. Has made it MUCH easier to maintain a long term clean eating lifestyle by cutting cravings (and with good energy, you don’t feel as hungry!!)…and it is so delicious, I feel like I am getting a treat every day!

5. My hair, skin and nails are more soft, supple and younger looking and with a healthy glow! (Youth!)

6. The combination of phytonutrients, cellular nutrition, and antioxidants is giving my body the high level of nutrition it needs to fight illness and prevent disease! It makes me feel good to know that I am doing the best I can to prevent disease connected to oxidative stress such as cancer! …not to mention preventative power against obesity & nutrition-related disease like gallbladder and liver disease, heart attack and strokes and more!

I can tell you with absolute certainty that I will NOT be without my daily superfood…EVER!

To get more detailed information on what superfood will do for you, please comment below or send me a message

The Real Truth about Women and Bulky Muscles

As women, we’re afraid of getting big, bulky muscles.

We want to be sleek and toned – small, not big.

So the idea of working out can make us fear we’re on our way to looking like the Hulk. Or worse, his lopsided half-sister. For some, having bulging, rippled muscles is the goal. From most women though, I hear their dread of that happening to them.

Good news: big muscles don’t accidentally happen.

The truth is, bulking up is really hard for women to do.

Sure, our bodies are different, and some gain easier than others. And there are those examples of women who , ‘in just two years’ made massive gains and ended up tanned and flexing on a stage somewhere. But there’s something you don’t know about those women. They didn’t accidentally get that way and decide to go with the flow. “Oh well… I guess I’ll just have to accept my new muscly body”. No. They aimed for those results, pursuing them with determination and focus. They worked hard for multiple hours daily. Daily! Their rest days were a good hard cardio that still left them drenched. And they made sure to limit carbs and get in a lot of protein powders designed to pack on muscle.

We don’t bulk up with muscle accidentally.

Most of the time, we misunderstand muscles completely

After 2 years of heavy lifting (up to 30 lb dumbells), no increase size, only sculpting achieved!

Here’s the real truth about women and the risk of bulky muscles

Muscles become more compact when they are conditioned and strong.

That means the more you work them, and the stronger they become, the more firm and toned and smaller in size they become.

I know it seems counterintuitive – even false, when all we see in media is the kind of muscles that bulge. But we know we shouldn’t always believe what the media tells us, right? This is one of those things we shouldn’t believe. Muscles are small. Sleek. Compact.

Just ask my clients who, as soon as they began developing their muscles, shrank. They shrank while they were getting stronger. That’s not just because of fat loss, either. It’s also because muscles are leaner, the stronger they are.

Sometimes ‘Bulk’ is Actually Just Fat

Especially in the beginning of one’s weight training journey, a woman may feel like she’s getting bigger. If that’s happening, it usually means that either their caloric intake is too high or they’re retaining water (a temporary issue generally), or both.

This doesn’t happen often with my clients, but when it does, it’s not because of a sudden increase in muscle mass. Good news – water retention and excess caloric intake are simple fixes.

You Can Work Out to Maintain, Not Just to Gain

Working out is not an eternal upward slant. Goals do get reached.

Once you’ve achieved your goal weight or strength or fitness level, you can change your fitness and nutrition plan to maintain. There’s no reason to continue building and strengthening beyond what you want to. It’s your body – you get to choose how you want it to look.

Kicking into maintenance mode will definitely keep you from building muscle beyond what you want. No risk of bulking up here.

The bottom line is, if you’re eating clean and working out, you’ll burn fat (which is bulky) and strengthen muscle (which is compact) – expect to get smaller.

Need some help with clean eating? Join my Facebook group The Clean Eatery for tips, community, and motivation. Also, sign up here for 7 tips about how to improve your self-discipline.

The 100% rule completely changed my life (and it can change yours too!)

The 100% rule has completely changed my life!! 100% is easier than 99%.

Say what?

Yes!! When we stick to something 100% it’s far easier than if we give in to even 1%. If we decide to quit smoking and allow even a few puffs here and there, how hard would it be to stay quit? Or have you truly even “quit” if you still dabble in it?

The same goes with eating sugar or junk food! If we stay away from it 100%, it becomes solid in our mind and is actually easy! If you give in and even have one chocolate or a few chips, then how HARD does it become not to have more?

The same rule applies to exercise. If we allow our exercise to slide even 1%, how hard does it become to get back or stay on track after that? I am currently away from home at a conference in Florida for a week with very long days and minimal sleep. But this is no excuse not to be 100% with exercise and superfood. No way was I going to let my health slip because of travel … I know how hard it would be to get back on track if I allowed even 1% slip! I digitally streamed my workouts on laptop and got my early morning MMA workout in, in a very small 6×6′ space and had a delicious superfood shake afterwards. Once you have decided to commit 100%, then no excuses will be valid, and it will be much easier!

It is true that our well-meaning 99% effort actually becomes exhausting since it consumes more energy without producing results! It is actually stressful! It makes us feel like a failure when we are not — we just haven’t fully committed to something. Putting only 99% effort into things that really matter in life means we are constantly falling short of our potential — and feeling bad about it.

It boils down to decision and commitment. If you quit smoking, then in your mind, you need to 100% not touch cigarettes…then you can identify powerfully and with certainty as a ‘non-smoker’. Because even 1% use still means you are a smoker!

Jack Canfield puts it in this way “99% is a b*tch, and 100% is a breeze”. If something is tugging at you, then you likely have been “99-per centing” too long!

Comment below about some habits that you need to change? What have you been 99% on that feels so difficult? Give 100% a try, you may find that it will change your life as it changed mine!

CLICK HERE to get a free download about how to get started with a clean eating lifestyle

COMPLETE THIS FORM, to join the upcoming “love-yourself” fitness challenge group for February 2017! To get some idea what a challenge group is about first before you sign up, watch the video HERE.

Clean Eats on a Dime (And 6 Costly Mistakes to Avoid)

As a Coach, Nurse Practitioner, and host of The Clean Eatery, I often hear clients and patients say how expensive they think clean eating is.

At first, I didn’t understand. I didn’t find it expensive at all. In fact, it’s much cheaper! I soon realized why. There are six mistakes people make that cause clean eats to be more expensive than eating processed foods.

Before we look at how cheap clean eating really is, let’s look at the common mistakes people make that can inflate the cost unnecessarily.

Costly Clean Eating Mistakes to Avoid

Filling the Fridge with Good Food

It sounds weird, doesn’t it, that putting good food in a fridge is a mistake? But it is. People get all pumped up, fill their cart in the produce section, and set it in the fridge… and it’s more than they can or will use in a week, so it goes bad. Money effectively flushed.

Buying Pre-made

It can be tempting, especially as a beginner, to buy pre-packaged food. It’s certainly easier, and if you’re in a pinch for time, sometimes it’s worth the cost. Buying pre-cut fruits and veggies, for example, is much more costly than buying the whole fruits and veggies and cutting them yourself. You’ll pay more for a pre-packaged parmesan chicken breast than a plain chicken breast that you season at home. (You’ll also save yourself the chemicals, but I digress…)

Going Organic

No, despite immense pressure from the foodie community and those who can afford such luxuries, buying organic is not actually required. Especially if you’re starting out or on a limited budget, there just has to be some flexibility on this point. Eating clean is not an all-or-nothing deal where you have to eat all organic, fair trade, locally sourced, or don’t even bother. It just isn’t. Listen, a carrot or salad is better than crackers or chips any day of the week – organic or no. I know there’s a lot of pressure and social status attached to one’s food choices these days, but trust me on this – it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to go non-organic, and a carrot by any other name (organic or not) will taste as sweet.

Buying Frozen Produce

Despite popular belief, fresh produce actually tends to be less expensive than frozen. This is highly debated, in part because of how fresh produce prices fluctuate seasonally, but I found a third option that’s even better. I buy fast frozen vegetables. They have a longer shelf-life, and their nutritional value is often more intact than raw or canned vegetables.

Eating Clean and Dirty at the Same Time

The most expensive option I can think of is to maintain old shopping and eating habits while also buying items for a clean diet. When people double up like that, they inevitably must throw lots away. Lettuce wilts, tomatoes go uneaten, and the drawer of good intentions – er, I mean the crisper, fills with microbial lifeforms. It wastes both food and money, and nobody eats any cleaner because of it.

Lack of Planning

And I’m not talking about meal planning. I’m talking about thinking ahead so when you’re stuck in the middle of a day of errands and appointments and suddenly get hungry, you’re not stuck doing drive through. Forgetting to eat before you head into your day’s activities leaves you stranded, having to buy unnecessary extras on the go.

Clean Eats on a Dime – Keeping Costs Down

Clean eating doesn’t have to cost much. If you start by avoiding those six common mistakes and doing the opposite instead, you’ll be saving money on your grocery bill, not spending more.

Keep costs down by…

* Buying only one week’s worth of food at a time.
* Avoiding pre-made – make your own meals from whole and not processed foods, cut your own veggies.
* Buy non-organic produce.
* Don’t assume fresh produce is more costly than frozen. Compare prices often.
* Commit to clean eating – financing both old and new diets is expensive.
* Plan your day – eat ahead, and pack food along – to save on expensive convenience foods.

Clean eating is actually super simple and cheap.

If you’re just starting out and feel overwhelmed, or feel this whole clean eating thing is complicated, check out this post on how simple and minimalist it can really be. I hate cooking too much to be inventing new, sophisticated recipes with obscure ingredients. My plan’s got to be fast and easy. And it is.

Also, if you’re looking for some motivation, community, or help along the way in your clean eating journey, come on over and join The Clean Eatery, my Facebook group. We’d love to have you.

CLICK HERE to receive a FREE printable guide re: getting started NOW with Clean Eating!

Learn to Love Yourself. ( …Yes, it is possible)

Learning to love yourself isnt easy, but it is worth it!

After so many years of not knowing why I was so irritable, impatient, always in a hurry, overwhelmed, and grouchy, I have recently made some discoveries! I would often say to myself “I cannot even stand myself like this”….and it wouldn’t be just be during PMS either! 🙂

As I move through my emotional healing journey some major issues are being uncovered. From years of trauma and abuse and packing all those negative feelings away in the back of my mind so I could just survive, subconsciously I did not have positive feelings about myself at all! I didn’t even realize this since I was too busy responding to life challenges and in survival mode all day to even realize! Aha! No wonder I was so cranky!

After developing beliefs as a child that you are no good for anything, not worthy of love, useless and never good enough, subconsciously, those beliefs remain with you and affect your future beliefs in yourself as well as your emotional responses to the world around you (especially in your closest intimate relationships). It’s scary just how much this affects us as an adult!

It has taken me tremendous work, research, digging deep, determination and sharing my experiences with others to truly begin to love myself. I have learned so much on this journey that I would be honored to have the opportunity to help you to learn to love yourself too!! A few things I have learned so far are to; give myself permission to put myself first, say “no” to unloving acts towards me (out of self-love, remove myself from hurtful situations or people), forgive myself for mistakes I have made, celebrate myself when I achieve something (even if it is small), and learn that I am deserving of love and other good things.

Now that I have these self-realizations, am I an expert or am I perfect?

NO! I do still have much more work to do on myself, and I consider myself a work in progress, but I have made huge strides already and have learned so much about how to take steps in the right direction. Sometimes, sharing your struggles with someone who is going through it to, or is just a few steps ahead of where you are, can be the most effective way to make progress and feel genuinely supported and understood too!

We are all human, and we ALL deserve love. Today, do yourself a favor and start with yourself. You’ll thank yourself later! And so will everyone who can feel the beautiful, loving energy developing in you.

…and yes, that is me in the image above… Today, I decided to give myself a hug after finishing my workout this morning and, yes, I truly felt I deserved it! ?

I have an upcoming private group coming up in February called the Love-Yourself Challenge. Click on the image below and complete the form if you are interested in joining the group and I will get back to you privately by email within 24 hours to give you the details… Make yourself a priority….this will be the first step! 🙂

Be sure to join the upcoming challenge! Change your life forever!

The Simplicity of Clean Eating (5 Things I Do to Keep It Simple)

Tossed together in 5 min into slow cooker and ready to cook!

Confession: I hate cooking.

Always have.

So my clean eating plan is super simple. It’s also quick. It has to be because I work crazy hours, care for my grandson, maintain a country property (I spent many hours just clearing my driveway last week), and run a fitness business. Oh, and I blog too. I don’t have a lot of time to cook, even if I did want to. Which I don’t.

People think clean eating has to be complicated though. I hear it from my patients, coaching clients, and even in my clean eating challenges. New recipes, different items on the shopping list, and trying to eat new things can seem daunting.

Thankfully, it’s much simpler than all that.

The Simplicity of Clean Eating

Here’s how a crazy-busy woman who hates cooking gets it done:

The Slow Cooker is my Best Friend

It’s almost wrong how easy it is to toss some stuff in the slow cooker. One of my go-tos is to throw in some frozen chicken breasts, dump a can of tomatoes over them, tomato paste and pile on the salt-free seasonings. When I get home hours later, I serve it with salad for a filling, clean meal.

Eat What You Know

Clean eating doesn’t mean having to source new recipes with obscure ingredients every week. Eat what you know. If you eat chicken, beef, and fish normally, keep that up. If you normally eat brown rice, eggs, sweet potatoes… those are all fine.

Basically clean eating means avoiding processed foods. So certain breads, white enriched pastas, chicken fingers and boxed pizzas are things to avoid. Replace them with whole grains, vegetables, and clean proteins.

Wondering what to make? I am planning to add recipes to this blog – simple ones. Click here if you’d like me to zip them to your inbox. In the meantime, check out my 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge that runs monthly HERE.

Stock up on Staples (And I don’t mean office supplies)

If I have a few specific things on hand, I can toss together a day of clean eating in under five minutes. This is a big help for making lunch for work, especially on those days when I haven’t had time for much food prep.

Some of the things I make sure to have on hand are 0% plain Greek yogurt, raw unsalted nuts, cottage cheese, fruit and veggies, bags of mixed salad. These are grab-and-go items. I also keep on hand some basic food items like chicken breasts, canned tomatoes and eggs. I can grab any of these items – or even leftovers from my slow cooker supper – toss them in my lunch, and I’m good for the day.

A Little Pre-Made Goes a Long Way

Sometimes I’ll pre-cook a pot of quinoa or rice to last the week. It’s a great grab-and-go accompaniment to slow cooker meals. My lunches sometimes include a boiled egg or two, so boiling them ahead of time helps me pack with speed in the mornings.

I’ll also pre-cut veggies, maybe even pre-bagging them for lunches. I’ll also buy a variety of raw unsalted nuts and seeds – almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, cashews – and mix them together. Then I put them in little baggies and I’m set up for the week for grab-and-go lunch items.

Plan For Success

When I have a day off – and they can be hard to come by at times – I’ll take the opportunity to plan protein source meals for until my next day off. I’ve never been one to plan weeks ahead. One week is plenty for me.

I’ll make the very basic plan, make sure I have ingredients, and add to the shopping list. The plan will inevitably include fast and easy things I can toss in the slow cooker or make into goulash. Because that’s how I roll.

Clean eating really is simple. I suppose it could be more complicated if you wanted it to be. If you love cooking perhaps, or are a foodie who adores trying new recipes, go for it! No one’s stopping you from making Pork and Spinach Stuffed Kabocha Squash or Bacon and Guacamolie Sammies.

If you’re a beginner or, like me, a straight forward keep-it-simple kind of eater, clean eats can be very simple.

For more tips, ideas, recipes and motivation, check out my Clean Eating Community Facebook group or just say the word and I’ll inbox you upcoming posts with tips and recipes for your clean eating journey.