Clean Eating Made Simple Series now on Amazon!

Click on any of the books listed below to check them out on Amazon!  Great resources for health and nutrition that have greatly blessed my life!

 Why Your Diet is Killing You: Secrets of Clean Eating

If you want to: 

• Shed those extra pounds once and for all! 

• Look your very best, regardless of your age and your current physical condition. 

• Have INCREDIBLE energy! 

• Boost your immune system: we’re talking less sick-days, decreased dependency on medications, and better over-all health. 

• AND, feel amazing inside and out… 

Then this book is for you! Clean Eating is simple and delicious and will give you the life and body you've always dreamed of. Proven steps and strategies on how to eat clean and enjoy the process of transforming your health and energy. Join with me on my journey as I fight breast cancer with Clean Eating. Bonus Clean Eating Recipes! 

Why Your Diet is Killing You: Secrets of Clean Eating

My breakfast

2 eggs with spinach,  mushrooms,  pepper,  onion, and garlic powder.

Fresh fruit

Week Seven Results

I lost three pounds!   I am so happy!   I was careful about keeping a food journal and that helped me see how many veggies I was really eating and how many calories.   I tried to keep it around 1800 calories a day following clean,  nutritious foods.   I also exercised every day 30 min to an hour.  Feeling great!

Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

Black forest mushroom soup

Wholesome and warm.   I got this recipe from www.drfurman.com

Vegetable breakfast

I'm changing up my breakfast.  All the raw oats were causing problems with my digestion.   Now I'm eating 2 scrambled eggs with veggies: spinach, mushrooms,  onions and tomato.   I'm feeling much better!

Your story...

I've lost 16 lbs eating clean this year, but I want to know your story!  What are your results with clean eating?  Comment and share below!

Snack time!

I love chips and salsa as a snack!   This is a much healthier version.   Fresh veggies give me the crunch.   Black beans with a dash of garlic powder,  cumin,  and 1/4 cup salsa are the prefect spicy and protein packed dip!

Turkey spinach wrap

One of my favorite lunches.   Tasty and fast!

1 whole grain tortillas
2 slices Turkey
Spinach
Tomato
Guacamole

Wrap up and enjoy!

Week six results

I am so proud of myself.   I went out of town last week to celebrate the homecoming of my brother from his two year mission to Brazil.  There was tons of good food, eating at restaurants and opportunities to cheat.   I had all five kids by myself for the seven hour cat ride.  It was a challenge but I was prepared!  

I brought a small cooler of fruits,  veggies,  while grain wraps, my almond milk and oats.  That covered all my snacks,  lunches,  and breakfasts.   When we ate out,  I always got a salad or lettuce wraps with no dressing,  just avocado on the side.   I did have a few bites of cheesecake and 1/2 slice of cake another night,  but I kept the treats at that.  I also got up 30 min early each day and exercised.    

I didn't lose weight,  but I didn't gain any either!   That hasn't happened for years!   I always gain weight when I travel!   I'm super proud of myself! 

Week five results

3 lbs gained last week.   2 lbs lost this week.   Not so great, but I'm still sticking with it.   I'm going to be more vigilant about eating only fruits and vegetables for snacks.   I haven't posted a lot of new recipes because my life has been crazy and I've been making old healthy favorites.   We're going out of town this week for my brother's mission homecoming.   That will be a challenge.   I going to bring my own cooler full of fruits and vegetables and will make good choices at restaurants.   I'm not going to eat back to back crap.  If I have one cheat meal,  I'm going to get back on it and not let that one meal turn into one week of bad eating.

Green chili chicken soft tacos

Crackpot green chili chicken:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp.  Garlic powder
1/4 tsp.  Sea salt
3 cans diced green Chiles
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 tbsp honey

Place chicken in crock pot and add 1/2 cup water.  Season to of chicken with garlic powder and salt.   In a small bowl,  combine green Chiles,  onion and honey.  Add on top of chicken.  Don't stir.   She'd with fork and serve with lettuce wraps or while grain tortillas with your favorite healthy taco ingredients.   I served mine with black beans,  lettuce,  salsa and guacamole.

Week Three Results: Lost 1 lb!

This week was rough, I'm not going to lie.  It seems it's easier for me to cheat now than to really stick to it. Old habits are creeping up.  I still lost 1 lb, so that's good, but I can do better. I'm going to be really vigilant though this next week.  My goal is to lose 4 more lbs in the next two weeks before my brother gets home from his mission and we have a huge family reunion!  Easter, no problem.  Traveling to my grandparent's next weekend, bring it!  

Getting up an hour before the kids to exercise has really worked good.  I get a lot more done during the day and am able to exercise without interruption which is huge at my house!  I'm a lot stronger than I was just a few weeks ago.  I can do 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups and 100 squat jumps and not even get sore anymore!  I love it!  I've spent a lot of time on the computer preparing my next novel for publication, so I'm going to make sure to get up more this next week and MOVE!!!

Week Four Menu

Take Me to Thailand Spicy Peanut Shrimp

Take Me to Thailand Spicy Peanut Shrimp

Ingredients

·         Rice noodles or Whole Wheat noodles

·         1 tablespoon peanut oil or olive oil

·         6 ounces shrimp, chicken or tofu

·         2 shallots, or white onion finely diced

·         2 cloves garlic, chopped

·         1/2 cup spicy peanut sauce (store bought or homemade)

·         2 eggs, lightly beaten

·         2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped

·         1 cup zucchini

·         2 green onions, sliced

·         1 lime lime cut into wedges

Directions

1.       Cook the noodles in water as directed on package until just pliable.

2.      Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

3.      Add the zucchini, shrimp, shallots and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

4.      Add the peanut sauce and noodles, mix and move to the side of the pan.

5.      Add the egg, let it set a bit and then mix it into the noodles.

6.      Add the peanuts and cook for a minute.

7.      Add the green onions and remove from heat.

8.      Garnish with lime.

I modified this recipe from one I found online to make it more family-friendly but still healthy and tasty.  This wasn't too spicy and the kids actually really liked it.  They like hearing about where different foods come from across the world.  Educational and delicious!  Who would have thought?

Fresh Berry Topping

Modifying a few of my favorites is what its all about to make this a long-term lifestyle.  I love french toast and so do my kiddos.  Instead of dousing it in butter and high-sugar maple syrup, I made this fresh berry topping.  I threw strawberries, raspberries and blueberries into a pot with about a 1/2 cup of water.  I heated it over medium heat to a slow boil and added about 1/4 cup cornstarch to thicken it.  It was a bit tart, so I added about 1/2 cup honey. This can be used over breads, low-sugar cake, pancakes or whatever else you would normal use frosting, or syrup!

Thai Vegetable Curry Salad

I used the leftovers from last nights Thai Vegetable Curry to make a salad for lunch today.  So yummy!  I just put the leftovers on a bed of spinach.

Thai Vegetable Curry

Hubby and kids loved this, I couldn't believe it!  Recipe is from Eat To Live

Week Three Results

Okay, so maybe not that extreme, haha.  I lost 1/2 in this week but 0 lbs.  I think its because I've added a good amount of resistance to my workouts so I'm gaining more muscle, losing inches but not necessarily pounds on the scale.  I also had 2 cheats this week: shake on a date with Ben and ice cream cake on my daughter's birthday (I felt totally sick both times and was amazed at how I could feel the impact of the sugar).  Ben lost 3 lbs though, so, it's still working!

Strawberry Bread

Snack Transformation!

This is my effort to change my snacking habits.  I've made a promise to myself to eat only raw fruits and vegetables for those in-between meal munchies.  I have added hummus to the veggies.  This is what I go for now in the afternoon rather than crackers, granola bars, cereal or yogurt.  It's a big change for me, but I think its a big reason why I lost weight last week and will continue to be an important part of my health and success.

Mexican Pizza

My family loved this last night!

Ingredients:
Whole grain/wheat pizza crust
Re-fried/Pinto beans
Salsa
Onion
Yellow Pepper
Cheese
Lettuce
Black Olives
Guacamole

Top Crust with Beans, then Salsa.  Sprinkle Onion and Yellow Peppers and top with Cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is done according to liking.  Top with Lettuce, Black Olives and Guacamole.

Basic H

I have been using Basic H for the past six months to remove dirt and pesticides from my produce.   It is non - toxic and 100% biodegradable.   It's not a soap or detergent.  It effectively removes 99.9% of pesticides sprayed onto produce.

It is very cost effective too!

To remove poisonous residue and grime from transport of your fruits and veggies you put 10 to 12 drops of Basic H into 10 cups cold water.   

Put in produce and let sit 10 to 15 min.  

Then rinse with warm water.   

That's it!   You can see how clean your produce is.   The white spots on grapes are gone!

You can see how dirty the water left behind is!

Spinach Brussels Sprouts Marinara

I really love this dish.   But I also like Brussels Sprouts and I know that's not everyone's favorite.   I got this recipe from Eat To Live

Week Two Results: 2 more lbs lost, but it's not all that matters!

Lost two more pounds in week two! Yay!  I wasn't sure I would because of the typical week two "plateau."  I was even more diligent with the diet and stepped up my exercise, but had one cheat meal on Saturday night.  I didn't even feel guilty (that's actually pretty huge for me with my history of eating disorder/binging!).

The reason I say the 2 lbs lost isn't all that matters is because I am committed to living this lifestyle, regardless of what the scale says.  Sometimes the scale goes up.  Sometimes it goes down.  I can't define my happiness or sense of self-worth by it (as I can do).

The way I feel is AMAZING!  Physically, I feel light, have sooooo much more energy and am healthier than I've been for months!  It's no joke.  I feel it.  I've always wanted to feel this way: sleeping good, no digestion issues, have mental clarity and full of energy and life!  The fact that its giving me a slender body is just another bonus!

Week Three Menu

Orange Julius Smoothie!

Mexican Salad

Healthy Taco Salad

Today's focus: better snacks

I am a snacker.  I can't seem to get from 11:30 to 6:00 without chowing down in-between.  Today, I'm making a commitment to eat only raw fruits and veggies for snacks.  I may have hummus with the veggies, I'm still looking for a good home-made recipe, so you have one, please share!

This is going to be a big change for me.  I'm a little resistant to it, but I'm also excited to fine-tune this part of my diet and nutrition.

Clean Eating Easter "Candy"

I decided if I'm going to make it through the Eater season with all its chocolate eggs,  jelly beans, and marshmallows,  I've got to have a healthier treat on hand.  This is clean eating "candy" because it is higher in calories than fresh fruit, so I'm going to have to keep portions small!  My kids are already munching it up as fast as they do the sugar stuff! 

Cherry Walnut surprise:

Dried cranberries,and yogurts covered raisins. 

Island get-a-way:

Dried mangos, banana chips, cranberries, and macademian nuts.

Bunny tracks:

Walnuts, raisins, dried blueberries, dried strawberries and mangos

Almond "peeps"

Raw almonds, cranberries

Stuffed Baked Potato

Mediterranean Shrimp Kebabs

Ingredients:

Shrimp (fully cooked and thawed)
Red onion
Yellow pepper
Red pepper
Mushrooms
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
Metal or wooden skewers

Assemble kebabs by alternating vegetables with shrimp.

In a small bowl,  blend lemon juice, olive oil,  and oregano to make marinade.

Brush marinade over kebabs and place on grill for 7 to 10 min.   

Or bake in oven 25 min at 400 degrees,  rotating half way through:

Tomato Bisque

Okay, so it may look sketchy, but I really love this dish.  It's not my hubby's favorite, but I think I could eat it every week.  Creamy, warm and so full of good vegetables.  I got the recipe from Eat to Live, so you can find it there!

Rainbow Stir-fry

Eat your Rainbow!  Almost as beautiful as it is delicious!

Heather's Blueberry Banana Muffins

So, this is recipe I made up.  I may tweak it in the next while, but so far, it's a hit with the hubby and kids.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
1 / 2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)

1 cup applesauce
2 tbsp honey
1 cup  sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 egg (optional, may be left out for vegans)

1 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour

Directions:

Cream bananas, applesauce, honey and sugar.  When smooth, add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and egg.  Stir in dry ingredients.  When mixed well, stir blueberries in by hand.  Pour into muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Clean Eating Check-list

Every day I live by this, I feel so much better!  You don't know until you try!

This is the diet

This is the basics, but I really recommend reading my book, Clean Eating (you can actually eat!) for all the information you need.  It's so much more than just weight loss.  You can do all kinds of unhealthy things to lose weight, but that doesn't mean its good for your body.  This is about establishing a healthy weight, disease-proofing your body and giving it the nutrients it needs to function at its very best!

Struggling with emotional eating

I truly love eating clean.   I love the energy I have and so many of the foods are absolutely delicious to me.   Even still though,  I struggle with emotional eating.  It's such a penulum:  I really love having a fit,  slender body that is healthy and strong,  but I love tasty food that changes the way I feel emotionally.  The foods I turn to are usually simple carbs: sugars,  crackers, etc.  Stuff my kids like to eat and I know aren't good for me.   Some is fine, but binging on it is not good.   

As a mom,  I feel like I do so much for everyone else all the time,  and that food is my to treat myself.  Or sometimes I justify eating bad food because I've been doing good for so long,  that I deserve it.   I tend to turn to food more when I'm stressed,  when Ben has been working a lot so I'm lonely and bored, or when I'm feeling depressed and need food to feel better.

I'm sure there is probably some food addiction going on too.   Why else would food have such an impact on the way I feel emotionally and physically?   It really shouldn't have such power.  So,  I'm still trying to figure that out.   I've heard that I need to replace my turning to food with something else that will satisfy my emotional needs, but I haven't mastered that yet.   Sometimes the impulses feel too strong and like the more I try to fight it,  the worse I'll eventually give in.  

I don't expect to eat 100% prefect all the time and that's okay.   What's not healthy is the dependency on food for other issues.  I feel like if I can overcome this,  I'll finally achieve the level of health,  physical fitness and emotional peace that I'm seeking.   It's kind of embarrassing opening up about this, but it's worth it if I can find a real solution...