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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Why Clean Eating is Important


Is your health your priority?  Well most people would automatically answer YES.  Most people would say that yes they do care about what they are eating, they do care about keeping unhealthy choices to a minimum.  But what I find is what people say and actually "DO" is two different stories.  I feel like I'm calling out the elephant in the room, but its the honest to goodness truth.  When it comes to your health most people are healthy when its convenient for them.  So, when you are getting ready for a wedding, a vacation or the New Year are the times when people place the highest value on health.  But the other 350 days of the year its optional.  I always hear people complain about the way they look, not having any energy, being overly tired, having bad cravings for sugar and sweets that they can't control, lack of will power, and body aches and sore muscles.  But very few people are willing to actually do something long enough for it to reverse the bad and bring in the good!"There is no such thing as a bad workout, but there is such a thing as a bad diet!"  So true, you can do Zumba, run on the treadmill, take the dog for a walk, do yoga and it's exercise!  But nutrition, you can do that all wrong.  80% of your results come from the foods that you eat.  You cannot out exercise a bad diet. I know this from my own experience. Working out 1-2 hours a day with little to no changes in my body. I thought because I worked out so much it didn't matter how I ate. Or I'd attempt to eat healthy but would still be eating processed "low fat" "no fat" crap foods!I embraced the idea of clean eating and slowly started to change my nutrition!  What happened was actually something very shocking.  I not only lost weight, but I was eating more food, more frequently but it was the RIGHT kind of foods vs the wrong ones.  I started to gain more energy and the weight naturally came off.  Not because I was dieting but because I was eating the way that God intended food to be.  Food as fuel vs comfort!!!  The more I embraced clean eating the more I was convinced that this is the best way to eat!!!  I am not dieting and I never did diet, I literally changed my lifestyle.  My food is a way of life, its healthy portion sizes, spaced every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, cutting out processed foods, and drinking lots of water.  I can eat this way no matter where I am at, of course its challenging because we live in a society that prides itself on convenience, food in a box, and low cost portion controlled diet food!  


I know so many people that do the diets where they eat pre packaged foods, count calories, and still lack energy, are not losing weight, are holding onto fat and do not feel fulfilled and satisfied.  I am and have been on a mission for the past 4 1/2 years to lead by example and to teach others that they can do it too!  So one of the biggest parts of my nutrition has been Shakeology.  And I've tried other shakes out there. You're starving 20 minutes later, you don't feel any better or full from it. 
Also, there are mornings where I am trying to get the laundry done, 3 kids dressed, myself dressed, and one kid off to school and the last person to eat is always me! That used to lead to the McDonalds drive thru- the kids pop tarts, a breakfast bar or donuts!  I would sabotage myself before the day every got started.  I would end up eating whatever was quick and easy because I was so hungry and then I would feel bloated, sick to my stomach, I would lack energy, I would feel GUILTY for not having will power to make a better choice, and I would then CRAVE more of the bad stuff!  AM I DESCRIBING YOU??  Are you on this vicious cycle of wanting to be healthy, not having enough time, and just lack of energy and will power?Well here are a few things that can help you to get on track!!!

1.  Start today, don't wait until Monday, or after Thanksgiving or after Christmas start now!  There is 2 months until Christmas which means that you can lose an average of 2 lbs per week with clean eating and even light exercise which means about 16-20 lbs by the New Year.  Can you imagine what that could do for you???  
2.  Start small- cut out the processed sugars, the refined white breads, the soda, and excess carbs.  Real your labels and stop buying foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce or understand.  1 thing each week, finish what you have, throw out candy, give away the cookies, send the Halloween Candy to work with your spouse and start fresh. 
 3.  Don't feel guilty for not buying sweets for your kids.  THEY do NOT DESERVE IT!  If it makes you feel weighed down, sluggish, and tired can you imagine what it is doing to their little minds?!?  Consider a bowl full of sugary cereal and then sending them off to school.  Can you say major brain fog and lack of attention! How can we expect our kids to eat like that and then have a good day at school.
4.  If you struggle with finding the time in your day to make healthy meals then replace 1 meal a day with shakeology. Why???  First of all shakeology is NOT A PROTEIN SHAKE which most people just throw it into that category or they compare it to all the other shakes on the market.  I want to stop you dead in your tracks and explain why it isn't.  Shakeology is a meal replacement and not a protein shake.  It has the right carb to protein ratio your body needs to stay full for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  It has the fast burning carbohydrates with the slower burning protein to keep you satisfied.  It has a ton of natural, not processed ingredients that are going to meet your daily requirements for vitamins and nutrients. So you notice that the energy you were lacking is decreased because you are now getting vitamins and nutrients that give you energy.  Your cravings for sweets are decreased which is originally caused by vitamin deficiency and you are no longer deficient.  You are not over eating because Shakeology is portion controlled, so your portions are in check.Shakeology is not for weight loss.  It's for nutrition, and of course when you have proper nutrition you naturally lose weight!  So shakeology is something I do everyday because its convenient, it's healthy, it does not add to my grocery budget but it replaces something I used to have that was less healthy!  Its $4 a day which is on the low end of an average meal which is $4-$7 for the average healthy meal.So when you look at clean eating and Shakeology as an investment in your health how can you deny it!  It's the one thing that keeps me on track when life gets busy!  HECK there are days when I am on the go from the minute my feet hit the ground and the old me would of just not eaten at all bc I didn't have time.  Now I grab a shake and go!  Your body is the ONLY body that you are going to get.  If you don't treat it with respect now it won't do you good later on!  
5.  Lastly, look at your food as fuel and not as comfort.  When you eat, always ask yourself is this giving me energy, is this giving me nutrients or is this purely comfort and to fill a void?  There will be instances where you eat for fun, you have some cake, you do a little party with fancy appetizers and you enjoy!  But that is not an everyday occurrence. So balance the good with the bad, be flexible, be realistic and know that you are not living a boring life eating clean.  It is going to give you more health, energy and life to do the things you love!
So what are my suggestions for you?#1 if you are serious about your health and nutrition you should commit to Shakeology once a day!  You should invest in your health because when you feel better you are more confident, healthier and happier!  Then #2 you should join my next clean eating support group because I don't want you to just have 1 meal a day that is healthy I want them all to be healthy and I truly want to teach you how to make this a lifestyle vs a crash diet.  I have so many recipes, meal plans, grocery lists, crock pot meals, travel tips, vacation tips, holiday survival guides that there is no way that you won't succeed unless you don't put in the effort to change!So if I am not your coach on Team Beachbody your next step is to create a free account and click the "contact your coach" button on the site to connect with me to start your consultation about how you can improve your health and balance the good with the bad!  Your body is the only one you have, treat it like you would treat your children!  You would bend over backwards to make sure your kids medicine for an illness so why would you diminish your own health?!  

FOOD for THOUGHT!!!!


















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