And nothing’s better than finding new clean eating resources that inspire me in the kitchen. This past week, I had the pleasure of attending Terry Walter’s talk on Clean Food at the New Haven Public Library. Terry, a fellow graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, is the author of the recently published Clean Food cookbook, a seasonal guide to eating close to the source.

She shared about the power of preparing and eating real food for her and her family and how any of us can take baby steps in the right direction using seasonal, locally grown food. I’m always of that mind with my clean eating clients — it’s never about changing up everything in your routine at once, but about simple choices we can make everyday to step in the right direction.

Terry has a warm personality and engaging style that shone through during her talk. Along the way, she prepared some yummy dishes — a quinoa salad with fresh mango, black beans and mint, and a delicious garden salad with a lemon vinaigrette dressing — that we all had the pleasure of enjoying.

Nothing was a better follow up to the evening than noshing over a healthy meal with my good friend Jannae as we compared notes about what we were going to make from the cookbook over the weekend. 

And just as I promised myself, I got busy on Saturday and whipped up her sweet potato, corn and kale chowder.  I used Trader Joe’s frozen, fire roasted corn and loved the rich flavor.  I also tried her banana, coconut and chocolate chip cookies.  They are so easy to make and I like that the only sweetener is a 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup.  These vegan cookies were a bit hit at the dinner party we attended on Saturday night.

I really like the way Terry has divided up the cookbook by seasons.  Given that spring is officially here, I naturally gravitated to that section and am giving special focus to recipes that contain greens, one of the best springtime detoxifiers around.

If your aren’t familiar with Clean Food, you have to check it out, it’s worth every penny of the price. And it’s the perfect resource for clean eaters like me that are looking for some fresh, new recipes to build into my repertoire — it reminds me how fun it is to experiment in the kitchen as I support my health.

Have you had a chance to try out Clean Food already? What do you think? What’s your favorite recipe that you just can’t get enough of?

March is National Nutrition Month, an awareness campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association.  It’s an effort to help people reinforce eating the right foods and focusing on exercise, the 1-2 punch that sets you up for healthy living.

Being that spring is right around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to be thinking about your own eating habits so far in 2010.  Here are three simple questions:

• Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables in a day? I shoot for at least 7 servings a day. What about you?
• Are you eating healthy fats like avocado and using olive oil, kicking saturated and trans fat to the curb?
• Have you reduced or eliminated processed foods that are full of sugar and salt?

Making changes in one or all of these areas is a simple step in the right direction.  When we eat less processed food our bodies stand up and take notice – we have more energy, we avoid the pesky afternoon sugar drop and our bodies function so much more efficiently, not to mention that we’re helping to prevent a host of chronic diseases simply by improving our diet.  When I’m eating a clean diet free of processed foods and I’m focused on whole foods, I also notice a huge difference when it comes to PMS – namely that I don’t experience it.  (Yes, it’s true, you can be PMS free – check out this prior post)

One of my favorite places to take a look at my eating habits, and a suggestion I make to all my clients, is to clean out the refrigerator, identifying what’s fresh and what’s not and creating a clean eating slate, so to speak.  This is a healthful tool to get focused on clean eating on multiple levels – you get rid of things that no longer serve you, you see the truth of your buying and food waste patterns and you can take inventory of the kind of foods you tend to eat, recognizing gaps.   What’s missing from the refrigerator that you know would be healthier and what are some things you should avoid in the future? The beauty is that it doesn’t have to take long to clean things out and prepare to start fresh, an important component of creating a clean eating lifestyle.

When was the last time that you took stock of your refrigerator and asessed your eating? Have you done it this year? When can you commit to making the time to clean things up?  A few actions on your part can make a big difference in eating right during National Nutrition Month and all year long.

Even though we’ve been practicing clean eating for quite some time, his realization about our lifestyle really solidified that not only is he doing it (and liking it) but that his awareness has changed and increased.  And the best part is that it’s not about me beating him over the head with constant messages about clean eating.   Much to the contrary, it’s been an easy progression of subtle lifestyle changes over time. 

For example, we recently watched the movie Food Inc, an indictment of the food industry that makes you question just about every aspect of what you’re putting into your mouth.  Food Inc shares the powerful message that we should all increase our awareness about the source of our food.  Does it come from a factory farm or a local farmer where animals are treated with respect? Are many of things you’re eating genetically modified or are you eating clean, whole foods that aren’t processed?

We watched the movie and next thing I know, Bruce suggested that we stop buying meat in the grocery store and only buy it from one of several local farmers.  Mind you, we don’t eat tons of meat to begin with but I couldn’t help but appreciate the earnestness in which he responded to the movie and his thoughtfulness about our health.

Half of clean eating for me, is the willingness to shift your mindset and see other possibilities. It’s almost about envisioning a healthy future you’d like to have and seeing clean eating as a vehicle to help you get there. My simple mantra: prevention, prevention, prevention.  Clean eating is the means by which we’re creating the healthy life we want to enjoy, especially as we age.  It’s such a simple approach through which you can reap a myriad of benefits, not the least of which is a whole new level of awareness about what you’re eating and how that’s affecting you and the environment.

What discoveries have you uncovered on your clean eating journey? How has increasing your awareness about the food your eating helped you make some healthy changes?

Although I’ve been practicing clean eating for quite some time, and find it easy to make the time to plan, shop for and prepare healthy meals made with fresh, whole foods, keeping things organized at home has been another story.   For years, I’ve been in varying levels of disorganization that have left me feeling anxious, overwhelmed and less than healthy.  I would spend my fair share of time thinking about my piles of paper and clutter, I’d obsess over how I could get on top of it once and for all, and I’d easily fall into a state of overwhelm.

I’ve had clients like this before who struggled with eating cleaner foods but found the task so overwhelming that they never progressed very far.  Together, however, we’d find ways to simplify the process and break down the steps to creating a clean eating lifestyle that sticks. 

It was the same thing for me with getting organized. First I had to decide that I was ready, willing and able to make some changes. Then I hired an organizer who helped me create simple systems that work for my life.  And after consulting with someone who built me a proper desk, cabinets and workspace, I’m finally unearthing, throwing away and organizing years worth of  clutter.  This is all about a clean working space that helps me be more productive, focused and ultimately, healthier. What a concept! My whole life feels lighter and less burdened by the combination of clean eating and a clean workspace.

And you know what else? All the worrying and anxiety that kept me focused on what wasn’t working, has freed me up to be a lot more creative in the kitchen.  I’m having big fun creating delicious clean eating recipes that are feeding my body and soul. Who knew that cleaning up one’s space could have such an impact on other parts of one’s life.

What about you, what parallels do you see between clean eating and de-cluttering your own space? How do both of these initiatives help you to create a healthier lifestyle?

While clean eating may not be cheap, it can actually be moderately priced, and a lot less expensive than the Standard American Diet so many people in this country readily consume full of too much sugar, salt and preservatives.  Not to mention that a bit of investment in healthier foods goes a long way to protecting your health in the future. I talked about just this topic on my friend ChaChanna Simpson’s radio show a few weeks ago as we made sense of healthy and moderately priced eating for twenty-somethings.

The key is to marry consistent meal planning, week after week, with more clean foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  Trust me when I tell you that clean eating doesn’t have to break the bank.  In fact, to prove my point, let me share how inexpensive it was to make one of my favorite dishes — quinoa southwestern stew.

Quinoa is a grain from South America that’s high in protein, quick cooking and gluten-free. I married this with the other ingredients in the recipe and ended up with a dish that made eight servings.

Here’s a rough breakdown of the main ingredients and their cost:

Onions – 1.00
Quinoa – 1.50
Organic chicken broth – 1.50 for quart (thanks to BJ’s Warehouse)
Can of organic black beans – 1.79 (and no added sodium)
Can of organic tomatoes – 1.50 (also from BJ’s)
Frozen, Organic butternut squash – 3.69
Frozen corn – 1.00
Organic ground turkey – 9.00
Fresh cilantro – .75

The total was just under $22.00.  And you can see I used high quality turkey so that added about an extra 5.00 over what I’d find in my big box grocery store but it’s worth it for the added quality.

Here’s the key to clean eating being reasonably priced — the total cost per serving was a whopping $2.71!  I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anywhere you can go and find a healthy dish with high quality ingredients, not loaded with sodium and/or sugar, for this price.  To me, this speaks volumes to the power of meal planning, fresh ingredients and some foresight to create clean eating meals that don’t break the bank.

My husband and I have been taking this for lunch this week and the combination of the hearty stew along with a salad of fresh greens means that we’re spending roughly $3.50 each per day. That is a bargain! Where we live,  you can’t buy a decent lunch for less than $7-$8 so we are actually saving money, not to mention supporting better health.

What are you thoughts on the cost of clean eating? Is it too expensive or do you simply need to become a better meal planner and find creative ways to cook at home that can help you save and improve your health?

Just the other day I was asking my friends on Twitter about their favorite fall vegetables.  I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, I like to put them in just about anything. But I have to say that pumpkin and butternut squash make a close second and third and I got lots of comments along those lines.

So I thought it would be fun to share 10 reasons why clean eating root veggies are so fantastic:

1. They have copious amounts of antioxidants, especially Vitamin A aka beta carotene.

2. Root veggies are easy to prepare in a myriad of ways.

3. They help kick sugar cravings to the curb. Roast them and you’ll bring out their natural sweetness.

4. They’re healthy comfort food.  Pumpkin pancakes anyone? You can make luscious dishes that are the essence of comfort food yet oh so healthy.

5. They make a great addition to soups and stews. Just the other day I whipped up some yummy soup with sweet potatoes, collard greens, tomatoes, kasha and cannellini beans. Talk about delicious!

6. They are low maintenance cooking! Put some sweet potatoes and butternut squash in to bake and you can do a whole bunch of other things while they’re cooking.

7. When you eat root veggies in the fall, they’re in season. You’re eating the way nature intended you to.

8. They are full of fiber which helps to fill us up, and healthy complex carbohydrates that provide lasting energy.

9. They are low in calories and fat, supporting a clean eating lifestyle.

10. Being that they are grown in the ground, they provide amazing grounding energy. If you’re feeling like you can’t focus and your mind is wandering, eat some root veggies and see what happens. You’ll likely to feel a lot more present.

What’s your take on root veggies? What other awesome benefits do you get from eating them and what’s your favorite?

Intrigued about how you can easily prepare root vegetables and make some scrumptious recipes your family will thank you for? Join me, The Clean Eating Coach, tonight, October 21 for “Fabulous Fall Seasonal Eating & Meal Planning” and I’ll give you the full scoop on simple and clean ways to make them! Go to http://budurl.com/falleating to get all the details.

But now that the weather has dramatically cooled (yesterday we had light snow!), I’m all about warming up.  One of my favorite morning treats is oatmeal. In the summer, I make a yummy raw oatmeal that I absolutely love that’s served at room temperature, but this time of year, it’s got to be hot.

Recently, I was flipping through the most recent issue of Clean Eating magazine when I came across a recipe for Jamaican style oatmeal that sounded yummy.  As you can probably imagine, the Jamaican part of it is that is has  tropical flavors — coconut, pineapple and banana.  When I saw it, I just knew it would be good, with a few adjustments.  I personally can’t stand bananas (except in my smoothies), so I took that out and added a touch of cinnamon instead.  It made for an absolutely delicious oatmeal, so much more interesting than just adding some berries on top, and the addition of nuts made it even more robust.

Best part of all is that I felt satisfied all morning long.  I’m a big fan of a bigger breakfast that keeps you feeling nourished and focused, in addition to setting your blood sugar level for the day.  This clean eating breakfast is just that — robust, tasty and so good for us.  Plus, oats are heart healthy, can lower cholesterol and can even aid in weight loss.  This is whole food nutrition at its best!

Jamaican Style Whole Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup almond milk (or use skim, rice or soy)
2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
2 tbsp. almonds, toasted and sliced

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in medium saucepan.  Add oats, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes.  When oats are done, add milk and agave nectar, followed by the pineapple and cinnamon. Top with coconut and almonds.

What do you do to make oatmeal interesting and appealing? Do tell – please share your comments below.

And be sure to join me on Wednesday, October 21 at 8 pm ET for more clean eating and meal planning ideas on my next teleseminar, “Fabulous Fall Seasonal Eating and Meal Planning.” You can check out all the details and sign up here: http://budurl.com/falleating

It never ceases to amaze me how hard it can be to get kids to eat healthy foods. Yet given the culture in which we live  — packaged, processed and quick foods that promise great taste — it’s no wonder our kids crave salt, sugar and fat.  Those foods may taste good but they do a real number on creating optimal health and avoiding long, term chronic problems like childhood obesity.

I’m of the mind, however, that kids really do like healthy food.  We just have to help them learn about different foods that are good for them.  Think about more whole foods — fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are prepared in appealing ways. Throw in some interesting ingredients, create a fun experience and slowly integrate healthier foods a little at a time, and the quest for better eating habits doesn’t have to be so hard.  Healthy, clean eating really is possible.

Yes, I know, that can be a tall order, especially for busy working parents with a lot on their plate, but it can be done…and in simple ways.

This is exactly what I’ll be talking about at my “Kids Love Healthy Food Too” teleseminar on Tuesday, September 15.  On this live, 75-minute call, I’ll be helping parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles learn simple techniques to get the  children in their lives to embrace healthier eating.   We’ll be discussing how to introduce healthier foods little by little, how to take what they’re eating and change one ingredient for added nutrition, simple kid-friendly recipes, and how to involve kids in the meal planning process (and yes, it is all in the plan!). Fun stuff! And guess what, you can get some live coaching from me, The Clean Eating Coach.

You can check out all the details and learn more by going here: http://budurl.com/md6k.

Aren’t you ready for a dose of inspiration, some new ideas and a healthier path for your kids? Join us!

The fact that AJ loves vegetables at such a young age has everything to do with having parents like Phoebe and Matt who believe in eating clean, whole foods and shunning processed foods.  The fact that everything is organic is even better. 

When we introduce our children to healthy foods when they’re young and they develop a taste for them,  it’s easy to keep them healthy.  Just like some kids develop a taste and desire for sugar early on, the same can be said for healthy foods. They more they eat, the more they want.

You know what else is amazing about healthy food? When we feed our children clean foods without all the sugar, salt and preservatives, they have steady and calm energy without having to climb the walls and run amok from eating processed foods.  AJ is sweet and good natured, just hanging out and enjoying life with steady but calm energy.  It completely reminded me about the power of planning healthy meals and snacks kids will enjoy, yet keeping it simple.

Do your kids, grandchildren or nieces and nephews love eating fresh vegetables? What do you do to make healthy eating appealing for them? Please share what works for you.

Are you stumped by how to create healthy meals that your kids will enjoy? All it takes is a small amount of time, a dash of inspiration and a few clean, whole foods to get your kids on a healthier eating path.  Join me on Tuesday, September 15 for my teleclass, “Kids Love Healthy Food Too!” and I’ll show you just how easy it can be to create clean eating meals. Check out all the details and watch the video about the class: http://budurl.com/md6k

That’s exactly what I did this past weekend. After Bruce and I embarked on a blueberry picking frenzy at our favorite local farm, Bishop’s Orchards (did you see my fun video straight from the farm from yesterday?), we already had a plan in place to share our wealth of blueberries with friends, use some immediately for baking, eating and smoothies, and freeze the rest. Why? Because we have smoothies for breakfast all year long and it’s so much better when you use locally grown fruit, as opposed to fruit that’s been packaged and sent across the country and costs a small fortune.

You can use this simple freezing process with any kind of berry as well as peaches, which are just coming into their own right now. And you can get all the benefits of lots of antioxidants when you freeze them immediately.

Check out all the details here in my video clip.  It’s so simple, you can do it in a short time!

Do you ever freeze fresh fruit for later use? Have you noticed the benefits and how it supports clean, healthy eating?

Simply put, it’s about embracing healthy, clean eating with whole foods that will nourish you and help prevent disease.