Monday, April 18, 2016

Eggs on a Veggie Pile

So after eating completely clean for 3 days, I was super nervous about what I was going to eat after my food wasn't being delivered to me. I mean, I eat pretty clean, but I think I've slacked off on my veggie intake lately because I've been so crazy busy. But that is no excuse; I just need to get smarter and more creative with my veggie consumption. Enter my new favorite meal: Eggs on a Veggie Pile. I'm serious...this is soooo good and really pretty easy if you use some short-cuts and think ahead a bit. 

My first go at this yumminess, I was at the grocery store and was going right home to feed my family lunch, so I ran through the salad bar and got a ton of raw, pre-cut up veggies (mushrooms, kale, spinach, peppers, onions, zucchini, etc.) and then their whole counterparts for later when I had a few minutes to chop. 

I threw all of that fresh jazz into a tsp of olive oil and sauteed for like 3 minutes (until the spinach and kale wilted). While the wilting was happening, I make 3 eggs over medium (so that the yokes were runny, but not tooooo runny), which took about 3 minutes as well. I put the pile of veggies (probably 3 cups of goodness) on my plate, topped with the eggs and threw about a 1/4 avocado on top and it was amazing!! Just in case you want to know the nutritional info. My skillet with 3 whole eggs had 388 calories, 23 grams of protein, 18 grams carbs, 7 grams fiber, 26 grams fat and lots and lots of the daily nutrients my body needs like iron, calcium, vitamins A and C and potassium. NOW, I have taken 7 minutes to chop up a ton of the same veggies and put them in several containers in my fridge to just throw them in my skillet for my next meal. I feel like I'm winning at this! :) 

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

ChopChop Whole Food Cleanse: DAY 3...the finale!

  
So I made it! Day Three of the amazing ChopChop Whole Food Cleanse COMPLETE! Can you see my excitement drinking my decaffeinated iced green tea? So day three was actually the easiest. I woke up feeling great, my skin was practically glowing and I was down 10 lbs...okay those last two are a lie...BUT I do feel really good and have no cravings at all!





What I ate:

The last two days I was feeling really tired and lethargic and cranky, so today I thought I'd switch it up and eat before my normal fast-until-time of noon. I lightly sauteed my breakfast chicken skillet with a bit of the bone broth (just until the spinach started to wilt) added some fresh cracked pepper and it was DELICIOUS and surprisingly filling. I had some hard workouts early in the morning so I chose to eat two carrots and a half an apple extra today...still clean...still on the "approved" list :) The sweet and sour salad for lunch was the best thing I've eaten in a long time...it was soooo good. I'm going to try to recreate it in my own little kitchen. Snacks were a protein bar and almond butter with an apple (did I lick the almond butter container? Yes.)
How I felt:

I feel GREAT today. I woke up with lots of energy, no cravings, my workouts rocked and really I feel like I just look healthier. I mean, I get that it's only been three days..but I'm going with it.
What I liked:

I LOVED day three. Favorite day by far...now if I could  have had those delicious raisins today too, oh man, it would have been just too much of some very yummy things. 

What I had a hard time with:
Nothing really. I used some extra fruit/veggie like is allowed on the cleanse and it did my body good!

What's next?

So I thought I ate pretty clean, but now, I wonder if I could cut back a little bit more on the processed protein bars and my chocolate addiction for sure :) I will definitely do this cleanse again-it was just want it said...it was a Re-start! Also, I will totally include bone broth and more raw kale in my diet...who knew?

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

ChopChop Whole Food Cleanse: DAY 2




You can't totally tell, but I'm super excited to eat these raisins and nuts! 

So day two...it went fine..I was kinda crabby, but again, not being able to breathe (allergies!!!) and such doesn't make for a happy camper so I can't totally blame it on the cleanse. So here's the skinny:

What I ate:

Yummy salmon skillet
Same deal as yesterday only the salads were a bit different as were the snacks. Bone broth and a smoked salmon "scramble" for breakfast...which I totally ate as a mid-afternoon snack with a tiny drizzle of last night's dressing on it for a bit more flavor. The salmon salad for lunch was yummy and citrus-y. The snacks were some raisins and raw, unsalted nuts and two protein balls. Both were weirdly delicious. The raisins were my favorite...they were so sweet and seemed like a real treat! That sounds kinda sad, I know, but when you have like 26 sweet teeth in your mouth, I'll take what I can get. Then there was a Mediterranean salad for dinner.
How I felt:
I was feeling super tired...like sleepy tired...but that's okay. I think I eat pretty clean, but I do have this chocolate addiction and I love wine, sooooo it could totally be part of cleansing. I also worked out for about 4 hours (deal of my job) and so that could have added to my lethargic-ness. 

What I liked: 
As mentioned before...the raisins and really everything else was pretty yummy...except for....

What I had a hard time with:
The dinner salad dressing. I have loved all of the dressings until this one. I poured half of it on my salad and mixed it all up. Oh man, I wish I hadn't done that. It had something in it that was so bitter that I actually didn't finish the salad and had a small apple and a carrot instead. Sad face for real. 

Overall, still think it's really good. Also, I'm super glad that I am doing it along side a bunch of awesome women so we can encourage each other, give each other ideas, etc. 
The salad that I had to leave behind-wah wahhhh





Monday, April 11, 2016

ChopChop Whole Foods Cleanse: DAY 1

Breakfast Chicken Scramble


Today was my first day of the ChopChop Whole Food Cleanse...and it was great! Paleofit , a local Kansas City company, offers lots of yummy Paleo food and now they have a whole food cleanse. I decided to try out the three day cleanse: they also offer a 7 and 10 day version. It's pretty sweet because they provide and deliver ALL of your food for the cleanse. You don't have to prepare at all really in regards to shopping and such. Plus, if you eat with your family or friends, you can still eat something-which is a major benefit in my house.

What I ate:
For day one I was given a bone broth and scramble (which is basically another salad) for breakfast, an apple and almond butter for morning snack, a yummy chicken salad deal with kale and mushrooms and such for lunch, a protein bar for afternoon snack and a delicious green salad with a nice piece of salmon for dinner. Since I practice intermitant fasting...yay! I didn't start my eating until noon. I began with my lunch salad...which was really really yummy...then basically ate through the rest of the day ending with dinner at 6. Everything was super yummy.

How I felt:

I felt great...but have to be honest...I was a bit hungry...BUT that is no big deal...it's okay to be hungry. I've done many cleanses that don't even let you chew anything at all..so day one of this cleanse was a cakewalk!

What I liked:
Apple and almond butter
The food was great..the packaging was super easy to store and labeled by day so there wasn't any confusion on what I was supposed to eat. I also received an e-mail from Paleofit telling with encouragements for the start of the cleanse and some tips. They also provide an approved food list just in case you are about to eat your arm off (arms are not on the approved list) or if you are super active and need a few more calories to keep conscious.
What I had a hard time with:
Everything was so yummy...espeically the dressings (which were given in a huge amount)...however, the breakfast "scramble" was served dry. Soooo....I think I'll add some of my extra dressing from day 2's salads to it tomorrow. Also, you aren't supposed to have caffeine or alcohol...ahhhhh...I know, right? Soooo...I totally drank black coffee so I wouldn't die of a migraine. I was able to refrain from alcohol, but not super excited about it :) 
How I felt:
I felt actually really good...a bit tired...but that could have been from the long and busy weekend and/or my stupid allergies. I feel like I'm getting my body all of the vitamins and minerals it needs without all the crap...so that's awesome!

Until tomorrow....

Friday, April 8, 2016

30 minute hotel sweat session

Last week I was in a hotel for 5 nights with no gym in site (other than the one in the hotel with like 2 treadmills-only one worked and a bow flex type machine from maybe the 70s?) Good excuse not to work out right? FALSE! I have all the equipment I need with me all of the time-my body! So check out this tough and sweaty workout...sorry people staying in the room below me :) 

Do each exercise for 90 seconds and then 60 seconds and then 45 seconds...and if you take minimal breaks (as you should) finish up with 30 seconds of each move. 

Jumping Jacks
Wall Sits
Planks
Jump Squats
Push ups
Bicycles

Drink water and shower...cheers!