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Healthy Eating

Why Should You Choose Seasonal Produce?

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choose seasonal produceIt’s Day 21 of our June Clean Eating Challenge!  Today I want to give you 5 reasons why you should consider buying more in-season produce vs. out of season.

Not only do fresh fruits and vegetables contain more nutrition than their canned or frozen counterparts, they taste better, you can cook a larger variety of meals with them, and they are often cheaper than processed fruits and veggies. However, you have to be savvy when you shop for produce. You can’t just go in and grab whatever catches your eye. It’s always a good idea to buy produce that’s in season – currently being grown and harvested outdoors – than buying greenhouse produce or items that are shipped in from other parts of the world. Why? They are more readily available, and they are generally less expensive.

 5 Reasons to Buy In-Season Produce

In addition to saving almost half on your produce bill, buying in-season will help you get more out of your produce. Seasonal produce is healthier, tastier and cheaper – how can you go wrong?

  1. Better Flavor and Nutrition – Greenhouse produce just doesn’t taste the same, does it? Produce grown and ripened in the sun always have the best flavor. Not only that, it is crispier, juicy and colorful. The sun does more than make fruits and vegetables taste better too; it infuses them with antioxidants. Fresh-grown produce always contains more nutrients and antioxidants than their greenhouse counterparts.
  2. Organic (No Pesticides) – Produce grown off season in an unnatural environment requires more human intervention. Often it’s sprayed with pesticides, waxes, chemicals and preservatives in order to look like in-season produce.
  3. Meet Seasonal Nutrition Requirements – You may not know it, but different types of produce grow at exactly the time your body needs them. For example, watermelon, cucumber, fruits and berries – summer favorites – contain a lot of water, which helps you remain cool and hydrated as the temp soars. Leafy greens, available in the spring, help detoxify the body and prepare it for shedding winter weight gain.
  4. Adds Variety to Diet – Sure, you might have your favorites, but life would be boring if you ate the same fruits and veggies all the time. By purchasing produce when it’s in season, you have to add variety to your diet. Who knows? Maybe you will try something new, something that will become your new favorite food. Seasonal shopping also gives you a chance to look forward to eating all the fresh produce you love as it comes into season.
  5. Allows You to Buy Locally – Farmer’s markets are a great place to pick up locally grown, organic, inexpensive produce. Since produce loses nutritional content daily after being harvested, buying locally also ensures that the produce you choose will have the highest nutrition content possible.

You see, buying fruits and vegetables while they’re in season makes sense for a whole host of reasons. If lowering your grocery bill isn’t enough to sway you, improving the quality of your life through the consumption of healthier and tastier foods should.

5 Tips for Dealing with Cravings While on Your Period

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As if it isn’t hard enough to combat cravings, eat healthy and find time to exercise regularly, once a month women face the seemingly insurmountable challenge of getting through their period without giving into temptation. Along with the irritability, cramps, bloating and fatigue that come hand-in-hand with Mother Nature’s visit, cravings for sugar, simple carbohydrates, and other oh-so-good, but not-so-healthy treats hit full force.

cravings on your periodIf you have intense cravings during your period, you’re not just giving yourself an excuse to nibble on forbidden foods. There are scientific reasons that explain why your body craves certain foods during your menstrual cycle. During this time, your brain experiences a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that’s responsible for a whole host of things including your mood. Your brain, unable to operate as efficiently with a smaller amount of serotonin, sends signals – cravings – for foods that boost serotonin levels. Such foods include sweets, chips, muffins and other comfort foods.

How to Curb Cravings during Your Menstrual Cycle

Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce cravings during this time and stay on track. These tips also work when you’re not on your period. So, next time you get a craving, combat it with one or more of the following:

  1. Consume more complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates and foods rich in fiber – whole grains, legumes, fruits and some starchy vegetables – take longer for your body to break down and use. This means that you stay full longer and experience fewer cravings. While you’re satisfied and full, your stomach sends messages to your brain that no more food is needed.
  2. Eat foods rich in protein. Foods that contain a great deal of protein also work as an appetite suppressant for the same reason as complex carbohydrates. In fact, it takes your body even longer to break down proteins. Protein also helps regulate your sugar levels, which stops cravings. To add protein to your diet, choose from healthy options such as chicken, turkey, fish and peanut butter.
  3. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Bottom line, do not allow yourself to become hungry while you’re on your period. Satisfy cravings by eating six small meals instead of three large ones. Be sure to choose healthy options though.
  4. Spend some time exercising or doing another physical activity that you enjoy. Physical activity boosts levels of dopamine in the brain, a feel-good chemical that works alongside serotonin to regulate your mood. So, whenever you start feeling down, don’t reach for a snack, get physical instead. Exercise also reduces cramps.
  5. Think about something else. Sounds pretty simple, huh? Well, it is. When you have a craving, your brain automatically pictures the item you’re craving. You start to remember the taste, the feel, the texture of the food you want. If you allow yourself to keep thinking about it, you will likely give in to temptation. Instead, think about something else that you love, like the beach. Picture it – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the way the sand feels between your toes – and your brain will no longer be able to concentrate on the craving.

Combating cravings during that time of the month is a constant struggle. However, the more successful you are at fighting off cravings, the easier it will become for you to turn down unhealthy foods. If you slip up now and then, don’t beat yourself up. Simply put the experience behind you and look ahead. More cravings will come, and when they do, you will be ready for them.

What Are Negative Calorie Foods?

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One topic that you will find all over the net when you look at weight loss topics is the concept of negative calorie foods. In essence, a negative calorie food is presumed to be one that requires more energy to digest than calories it provides to the body for fuel. Thus, the body uses more energy to break down the food than the food contains. This concept is intriguing because it basically means that eating a negative calorie food can contribute to weight loss. You can see how this would be attractive, but is this concept too good to be true.  Could negative calorie foods really exist?

In general, the foods that are believed to have negative calories are low-calorie vegetables and fruits. Here’s a list of examples…
  • Celery
  • Oranges
  • Strawberries
  • Tangerines
  • Grapefruit
  • Carrots
  • Apricots
  • Lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumbers
  • Watermelon
  • Cauliflower
  • Apples
  • Hot Chili Peppers
  • Zucchini
While these foods are healthy and should be a part of our overall diet, if you only ate them alone you would have some nutritional deficiencies.  However, they make for excellent snacks and replacements for high calorie foods that you need to phase out of your diet.
According to individuals such as Dr. Nancy Snyderman, these foods have no negative calorific impact. In explaining her view, Dr. Snyderman maintains that the calories burned during the digestive cycle are minor compared with the calories the food itself contained. It has also been stated that the thermic effect of celery is about 8%, which is less than the 100% or more it would take for a food to have the negative calorie effect. Specifically, a celery stalk provides the body with 6 calories. However, the body uses only half a calorie to digest the stalk. Moreover, proteins-which necessitate the most energy for digestive purposes-have thermic energy levels of just 20%-30%.
People who support the negative calorie concept may state that the weight loss experienced by individuals on diets rife with negative calorie foods proves that the idea is valid. Those who argue against this proof state that the weight loss transpires for other reasons, such as the fact that many of the foods contain significant amounts of fiber and water. These two components contribute to the sense of fullness and thus encourage weight loss because dieters are less likely to consume food in excess.   Also, opponents note that the only true negative calorie drink would be ice water. Ice water would count as a negative calorie drink because it contains no calories, but necessitates that the body use energy to make the liquid’s temperature conform to body temperature.As the negative calorie debate rages on, individuals who want to optimize their health may find it advantageous to try a negative calorie foods. In so doing, people can personally determine whether the dietary shift is advantageous.  We aren’t talking junk food or toxic foods here.  The benefit of fresh fruits and veggies is something we can all agree too.

Fact or Fiction: Are There Really Foods that Will Speed Up Your Metabolism?

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Responsible for how fast your body burns calories and fat, metabolism not only affects your current weight, it also determines how fast you will lose weight, how many calories you can eat per day, and how well you maintain your weight. With all of these factors relying on your metabolism, there are a lot of reasons why you want yours to be fast.

Recently, many diets have claimed that you can speed up your metabolism simply by eating certain foods. If such a magical combination of foods existed, anyone who wants to lose weight should know what foods speed up the body’s metabolic rate and include them in their diet, but do they exist?

Myth: Metabolism Boosting Foods

Each time you consume calories, you give your metabolism a little boost. But are there really some foods that boost it a little more than others? Aside from a few foods that increase the amount of calories burned – hot peppers, green tea, and cold water – there’s not much difference between the foods you eat when it comes to your metabolic rate. Even the few foods that do boost your body’s calorie-burning ability make such a small difference that it’s hardly worth mentioning. So, no, there are no foods that magically speed up your metabolism, making this tale a huge myth.

How Eating Affects Your Metabolism

Your body learns to rely on the amount of calories you consume each day, adjusting your metabolic rate accordingly. If you consume too few calories, your metabolism slows down, resulting in fewer calories burned. The more you eat, the faster your metabolism works. However, you have to eat only as many calories as your body can burn in a day for this to work. If you consume too many calories, your body will turn them into fat, resulting in weight gain.

Your metabolism also speeds up and slows down throughout the day according to how often you eat. If you go a long time between meals, your metabolism slows because your body doesn’t know when more food is coming. Therefore, it tries to reserve the calories it already knows it has.

Eating for a Speedy Metabolism

Increasing your metabolic rate has more to do with how often you eat than it does with what foods you choose. This is, of course, assuming that you eat healthy foods to begin with. Going a long time between eating slows your metabolism. When you finally do eat, your body burns the new calories slowly.

Eating increases your metabolism. Eating six small meals per day rather than three large ones speeds up your metabolism because your body is busy burning calories in anticipation of the next meal. For this to work, though, you need to be consistent. It takes time to train your metabolism to work at peak performance.

How to Eat Right, Exercise and Get Sleep When You Work Late

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Night shift is not only brutal on an individual’s sleep schedule, but also on their eating habits. Working late or doing an overnighter completely changes an individual’s normal routine, and has them on a schedule that to most people is foreign. Though they have to live by a unique schedule, individuals that work nights can still live a healthy lifestyle.

nurseOn night shift it is easy to grab snacks at the vending machine or bring a frozen meal, but individuals should choose to pack their own dinner with fresh food. Packaged food is filled with chemicals and is more of a science lab experiment than real food. Individuals should change up the dinners they bring and choose new healthy recipes to try for variety.  Variety can help you to avoid temptation. There are plenty of easy recipes you can find for free online to whip up that are made with fresh, healthy ingredients. Fresh foods will leave you feeling satisfied and provide you with the energy required for your responsibilities during their night shift.

Being on night shift leaves many individuals tempted to grab an energy drink or coffee. The spike in caffeine or sugar will give them a sudden burst of energy that results in a rapid crash. This will leave the individual feeling sluggish and tired again quickly. Instead of relying on caffeine and sugar for a pickup, individuals should opt to eat healthy foods that provide slow-released energy. Some great replacements for these caffeine beverages are berries, citrus fruit and avocado. These foods won’t cause you to crash during your shift.

Night shift messes with an individual’s sleep schedule and often leaves them with getting little sleep between shifts. Most individuals return home to a family that is just waking up, and they are expected to try to sleep with a busy household. Aside from members of the family being awake, an individual may deal with the bedroom not being dark enough from the sun. Individuals who work the night shift should invest in blackout curtains and an eye mask to ensure they get a sound sleep during the day. Sleep plays a vital role in an individual’s health, and it is important they receive the proper amount of sleep between their shifts.

Being on a different schedule does not give an individual an excuse not to exercise. It is important that they fit in 30 minutes of exercise daily. By not exercising and having a lack of sleep, an individual will quickly notice weight gain and their overall health being jeopardized. If an individual does not have time to go to the gym, they should opt to workout outside or purchase workout DVDs. Many workout videos will provide a full-body workout in 30 minutes. Exercise will keep a person’s body and mind healthy, and help them maintain healthy habits.

A person can still lead a healthy lifestyle while working nightshift. It is important they keep up their healthy habits, and that they not let the late shift be an excuse to live an unhealthy lifestyle.

4 Keys to Losing Baby Weight

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Having a baby is a wonderful experience in any woman’s life, but with the joy of motherhood comes some degree of baby weight. Those extra pounds are pesky, but they can come off with a few daily habit changes. Being a mother brings a different lifestyle, so many new mothers find they do not have the time to do long workout sessions or cook elaborate healthy recipes . Moms do not need to hit the gym for hours or commit to an extreme diet to lose the extra weight. They can try these four little things to help them reach their weight loss and health goals while still being attentive moms to their little one.

losing baby weightNew moms should make it a habit of ensuring they stay hydrated throughout the day. By drinking plenty of water, mothers can keep their energy up and distinguish between hunger cravings and thirst. When one is thirsty, they commonly mistake it for being hungry. By drinking plenty of water, new moms will keep their appetite in check. New moms should have a big glass of water first thing when they first wake up, and they should carry a water bottle with them throughout the day.  This also can be beneficial with nursing mothers.

For some, being pregnant means eating for two. Pregnant women will consume an excessive amount of calories, and they will take on the same eating habits similar to a marathon runner or heavyweight champion in traning. In most cases, pregnant women only need to have an increase of 300 calories added to their daily diet while pregnant, but many new moms will eat triple that amount. So after giving birth, new moms need to break their pregnancy habits that involve  eating foods that pack on the pounds, and instead eat a well-balanced diet and find healthy alternatives to turn to.  Those who need a little extra help with healthy serving sizes should consider meeting with a dietician. A dietician will help new moms plan out meals and assist them on the track of being healthy and losing the baby weight.

On average, an individual should get at least thirty minutes of exercise a day. Some moms cannot fathom getting away from their busy schedule for 30 minutes. If this is the case, these mothers should consider bringing their baby along for the workout or working out at home. There are some great workout DVDs out there, even titles that are just for new moms and pregnant moms.  Pushing a stroller on a run or walk adds more weight and helps make it a better workout.

Being a mother is stressful, so it is important that moms take time for themselves to de-stress. Being stressed out does not help with weight loss efforts, and many believe stress may contribute to more weight gain due to stress related hormones. Moms should take a hot bath and take time to escape their hectic lifestyle. It is important for new moms to pamper themselves; this not only will recharge their batteries for the job of parenting but also give them energy to put towards achieving their weight loss and health goals.

It took time to put on their weight, and it will take time for moms to lose the baby weight. With little habit changes, over time the baby weight will disappear, and moms will squeeze back into their favorite pair of jeans.

Why Quick Fix Detox Diets Don’t Work

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I just wanted to take some time out to address the concept of quick fix detox diets vs. using foods, herbs, fiber (psyllium husk) and natural things, like apple cider vinegar, to help the body detox.  Let me say from the start that I’m not anti-detox.  I do juice fasts and smoothie fasts to detox.  I believe that there are some great healthy plans put out here by people like Dr. Oz on his show.  There has been a lot of attention recently on extreme detox plans like the Lemonade Diet/Master Cleanse.  Celebrities, such as Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow, have discussed being on extreme detox diets and both have talked about the issues that they had post detox.

“As soon as it was over, I gained the weight back – I ate everything when it was over… the second I looked at a donut, it came back! I gained back all the weight, even the weight I didn’t want to come back!” – Beyonce

detox weight loss

In the weight loss world, there is one concept that will never die: Quick Weight Loss.  Everyone wants to lose weight quickly.  The industry knows this.  Diet websites and diet book authors know this.  So, they are happy to give us pills and plans that promise overnight results.  We have all heard the claims…

  • Tons of weight loss in just 7 days.
  • Just take these pills and eat whatever you want.
  • The weight will just melt off in 2 weeks.

Detox plans have now become part of that mix of quick weight loss promises.  Can you lose weight with a detox plan?  Sure, but you have to understand that they are not meant to be weight loss plans.  They are meant to cleanse toxins from your body and give your system a chance to rest and not deal with all the chemicals, dyes, etc. in our food.  You can’t just follow an extreme detox plan, end it, go back to eating what you ate to gain the weight and expect the pounds you lost not to come running back…possibly bringing new friendly pounds along.  You have to be willing to embrace a healthy lifestyle afterward.  These plans can be a gateway but they are not the destination.

Also, you want to chose a detox plan that will not harm your body and is not too extreme.  Not all of these plans are sound in terms of their promises or science.  Extreme detoxing and fasting could bring you health issues and most are not advised if you have issues with blood sugar (diabetes especially), blood pressure, your heart, are pregnant or nursing or have any serious health concerns.  Speaking with your doctor is a good idea so that you know what you are getting into.

What is a Detox Diet?

A detox diet is a diet plan that promises to rid your body of toxins and clean your body overall and or a specific organ.  The premise is that you can get rid of toxins and built up waste from processed foods, household chemicals, environmental elements, etc.  Along with the toxins, these plans say that your body will be able to better metabolize fats and will release excess fat along with the toxins.  Most detox plans that are used as diets and really just fasts where you drink a liquid concoction and/or take pills.  Food is very limited and some involve enemas, colon cleaning powders, diet teas or laxatives.

Issues with Detox Diets

  • When doing a detox, much of the weight loss experienced is from muscle loss and fluids, rather than fat.
  • Fasting for long periods of time without nutrients and vitamins can decrease your metabolism thus leaving you prone to rapid weight gain when your diet goes back to normal, especially if you are not exercising.  This is why juice fasts, smoothie fasts, the Daniel fast and eating just fresh fruits and veggies is a better way to “fast” and detox.
  • Many times people are advised to take herbs, pills or laxatives without being advised of the long term affects or potential allergic reactions.  For example: The epson salt that is taken as a drink on some of these cleanses is not something you should drink for 10 or more days as I’ve seen attested to online.  That is not advised per the directions on the label.  Long term laxative use can be very dangerous and you risk dehydration, mineral loss, etc.
  • Taking in too few calories over a long period of time can cause muscle loss and cause the body to slow the metabolism to conserve energy.  The body understands feast and famine and will respond.  It doesn’t know that we are trying to lose weight.
  • Most people gain the weight right back within days or weeks of stopping the cleansing plan
  • Most detox plans are recommended for 3-7 days at the max, but people will do them for 10-30 days.
  • Extreme detox diets are not recommended by most doctors or nutritionists.  If you were to do one of them, please consult with your doctor first about the risks.
  • The body can cleanse itself.  Your kidneys, liver and colon don’t need extreme measures to do the work of cleansing your body.  However, they do appreciate you eating a clean diet, drinking lots of water and not overloading them with fatty food, processed food, chemicals, sugars, etc.  Fatty liver syndrome is on the rise.  Liver problems used to be connected to drinking and now they are becoming more tied to poor diet.
  • Most of the extreme plans I’ve seen do not have a post-detox healthy eating plan that would help people transition to a healthier lifestyle after doing the cleanse.

If you want to detox, look for plans that are 3-10 days long that involve ingesting fresh fruits, fresh veggies, natural fiber, water and herbal tea.  You can eat food and still get detoxing results.  Some other detoxing ideas:

  • Eliminate coffee and soda.
  • Stop smoking.
  • Eliminate white sugar, white flour, refined carbs and saturated fats from your diet.
  • Seek out household cleansers and personal products that are made naturally or with less chemicals.
  • Get your stress under control – Stress creates hormones that slow down detoxing enzymes in your liver.
  • Do some research online about supplements and herbs that you are considering taking.
  • Drink only water and tea (no sweeteners).
  • Get some exercise outdoors and breathe in the fresh air.
  • Consider and do some research on juice fasting.
  • Consider replacing one or two meals with a green smoothie or a bowl of fresh veggies.
  • Try going vegan or vegetarian for a week or two.

Detoxing your body is a great thing to do and there are a lot of healthy ways to do it.  I suggest that you take a look at a number of plans and find what works for you.  Don’t just focus on losing weight from detoxing, focus on how you can help you body to be as healthy as possible.

June Challenge Day 4 – Eating Clean at Lunchtime

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It’s Day 4 of our June Clean Eating Challenge!  How are you doing so far?  I know it can be really hard to let go of processed foods, junk foods, soda, sugary foods, etc…but you can do it.  Yesterday I sent out some links to free meal plans and meal planning resources.  If you didn’t get that email, please check your spam folder.

june clean eating challengeToday, I want to give you a few clean eating ideas for lunch at work.  I know that lunchtime can be a time filled with temptation.  You are away from home, stressed out at your job, eating with co-workers…it’s a lot to deal with.  Here are 3 suggestions from Livestrong:

Brownbagging It
Making your own lunches from dinner leftovers or making sandwiches the night before is the most economical option and the choice that gives you the most nutritional benefit. For example, brown bag a lunch such as an egg salad or tunafish sandwich on whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomato and low-fat mayo. Add fresh fruits such as apples, grapes, or bananas for fiber. Include low-fat yogurt cups or unsalted nuts of any kind for a high-protein dessert. Leftover chicken is not a bad choice for lunch the next day if you add a small raw green salad with sprouts and cherry tomatoes. Keep a bottle of extra virgin olive oil or low-fat salad dressing at the office for convenience.
Eat High-Protein, Fiber Lunches
If you are eating on the run, select choices that are low in refined sugar, saturated fat and salt, high in protein and fiber. The USDA recommends consuming no more than 30 percent of your total daily calories from fat. Of that number, no more than 10 percent should be from saturated fat: butter, beef, pork or chicken fat. The over-consumption of saturated fat can increase the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure or obesity. For that reason, eating a rotisserie-style chicken meal with baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli is a better nutritional choice than fried chicken and French fries. At the salad bar, select fresh fruit, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, plain turkey, tuna, legumes and fresh greens and vegetables over cold cuts or bleu cheese dressing.
Avoid Fried, Salty, Sugary Lunches
No matter where you are, order the items that are mainly lean protein, steamed vegetables and whole-grain starches. For example, in an Italian restaurant, go for a pizza magherita or minestrone soup, pasta and marinara sauce, green salad and a plain baked potato or breadsticks. At a Chinese takeout, get steamed vegetables, non-fried beef and broccoli or steamed tofu and steamed rice instead of fried shrimp, pork potstickers and fried rice. Order a heart-healthy Mexican lunch of a rice and bean burrito with no sour cream, or non-fried fish tacos with guacamole and baked corn tortillas instead of fried chips with beef carnitas.

Try these recipes and take your lunch to work.

June Clean Eating Challenge

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june clean eating challengeIn June, the Black Women Losing Weight sisterhood will focus on cleaning up our eating.  To do that, we will do what is commonly called “clean eating”.  So you may ask, “What is Eating Clean?“.

When you eat clean you will be eating unprocessed, whole foods that are prepared or cooked in ways that don’t add extra chemicals and toxins.  We are talking  about fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, lean meats, meat substitutes like tofu, soy, whole grains, lots of water, healthy dairy and fresh juice.  We will avoid fried food, fast food, junk food, bleached white flour, artificial ingredients, soda, commercial juice and sugary drinks, processed sugar (white sugar, corn syrup), and foods with preservatives, toxins, dyes, saturated fat, and trans fat.  You will likely be cooking at lot of food at home, making green smoothies, eating salads, looking for healthy snacks, and really realizing just how healthy you’ve really been eating.

Need more info?  I’ve created a downloadable e-book guide to help you navigate clean eating, “Clean Eating for Wellness and Weight Loss“.  Get your copy today for just $6.00.

How do you join us? – You join the challenge by committing clean eating and by checking-in each weekend.  How do you check-in?  By posting a status message to Facebook or our online community…or by posting a blog post to our online community.  The goal is to be accountable with other BWLW Ladies.  Post during the week to our Facebook wall and online community for support.  You can also post meal ideas, recipes, etc.

Goals for June:

  • Keep meals simple and ingredients to a minimum.
  • Cook or prepare your meals at home as much as possible so that you can control what you eat.
  • Avoid foods that are highly processed, full of preservatives to keep them fresh on a shelf, or colored with dyes.  If you don’t buy it, you will be less likely to eat it.
  • Eat 4-5 meals per day – 3 meals and 2 snacks is a great way to split these meals up.  Your goal is to not go more than 4 hours between meals.
  • Stop eating at least 2 hours before bed time.
  • No fast food.  If you have to eat in restaurants, you will read the menu and seek out whole food options like salads, lean meats and veggies that aren’t cooked in butter and covered in salt.
  • No sugary drinks.  This includes artificial sugars in diet drinks like Crystal Light and Diet Coke.

You can eat ANY fresh fruits or veggies you like (fresh or frozen).  Don’t worry about carbs from these whole and healthy foods.

Clean Eating Guide E-book
Clean Eating for Wellness and Weight Loss E-book – $6.00

NEW: “Clean Eating for Wellness and Weight Loss“.  This e-book covers:

  • Benefits of Eating Clean
  • What Foods are Clean
  • How to Eat Clean
  • Importance of Hydration
  • Eating Clean on the Go and at Work
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Exercising While Eating Clean
  • Recipes and Quick Meals
  • …and More

Download this PDF e-book and read it on your computer (on on your mobile device with the Adobe Reader app).  If you have any questions about the book, email me at info@blackwomenlosingweight.com.  The Kindle version is also available on Amazon.com

Kindle Clean Eating BookBuy Now
Ladies, You CAN NOT out exercise a bad diet.  You have to clean up the highly processed food, sugary drinks, fatty meats, fast food, etc. from your diet so that your exercise efforts are not sabotaged.  Food is 70-80% of the weight loss equation.  You have to eat a healthy diet and commit to doing so as a lifestyle change to lose the weight for good.  Starving yourself or using quick fix solutions will work in the short term, but they can cause health issues in the long run and/or will lead to the pounds coming right back.  Eating clean is very popular and there are tons of free resources online.  Here are some resources to help you:

Exercise: I would suggest that you continue with our May Exercise Challenge routines for another month if you are seeing results.  You can do them in addition to weight training and high intensity interval training.

Disclaimer: Before starting any new diet and exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any exercise and/or diet changes with them before beginning. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian. I do not claim to cure any cause, condition or disease. I do not provide medical or nutrition advice for the purpose of health or disease nor claim to be a doctor or dietitian.

Your Clean Eating Foods List

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fruits and veggies

What is clean eating?

When you eat clean you will be eating unprocessed, whole foods that are prepared or cooked in ways that don’t add extra chemicals and toxins.  We are talking about fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, lots of water, healthy dairy and fresh juice. You will avoid fried food, fast food, junk food, bleached white flour, artificial ingredients, soda, commercial juice and sugary drinks, processed sugar (white sugar, corn syrup), and foods with preservatives, toxins, dyes, saturated fat, and trans fat.  You will likely be cooking at lot of food at home, making green smoothies, eating salads, eating healthy snacks, and really realizing just how healthy you’ve really been eating.  It’s not about perfection…it’s about making healthy choices.

Clean Eating Guide E-book
Clean Eating Guide

The following food list is from my ebook on Clean Eating.  The foods are broken down by category according to the main food group they consist of.  If you can form your diet around these foods, you will be following clean eating principles.  This list is not a bible. You want to use it as a guideline for clean eating, but ultimately, you have to find what works for you. Use this list as a starting point.

Lean Meats, Meat Substitutes and Fish/Seafood:

  • Poultry – Chicken Breast is your friend
  • Extra Lean Ground Turkey
  • Pork Tenderloin
  • Veal
  • Extra Lean Ground Beef
  • Grass Fed Beef
  • Tempeh
  • Tofu
  • Lamb rack
  • Shrimp
  • Lobster
  • Clams
  • Mussels
  • Scallops
  • Salmon, Tuna, Bass, Mahi Mahi, Tilapia and all other fish varieties
  • Venison Steaks
  • Buffalo
  • Bison
  • Elk
  • Egg whites (duck, chicken or goose)

Dairy Rich Foods and Milk Alternatives*

  • Cottage cheese
  • Greek yogurt
  • Skim milk
  • Plain yogurt – add fresh fruit
  • Hard cheeses
  • Unsweetened Almond milk
  • Unsweetened Rice milk

Sweeteners

  • Fruit
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Stevia
  • Organic Agave Nectar
  • Honey
  • Sugar-Free Applesauce

Fruits And Vegetables

Basically there’s NO restriction here – as long as it’s fresh and in its natural state, it goes! These should form the bulk of your diet plan.   Try to eat organic if you can.  You can also have unsweetened dried fruit.

Grains And Starches

  • Brown or wild rice
  • Quinoa
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat
  • Oats
  • Sweet potatoes/yams
  • Popcorn
  • Brown rice cakes
  • Low sugar granola
  • Soba noodles
  • Whole grain bread, pasta and cereal – in moderation.  Look for unbleached grain products.
  • Chia seeds
  • Flours – Spelt, Whole Wheat, Oat, Rice or Quinoa flour

Legumes

  • All beans
  • Black eyed peas
  • Chickpeas
  • Soybeans
  • Lentils

Healthy Fats And Oils

  • Olive oil
  • Avocado oil
  • Walnut oil
  • Flaxseed oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Almonds
  • Avocado
  • Cashews
  • Hazelnuts
  • Pecans
  • Pine nuts
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Brazil nuts
  • Chestnuts
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Sesame seeds
  • Walnuts
  • Flaxseeds
  • Poppy seeds
  • Natural Peanut Butter

Condiments

  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ketchup – Heinz Reduced Sugar or Wholefoods Organic
  • Reduced Sodium Soy sauce
  • Salsa or Fresh Pico de Gallo
  • Hot Sauce
  • Low Sugar Steak Sauce
  • Herb Pastes
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Broth (vegetable, beef, chicken)
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • Olives

Please be mindful of your known food allergies and avoid any foods you know you have health issues with.  In addition to the list, you can use any assortment of vinegars, hummus, mustards, sodium-free spices, etc. to help boost the flavor of your dishes without adding any ‘unclean’ ingredients.

*Note that some individuals may be lactose intolerant and will need to avoid dairy in their diet plan. When that’s the case, go for almond milk, coconut milk, or rice milk instead and avoid all cheese variations.  Also, avoid low-fat dairy.  Most have additives and chemicals added in to replace the fat that you should avoid.  This is very common with so called “diet” products.