Food Substitutions

Eating a full clean diet takes a large amount of discipline that most of us don’t always have.  I confess, I don’t even have that much discipline!  But there are some simple and practical substitutions we can do in our every food habits. 

A big everyday item for many people is Coffee Creamer!  Being an avid coffee drinker, I relate.  A good substitute (that I even use now) is Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.  For those of you with nut allergies, there is also soy and rice milks that also make a good substitute and are still better for you.  The average coffee creamer contains 5-6 grams of sugar whereas the unsweetened alternative milk option contains ZERO grams of sugar! Mind you, it won’t taste the same, but it is an option that is easy to get used to and become your preference.

These alternative milks are great for using as substitutes for milk in general as well.  They contain less fact that your average milk (even skim milk) product and usually contain more calcium.  For those who have a lactose intolerance, the alternative milk is a great option and depending on preference, not a bad substitute.  I will sit and have a glass of my almond milk with dinner sometimes.  Another great thing about the almond and soy milk options is that they are high in magnesium, which is great for the headache and migraine sufferers.

Coconut oil is another great ingredient to keep around the house.  If I decide to bake, I use the solidified version of coconut oil around and if I am cooking or making dressings that require a liquid oil, I have the liquid version as well.  Yes, it is slightly more expensive, but well worth it.  Coconut oil is known for its health benefits in regards to heart disease by increasing your GOOD cholesterol. It is also known to aid in weight loss, digestion, and even hair and skin care.  I have provided a link that details the benefits more in depth, but keep in mind, moderation is essential in everything. Too much of a good thing can turn into serious problems. https://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

I could inundate you for days on more food substitutions, but there will definitely be more posts to come.  Learning how to substitute your everyday bad habit foods can make a world of difference in the long run.  Once you learn how to properly use these substitutions, making a healthy lifestyle change becomes easier by the minute.

The Magnicificent Hula Hoop

If you are anything like me, structured fitness is not my favorite thing to do.  Scheduling time, outside of my normal routine, to attend a fitness class or even go to the gym and hang out on the treadmill can be a struggle for me.  I’m really great at making up excuses as to why before or after work I should not leave my house.

I’m also a very playful person.  Dancing and playing games like hop-scotch are more exciting for me then going on a 20 mile bike ride. 

So, how does this girl get any exercise?  Well, I play, just like we all did when we were kids.  One of my favorite and easiest forms of exercising is HULA HOOPING!!!  Yep, hula hooping. Not kidding!

Here’s why it’s a great activity!  You can buy one at just about any store for $5 or you can buy a fitness hoop (slightly weighted) for $20.  Also, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.  Another bonus is that it’s small, so it can fit in your closet or even behind your couch.  Better yet, even when you first start out and you are reacquainting yourself with this magnificent mechanism, no one will see you (except maybe your family) when you keep dropping it. 

My favorite way to hula hoop is to turn on an episode of one of my favorite shoes on Netflix or Hulu that is usually only 20 minutes long.  When the show starts, I start hula hooping.  When the show ends, I know I’ve done a 20 minute workout.  

It truly is a good work out for the core and you get a quick exercise session before you decide to pull out the baby carrots and edamame’s to finish binge watching that show.

Wrapping Up the Fourth Week

I’m just ending my fourth week of this.  Have I cheated at times?  Yes.  Do I still get cravings? Of course.  Do I feel better?  Definitely!

Before changing my food habits to a clean eating diet, I’d get bogged down with the mid-day slump, felt fatigued a big portion of my day, had difficulty focusing and finding motivation, and would end my day with this pressure headache where it felt like my head would literally explode. 

It’s much easier for me four weeks in to wake up early, even on the weekends.  I am finding the energy to come home after work and clean house and play with the dogs, whereas before, the only thing that interested me was my couch. I continue to lose weight and am getting back into some of my pants that were getting a little too snug. And I am having so much fun coming up with new recipes, trying new foods, and reading labels.  Yes, I did just say that, I enjoy reading the food labels!  Haha.

So, I bet you are wondering, how often I have cheated?  I can tell you. I have gone out to eat about three times where I attempted to pick the healthiest choice on the menu, (I did google nutrition facts if they were available), and went to a couple of hockey games where I did have a beer at each. Oh yes, and the other night, Chik-Fil-A was calling my name.   Did these cheats satisfy my cravings? Yes, they certainly did.  Was I craving more afterwards? Honestly, I wasn’t.  I used to be able to stuff my face silly with terrible greasy food and a couple hours later do it again.  I think that these cheats are good, because they help me to curb my cravings without going overboard. 

A month in of living a healthier lifestyle and I do feel much better about myself. Inside and Out!

A Healthy Breakfast Burrito

YAY, recipe time!  This is one of my favorites to have for breakfast and it is truly a filling and healthy meal. 

Ingredients:

5 eggs

1/2 c Water

1/3 c Mozarella Cheese

1/4 c Green chili (I prefer the 505 medium Green Chili)         

2-3 strips of turkey bacon

5 Low carb, high fiber tortillas (my favorite are the Ole Xtreme Wellness)

Combine eggs and water in a mixing bowl and scramble and pour into skillet

Once the eggs start to cook a little, add the mozzarella cheese and green chili

While these are cooking, go ahead and crispy up your turkey bacon and add to egg mixture

 Let everything cook together for a couple minutes and then start piling you scrambles onto the tortillas and rolling into fantastic breakfast burritos!

 Now you have an easy, delicious, healthy breakfast for the work week!!

Nutrition facts:

200 calories; 11g fat; 1.5g sat fat; 470mg sodium; 1/4g of sugar; 15g of protein

**It may seem like the fat content is high, but most of that is coming from the eggs alone. If you want to decrease your fat content, consider using an egg substitute.**