What Do I Eat? ( Part of Getting My Body Back Series)

Ok, so people ask me what I eat. All the time. 

Many even respond with " I am not as disciplined as you" or "I eat everything in moderation".

This bothers me, because if you find healthy food you like, it's not a chore.

I don't even crave the bad stuff anymore :) 

That being sad, we can all be healthy.

Here is what healthy looks like for me:

5 am- Banana

7am- Post work out protein shake ( RAW Protein)

9am - Redmond Clay Water

12:30 pm - Egg omelete ( 7-8 eggs, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, spirulina, seasonings ( cayenne pepper, turmeric, black pepper, etc), spinach, tomato, and sometimes Daiya PepperJack.

2pm- Organic Apple

5pm- Plain Unsalted Rice Cake with Peanut Butter ( only ingredient Peanuts!!), Raisins, Cinnamon, and a touch of Organic Honey.

7-9 pm Dinner.

Our favorites around here are:

Stuffed Squash

Stuffed Peppers

Chicken Salads

Spaghetti with Meatsauce

Salsa Chicken

Chicken w/ Asparagus & Rice

10pm-12am - Depends on day what time we eat dinner and bedtime snack. 

Bedtime snack is usually this ( most of time without the chocolate), or homemade strawberry sorbet/raspberry sorbet.

That is what I eat. We also take vitamins at dinnertime. 

My vitamins:

Multivitamin

Flax Seed Oil (Omega 3)

Resveratrol

Maca

Calcium w/ D3

Vitamin C

Silica

( will be adding CoQ10 soon. Hubby takes CoQ10 and B complex in addition to what I take. He also takes Creatine & BCAA's for his workouts.)

I also drink decaf green tea twice a day.

So, there you have it. This is my typical day.

What do you eat?

Let me know if you want recipes posted for any of the meals here. I would love to share! 

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

What is "Healthy"? Are you really healthy or are you just "dieting"?

Many people think that they eat " healthy " when in my opinion, it is no where close to healthy. 

I don't count drinking soda or eating sugary desserts as healthy.

Yet those on fad diets say they are eating healthy, when in fact they are just as unhealthy as they would be if they didn't go on the "diet".

All soda is unhealthy let alone diet soda. I know a woman who claims to be healthy, yet every other drink in her hand is a diet soda.

I also know a few other people who claim to be healthy, yet they eat sugary cupcakes as dessert, almost every night.

And yet again, a friend who has fast food 3 times a week, yet claims to be healthy.

I am not being hard on these people, for in my opinion they are only starting their journey. They are simply misguided in what the word " healthy" means.

Why are so many people misguided about health?

Because of fad diets, and marketing.

That diet cola or chicken sandwich are marketed to be "healthier alternatives" when in fact they are not much better than if these people ate some deep fried chicken and downed a regular soda.

So what is healthy to me?

I started my journey in January 2007, very misguided like many people. Instead of getting stuck in the fad diets though, I started my journey with small steps and changes.

These changes continued until where I am now. 

I didn't get defensive about my flaws in my diet, only stayed optimistic as I knew that each month I was making a new goal to eat healthier & live healthier.

This year my most recent step was to remove ALL refined sugar ( white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and evaporated cane juice) from my life. Every single drop. I instead chose honey and stevia ( primarily stevia) as my sweeteners for cooking/ baking.

I even went so far this year as to make my own ketchup with stevia instead of sugar. It was delicious, and tasted nearly identical to the one I had bought previously.

Junk food lurks in the most hidden places. Sugar and other additives can be found in simple things like ketchup, pasta sauce, yogurts ( sugar is a HUGE culprit here!), etc.

not my photo. image googled from around the web.

"Healthy" to me is a CLEAN diet that consists of :

• veggies ( preferably organic)
• fruits ( preferably organic)
• lean protein ( chicken, lean turkey, fish)
• gluten free "grains" ( brown rice, quinoa)
• beans ( black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, etc)
• nuts ( raw, unsalted)
• seeds ( unsalted, plain ) 
•  (filtered) water
• green tea (100% tea, no additives)
• healthy oils ( coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil... none of that canola crap!)
• pure seasonings ( ex: oregano, basil, turmeric, etc)
• anything that grows in the ground on a tree or bush, any poultry or fish ( low mercury). 
• additive free food
• preservative free food
• labels with 5 ingredients or less are preferable!
• only buy things with ingredients I can read

If it has chemicals or artificial colorings it is out! Artificial sweeteners and sugars are out.

Now for me personally I have gluten & casein allergies, meaning I cannot consume wheat, barley, rye, or oats ( not even gf ones for me), milk, cheese, or anything with gluten or dairy derivatives. 

This does make it difficult when looking for stir fry sauces, and the like, so I have taken to making those as well.

My first attempt at making a stir fry with homemade sauce was a success :) 

This is a HEALTHY diet to me. 

There is no room for the traditional cupcake in this diet, nope, not even occasionally.

There is no room for chinese takeout. Msg is not allowed.

However, I have learned to make new versions of my favorite meals! 100% clean!! 

You can do it too. It takes time, dedication, creativity, and perserverance. 

It has taken me these last 5 years to get to where I am today, and it feels wonderful.

I am still not done making changes in my life.

You will see in my recipe section, various recipes from through out my journey, some of them from before I gave up sugar, and others from the new me. There should be recipes for people on various paths on their journey on my site. Take a look around! 

I am planning on adding more clean foods content, and sharing more about my healthy journey with you!

Are you on a healthy journey?

What is "healthy" to you?

We all start somewhere, and I know there are people out there who probably eat even cleaner than what I described ( raw foodists for example...I applaud you by the way).

We are all on a journey, just don't forget to  keep taking yours to the next level.

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli 

See the disclaimer tab at the top of my page. 

These are my own personal opinions and not intended as advice.

Christians: Your Body Is A Temple.

Ok, so I have been thinking this a long time. Anyone who knows me, knows that I always bring my points across with the best of intentions. 

Also anyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate about health.

What I am about to write is in NO way an attack on anyone, only merely my personal opinion and feelings on an issue. I hope that it will be taken as that. 

We are all entitled to our own opinions, and this is mine.

With the sugar series being posted on this blog recently, and then reading this blog post here. I could not keep my thoughts to myself any longer.

Growing up in churches my whole childhood, and coming from a convserative protestant family, I have seen a lot of church events... and a lot of food. A LOT OF FOOD.

The church events that I have been to could put a Superbowl party to shame with the amount of garbage food spread across the table. 

The amount of soda makes me shudder. The fruit salad that no longer has nutritional value because of the sugary syrups and junk mixed in .... is a staple at almost every church event.

The cakes, cookies, ice creams, lasagnas, wings, pizza, etc. Oh, how the church loves their soda and greasy pizza...and they love to feed it to kids and teenagers. Yuck.

I was the kid that grew up in the church, I was the kid addicted to food.

Isn't gluttony a sin????

The church preaches against addictions, yet they cater to the largest addiction in the country ( in my opinion ).
Gluttony.
 The addiction to food.

The church may be a building where people fellowship, but there doesn't seem to be much fellowship without potato chips, popcorn, cupcakes, etc.

What about the food God created? The kind that doesn't come in a box or can. The kind WITHOUT man made chemicals.

Let me elaborate and tell you that I don't eat junk food anymore. I am not a church goer anymore ( for different reasons). Yet I love God with all my heart, I worship in my home and in God's creation, and I consume food God created. 

I am happy. I treat my body like a temple. I am a physically healthy Christian.

Let me further elaborate.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)says:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;"

Ezekial 16:49 (NLT) says:

"Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door."

Proverbs 23:20-21 says:

"Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."

My point is this: The church is a building where Christians fellowship. A building that humans created. God built and created our bodies with love to be temples for His Holy Spirit. Shouldn't we take care of those bodies?

I find it HIGHLY hypocritical to be a protestant Christian who gorges themselves on bad food to the point of obesity, and justifies it all in the name of Christian fellowship.

Yet, I have been judged for no longer going to church, although I have a clean and healthy temple, and worship God and spend plenty of time in prayer.

How can it be that it has become acceptable to be this way?

It is my opinion that God would not want his children hypocrites, sickly, and addicts of food. 

Much less judgemental of each other.

I am not saying this to judge in any way, in fact I am posting this to bring to light the biggest sin I have seen in the churches I have been to.

It is sad. 

So, why not gather in fellowship over some yummy leafy greens, some fresh veggies and water to drink. Maybe even eat some grilled chicken without the sauces, and some brown rice. For dessert, some delicious berries and fresh fruit. 

Yum.

Guess what?

God created those foods, and they are good.

My beliefs.

You may share your thoughts below.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli