I know you know what I mean…you’re hankering for something sweet or full of fat even though you know it’s probably not a clean eating food, you’ve told yourself that you deserve a treat, you know you might feel bad after eating it but you go ahead and do it anyway. 

Yep, I’ve definitely been there before, especially for the part where I beat myself up over eating it. In my case, it wouldn’t so much be about losing weight, but the simple notion that I was indulging in less than healthy and clean eating foods.

The thing is, you can easily overcome those tempting moments by hitting the pause button and stave off unnecessary weight gain.  You know that moment in between thinking about what you might eat and then actually retrieving it from the pantry or refrigerator? Well that’s the moment we want to seize and think about our choices by pausing briefly to consider the options.

Case in point, this morning I had a couple of breakfast choices — a bowl of granola, naturally sweetened with almond milk or a green smoothie with raw kale, antioxidant berries and avocado.  I could already tell that eating the cereal was the path of least resistance. Put it in a bowl and start eating immediately. I also could tell that making the smoothie would take more time but would also ensure that I could get in some much needed nutrients first thing in the morning — a serving of vegetables along with a couple of fruits not to mention some healthy omega 3s.

When I thought for a moment about my health goals for the day — getting lots of water in, fresh fruits and veggies and healthy fat, that’s all I needed to remind me that a few minutes of effort would move me closer to my health goal.  For me, hitting the pause button and stopping to consider my options was a simple yet powerful action to keep me focused on my clean eating goals for the day and week.

One of the tools I find helpful to keep the pause button within reach is utilizing my friend Millie Grenough’s book, Oasis in the Overwhelm.  Millie is a life coach who got inspired to write this book after a near-fatal accident several years ago. This quick read is chock full of helpful tips to help you hit the pause button in less than 60 seconds like the 3-B-C, the 3 breath countdown. By tuning it, relaxing in the moment and slowing down, you can be more mindful about your choices and support better health.  For me, it means that clean eating doesn’t have to be hard at all — a reminder that it’s always within reach.

I also sometimes set my kitchen timer for one minute and just sit quietly before making a food choices.  When I slow down and get out of my head, I can listen to what my body most needs — healthy, energizing foods.

What’s your favorite trick to hit the pause button before overindulging and ensure what you’re about to consume is a fresh, whole, clean food? What do you have actively due to prevent weight gain?

After a few weeks of eating more than I normally would during the holidays, not to mention being out of my usual routine with family and friends visiting, I’m happy to be back in rythym with my meal planning efforts. For me, meal planning has everything to do with practicing clean eating, day after day, and week after week, in a way that’s inviting and delicious.

Although I didn’t totally overindulge during the holidays and go crazy, I did eat more meat and cheese than I normally would which has me feeling a bit congested. All the more reason for some simple recipes and clean eating meals this week.

Here’s a look at what I’m whipping up:

• Tuna burgers  — I love this recipe from Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook. They are super simple to make and so delicious!
• Quinoa with sundried tomatoes – also found this in the Eat Clean cookbook
• White bean and kale soup — I adapted a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times years ago and gave it my own creative spin. First time making it and it’s delish. Yesterday my husband was wowing about it as he ate it for lunch (and truth be told, I was too — lol)
• Moroccan spiced turkey meatballs — I found this recipe on the Clean Eating Magazine site and it looked easy and delicious. I made the sauce already and it smelled divine while cooking. I’m a big fan of Moroccan cooking and the mix of cinnamon, cumin and ginger in the sauce just makes me smile. I’m going to whip up the meatballs tonight
• Sauteed collard greens with sea vegetables.  I’m sauteing the collards with some wakame, one of my favorite sea vegetables, chock full of important minerals that our body needs
• Broiled salmon to round out the week

I love that everything I’m making is simple, uses fresh ingredients and is satisfying.  Breakfasts are focused on raw, green smoothies that include kale, spinach, bananas, avocado and berries, just to name a few.  Lunch always includes a salad along with soup.  All these whole foods means boundless energy and are helping my body re-engage with clean, light eating.

What’s on your meal plan for this week? What are you making that’s simply irresistible and is supporting your clean eating efforts, post holidays?  How does planning meals support your clean eating efforts?

These days I don’t go very far without bringing my Vitamixblender with me. It’s such a handy tool for whipping up healthy treats when you’re away from home and when you’re traveling by car, it’s so easy to put it in the trunk and away you go!  If you don’t know about the Vitamix, it’s a super high powered blender that helps you create healthy whole foods juices, smoothies, soups, sauces and a whole variety of other delicious concoctions in minutes flat. Ever since we took the plunge and purchased it, it’s made creating a healthy lifestyle that much easier.

Bruce and I loved having the blender with us when we were in Montreal last week because we used it to make a healthy morning smoothie — we added fresh fruit and superfoods like blue green algae that kept us feeling our best all morning long! And you know what else — we saved money too.  Hotel breakfasts aren’t cheap and typically they’re not that healthy either. But with a little ingenuity, we made a delicious treat  as we watched the Williams sisters at Wimbledon. Fun!

Get the full scoop on what you need to make your morning travel routine a healthy pleasure.  And Even if you don’t have a Vitamix, you can bring along a few essentials when you travel and create your own healthy breakfast and snacks!

Do tell, what’s your favorite way to keep it healthy when you’re traveling? Ever bring your Vitamix or a blender with you?

The thing about smoothies is that there’s really no right or wrong.  With a little experimenting, you can whip up some healthy concoctions and have fun along the way.  I started my smoothie adventures with a simple Cuisinart blender and I’m now moving to a Vitamix, the mother of all blenders if you’re serious about using hearty veggies like kale that are more dense and fibrous (and a little tough for a more basic blender to handle), to create smoothies. But even without a Vitamix, better health is only a few steps away.

Here’s a simple smoothie recipe I really like but to be honest, I love having fun creating all kinds of concotions so I don’t always have a set recipe. Just like to make some smoothie fun

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 banana
1 cup frozen berries
1 cup raw spinach
1/2 ripe avocado (makes it so creamy)
1 scoop hemp protein powder (optional)
1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
1 tsp. maca powder
Ice, for a colder smoothie

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

*Maca is a herb from the Amazon that’s a powerful immune booster

What’s your favorite smoothie recipe, what ingredients do you like to include? Please share!

I’ll be the first to admit that I ate more during the holidays than I planned to despite my best intentions.  Something about being away from home, outside of the normal routine and in different facilities that made it especially tough this year.  We were visiting relatives in Florida and somehow I seemed to take that as license to eat A LOT.  So my friend Glen’s timing was perfect.

I’ve done cleanses before but never one that’s totally raw and is only juices and smoothies. Honestly, doing this at home would take me a huge amount of time and since I don’t have some of the tools that make it handy, like a Vitamix blender, it was a long shot for me. This however, is the perfect arrangement.

Today is the second day of the cleanse and I’m doing pretty well though I’m waiting for the “you’ll feel worse before you feel better syndrome.”  So far not too bad — I did have some strange tooth pain this morning and I’ll admit now I’m tuckered out.  But doing the cleanse is helpful for me in multiple ways:

• I’m allowing my body to slow down and get some much needed rest
• I’m going to bed earlier because I’m so tired
• I’m eating beautiful, healthy food that I don’t have to prepare but I have total appreciation for those who did
• I’m investing in myself and making my healthy a priority (a mantra I’m always repeating with my clients)
• I’m starting off the year on a healthy foot, feeling inspired and motivated

How have you used cleanses to help you feel your best? Ever done a raw cleanse? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. And check back for more updates on my progress this week. 

Truth is, it is bitter to me in it’s raw form, but with a little imagination, you can do all kinds of creative things and get all the health benefits too! What’s better than a simple and quick way to focus on healthy eating and make you feel good at the same time?!

Learn more by listening to this week’s audio tip on cacao.

What do you think? Have you tried cacao before? What was it like? Share your thoughts. And check out these recipes from Dr. Ben Kim, one of my favorite experts on whole food nutrition.

I love experimenting and adapting recipes so of course I wanted to create my own version. I used canned pumpkin, added some frozen bananas and used almond milk instead of soy (use what you like best….rice milk, 2% milk, etc). I added some nutmeg and cinnamon as well as some ground flaxseeds, an excellent source of Omega 3s.  Then I added just a touch of agave nectar to sweeten it up. It was delicious and so easy! Talk about a simple, worry-free breakfast or snack, this is it.

Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? Let us know your favorite dishes you whip up with pumpkin.