Clean Eating
Some text about the tips below
What Is Healthy Food?
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard from clients and friends, “I was so bad yesterday…I ate french fries with the kids” or “I totally cheated and had a piece of birthday cake.” We’ve all heard it, right? And actually, we have probably all said it. But, there is a fundamental problem with this line of thinking that works against each and every one of us.
Food and eating are not ethical issues! You are not good or evil because of what you eat. If you allow yourself to attach such negative values to certain foods and to yourself for eating them (i.e., I’m a cheater, I failed, I can never have another brwonie), you are setting yourself up for failure. And when we think we have failed, we feel guilty and tend to give up.
Remember, a healthy lifestyle is about balance, calculated choices and motivation. It is a way of living not a “quick fix.” If you want to transform your eating habits, you need to start “eating to live” not “living to eat.”
No more all-or-nothing attitudes and no more reasoning like “I blew it with one cookie so I might as well have 6!” Choosing to eat one cookie isn’t blowing it, and I couldn’t live without a good oatmeal raisin cookie every so often.. The key to good, and sustainable, health is to make your lifestyle about choices NOT about cheating.
Women especially seem to have this innate tendency to beat themselves up when it comes to eating. And it’s no wonder. Look at our society—it’s filled with mixed-up eating images. From the time we are small children we are inundated with unhealthy messages about food. Parents start urging their children to clean their plates at an early age, our celebrity-crazed culture places pressure on young adults to severely restrict their food to look a certain way, yet our restaurants serve portions fit for an army. It is easy to see why a lot of us grow up to be adults with a lot of guilt, shame and confusion about our eating habits.
Think about this: why is it that foreigners come to America and frequently gain weight? My parents had a foreign exchange student live with them from Belgium and shortly after arriving in America she started to gain weight. After living here for a year and gaining almost 25 pounds, she returned home and quickly lost it. Even though she was only in this country for a year, she was affected by our national eating habits and attitudes.
So let’s change our thinking from “cheating” to making “smart choices”.
While I am not a nutritionist and not in the business of creating specific and scientific meal plans, I do advocate a philosophy that I call “Clean Eating”. It is actually quite simple. It means you focus on eating things that come from plants, animals or trees rather than from boxes, bags, and take-out containers. Look down at your plate…is most of your food alive or dead? Is it nutrient dense or void of nutrients? This translates to getting a majority of your daily calories from fresh fruits and vegetables, minimally processed whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and lean meats and fish. Clean eating minimizes the presence of preservatives, chemically altered fats, extra sodium and artificial ingredients. In addition to this, pay careful attention to portions. It is often not what you are eating ( like I said, one cookie won’t hurt you), it’s how much. We have adapted the bigger is better attitude and much to our dismay many prepackaged snack foods can actually stimulate your appetite. So go for moderation – do a reality check and give yourself one serving not three. This takes education, discipline and practice.
Clean eating, however, doesn’t mean “perfect” eating. It doesn’t mean that you will never consume another bag of chips or another brownie. What it means is that you are aware that some food choices are more ideal than others when it comes to fueling your body and you are able to adjust your habits accordingly. Don’t attach guilt to your choices, accept them! Enjoy that brownie while you are eating it and learn to have confidence that you will return to your healthy eating habits tomorrow.
We all know life is full of distractions, changes and temptations. Being realistic and being prepared for them with a general attitude of clean eating is much more realistic than participating in the “good vs evil” food war. When you look at your eating plan this way, there is no such thing as cheating!
Feed Your Kids Breakfast!
Studies show that even the simplest morning meal (a bowl of cereal, some milk, ½ a banana) creates better attention spans, sharper factual recall and happier moods for kids. This will enhance their mental capacity during the school day.
Other studies show breakfast eaters are less likely to be obese. And with the alarming rate of childhood obesity in this country, this is a statistic that parents need to hear.
Although 95% of elementary school kids ate breakfast in 1965, fewer than 86% do so today. The numbers are even less for teens. The reason... rushed mornings and busy parents.
The solution? Breakfast made simple! A good breakfast is easier than you think. Choosing the right foods, you can feed your kids quickly at home or create a brown bag to go.
Follow this three-food rule:
- Fruit or vegetable –filled with vitamins and carbs necessary for energy.
- Whole grains –– provides the good carbs, Vitamen E, Folic acid and heart healthy fiber.
- Protein- Protein is the building block for growth and repairing most body systems.
The most frequently heard excuses are: "There isn't time," "Food that early makes me sick," "I don't like breakfast foods," and for many teens – it’s a form of weight control – save the calories for later.
In many cases, all that's needed is to rethink one's concepts about breakfast. Breakfast can be many things: hot or cold, sit-down or eaten on-the-run, typical breakfast food or something a little strange. The main thing to remember is to include it in your morning routine…both you and your kids need breakfast to jump start your day.
Some Ideas for breakfast at home:
- Cereals –cold or hot – try oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts
- Bagel with peanut better and jelly
- Grilled cheese sandwich and fruit
- Fruit Yogurt and granola
- Whole grain frozen waffles, fruit, and a glass of milk
Ideas for breakfast on the go:
- Trail mix in a baggie – cold cereal, nuts, dried fruit, pretzels, etc
- Breakfast taco- melted cheese on a tortilla, salsa and roll it up
- String cheese with a piece of fruit
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich
A Super Sized Society
At this time of year, families are rushing around getting ready for summer. Between helping the kids study for their final exams, rushing to all the end of the year activities, making travel arrangements for summer holidays, planning weekend picnics and BBQ’s…schedules are crazy! Of course, it’s easy and convenient to take a trip through the local drive-thru or eat out. Beware, however, of the portions that your family is consuming and help your kids understand what proper portions are.
Did you know that 50 years ago, a single serving of cola was 6 ounces and contained only 80 calories. Today it’s hard to find any bottles smaller than 16 or 20 ounces, and kids these days grab one of these oversized bottles and consume the whole thing in one siting. According to a recent study at the University of North Carolina, the size of an average hamburger grew 23% between 1977 and 1996. Even dinner plates used to be 20% smaller than then the ones we typically feed our families off of now.
A big reason behind our obsession with supersized portions is marketing. Food marketers discovered that consumers perceived larger quantities as better values for their money. When the waitress brings you a huge platter with a ½ pound of hamburger on it and handful after handful of French fries, studies have proven that you are more satisfied with how much you paid for the meal. This misguided sense of proper portions affects the way we eat on a regular basis.
Next time you eat out try using your hand to measure how much you and your family are actually consuming:
- The size of your fist = A medium portion of fruit, 1 cup of rice or pasta
- The size of your thumb = A one ounce serving of cheese
- The tip of your thumb = One teaspoon of butter or oil
- The palm of your hand (without fingers and thumbs) = One serving (4oz) of meat, poultry or fish
- One cupped handful = One serving of cereal, pretzels or chips
Five A Day for your Family!
With all of the colorful fruits and vegetables available in the summertime, make sure to have some fun with it! Get with the program and start treating your family to the health benefits of a diet loaded with fresh produce.
Try these tips:
1. Serve fresh veggies and dips often. Kids love these fun snacks and they are refreshing during those hot afternoons. Use a variety of vegetables—colorful peppers, zucchinis, summer squash, pea pods, avocados, cherry tomatoes, etc.
2. Grill your veggies! Throw them in a veggie basket, skewer them for kabobs or place directly on the grill.
3. Make homemade salsas with fresh tomatoes or fruits. Serve with chips, with whole wheat pretzels or on top of fish.
4. Make Fresh fruit smoothies – add yogurt, peanut butter, or a little sherbet to thicken.
5. Add a slice of tomato and some spinach leaves to your otherwise boring turkey sandwich.
6. Make Fresh fruit skewers--kids love anything on a stick!
7. Add some small broccoli florets to your spaghetti sauce. Your kids might not even realize they are in there.
8. Freeze grapes and banana coins. This is a cool and unique treat!
9. Cut up berries and bananas on your cereal.
10. Serve a large wedge of fresh melon with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
11. Dice up red peppers and onions and throw in your eggs in the morning.
12. Use a melon baller with water melon, honeydew, cantaloupe. Give your kids a tooth pick and let them pick their own!
Grab a Smoothie!
Healthy foods don’t have to be void of taste and flavor. Smoothies are great option because you can tailor them to your own preferences and change them up depending on what you feel like that day. They make great grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks, but can also be used as a well-balanced meal replacement at any time of the day by adding some protein powder.
Kids love smoothies too. What better way to sneak more fruits into their daily intake than to serve them up in a treat that tastes and looks like a milkshake!
Here are some of my favorite recipes:
Apple Pie Smoothie:
½ large apple cut into pieces
8 oz container of vanilla, non-fat yogurt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
A few ice cubes
Milk
Chocolate Cherry Smoothie:
Handful of frozen cherries
8 oz vanilla non-fat yogurt
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder
A few ice cubes
Milk
For both of these fill your blender with all the ingredients and add a few dashes of milk. Blend. Add more milk until your smoothie reaches the consistency you like.
* You can also add a tad of flaxseed oil to your smoothie for a boost of omega-3.
I have partnered up with Back to Basics Products in creating a personal fitness blender that makes it especially easy to grab a healthy smoothie at any time of the day. Check it out below!
