Total Basset Case: clean eating
Showing posts with label clean eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean eating. Show all posts

Aug 20, 2014

On the Table

Now that my eating is extremely restricted, finding foods that I can eat and enjoy is a real challenge.
Sometimes a fun challenge, sometimes not...
I really love eating. Like a lot.
Although, I think that I sorta, finally, kinda, have it figured out.
Most days.
Some days I just throw my hands up and eat chips and salsa.
And a super shout out to Mister who is also being the biggest sport in all of this too.  He is ultra supportive and puts up with our crazy new meal plans. 

I had some questions about what I have been eating and some sugar free/gluten free recipes.
As I said, I'm still learning but here's a little run down about what is frequently gracing our table.

Eggs (so many eggs)
Fruits
Vegetables (thank goodness for our CSA)
Chicken (every day for lunch)
Corn chips/salsa
Clif/Lara/Bare Naked bars
Sweet potato chips
As far as recipes, here are a few winners I've discovered:
Chicken Salad with homemade mayo
Turkey Burgers
Pad Thai with Zoodles and homemade chili sauce
You can check out my Pinterest food board here to see a few more things that are on our menu!

As daunting as this whole ordeal seemed at first, it is becoming easier.
It just takes a lot more thinking and planning but it is not impossible!
Eating out is still a challenge but getting easier.  And actually, Nashville, was much easier than I thought it would be.  Everywhere we ate served very fresh food and not full of sauces, so that was a win!
I won't lie though, I am DYING for pizza.  And real ice cream.  

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or if you have some great recipes that you think we should try! 

Jul 24, 2014

Not so sweet

There's been a break up in our house.
Between someone super sweet, yummy and hard to stay away from...

Sugar and I have parted ways.
And honestly, it's been for the best.
It's not fun, but for my insides and everyone's sanity, it was necessary.

Let me back up a bit.
A few months ago I started feeling really crummy.
Like really, really bad. Every single time I ate anything I felt so sick.
Bloated, yucky, stomach issues, the whole nine yards.
And for someone who loves to eat at much as I do, this was incredibly depressing.
This led to a lot of tears and frustrations.
So finally, after a few doctor visits and tests that I won't go into, a solution was finally found.
And that is, in short, that my body hates me.

Well, it hates sugar and is refusing to process it correctly.
(In official terms I was diagnosed with SIBO.)
This is as un-fun as it sounds.
The real kicker is that sugar is in EVERYTHING.
 Literally everything.
Just take a look at a few labels in your pantry.  Even the things you wouldn't think have sugar, do.
But I know things could always be way worse and we were all just glad it wasn't cancer or something scary like that. 

Unfortunately, there is no real, true solution for SIBO. 
There are a few antibiotics (those did 0 for me) and the most common other solution is a diet change. 
For now the latter is working for me (for the most part).
Again, it isn't fun and it takes a LOT of planning but since it's working, that's what we are going with for now.
Parties, going out to eat, grabbing a bite on the run are all really difficult but can be managed.

So what can't I eat?
Everything basically. Jk, sorta.
-No gluten, sugar, dairy
This includes no milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, soy milk, white/brown sugar, maple syrup, white potatoes (fries!), beer (!), sausage, sweet wine.

I can eat:
Eggs, veggies, fruit, chicken, beef, wine (thank GOODNESS), honey, nuts, beans, olive/coconut oil, sweet potatoes, corn tortilla chips
I can eat natural occurring sugars (fruit/wine) so that is a real life saver.
And I've found an 'ice cream' that I can eat made out of coconut and it's somewhat sufficing my need to eat ice cream every night of the summer. 
*lots of salads around these parts.  Thank goodness for our CSA!

Like I said, for now this diet is working; most of the time.
I've splurged a few times just to test the waters and it didn't go well.
So most likely I will be holding off on doing that for awhile.
Tiny, tiny doses of a few things seem to be okay but more than that isn't worth it.
The repercussions are totally debilitating but they aren't fun and they usually stick around for at least 3 days so I would rather just not deal with that.
Again, things could be a LOT worse and we are just adjusting to this as the new normal the best we can!

On the plus side, elminating sugar from my diet (and somewhat Mister's) has been really great for our health and bodies.  I can finally run well again (the stomach issues were really putting a damper on that that) and I've noticed physical changes as well.
The pouch of fat on my lower stomach that I've always fretted over is finally gone.
And those abs I've worked so hard for (and could always tell were in there) are finally actually visible.

As you guys know, we are pretty clean 90% of the time and work out quite a bit, so it blows my mind that doing something like eliminating sugar can have such a huge effect on our bodies.  (Kait recently cut out sugar too and is raving about it as well!)
You truly are what you eat.  I could not be more of a believer in that.

I'll be back next week with some recipes that fit this new diet and are also delicious.

I love discussing food, health and what we put into our bodies so please let me know if you have any questions or want more info! There isn't a ton about SIBO online but I'm happy to share what I know and have read!


Mar 19, 2014

Makin It Easier

I am all about efficiency and multitasking.
If you can't be doing 47 things at once why do anything, right??
And lately I've realized that I've subconsciously been doing a few things that are helping me be more efficient and use my time more wisely - 2 huge bonuses in my life. 

Here are 4 things that are making my life easier lately

1.  Remember when you were little and your mom made you lay your clothes out before you went to bed for school the next day?  Well I've started making myself do that for the week.  I try on Sunday nights to corral all of my tops for the upcoming week into one area in my closet.  That way it's just a grab and go situation not a 'hmmmmm what to wearrrr? Oh look 20 minutes have passed and I'm still not dressed.'
And while Floyd is usually my go to getting ready buddy, his ability to pick out outfits isn't the best.

2. Remember way back when and I would put together month long meal plans here on blog?  Yeah I forgot about it too but recently I've jumped back on the bandwagon.  But I can not take all of the credit, Kait sent Casey and I her meal plan a few months ago and it reminded me how stinkin easy it made my life.  So I've started it back up again and it is seriously the best thing.
I could go on forever about my love for meal planning and how much easier it makes your life.  I was thinking of posting the plans again on the blog.  Would anyone be interested in that??

3. I'm not sure where I heard about The Skimm but I am sure glad I did.
Truth time : I am terrible about reading the news and keeping up with current events.
Until, The Skimm entered my life.  Every morning when I wake up I have an email from them that takes me less than 3 minutes to read and gives me snippets of all of the news going on in the world.
Perfect for me - sweet and short and to the point.
Plus it makes watching The Today Show even more interesting because I know more of what Natalie is talking about.
Sign up for The Skimm here!
#SheReadsTruth is also an early morning treat in my mailbox.  Casey told me about this quick, short, daily devotional and it is great way to start the day.  It also only takes a few moments to read and I love starting my day with it. You can sign up for that one here.

4. In an effort to have more time in the evenings with my main men, I've been getting my non running work outs in the morning.  Sure this means a 6am call with Tony and P90X2 but when I can come home from work, walk Floyd and be free for the evening, it's totally worth it.  Plus knowing you are starting the day with your work out done feels pretty great.

So, tell me, what do you do to make your day run more smoothly?

Linking up with Shanna!

Jan 28, 2014

Recipe : Fiesta Pork Chops

I recently won a Paleo cookbook from a blog giveaway (love those, thanks Interpret as you May!) and I was so excited to dig right into it.
If you recall from awhile back, we eat mostly clean with a sprinkling of Paleo thrown in, just to be confusing.  But I'm not as familiar with Paleo eating and am eager to learn more.  

(I am planning on doing an updated clean eating post for you guys soon-promise!)

And just to be honest, we cheat and we splurge and occasionally and we eat frozen pizza for dinner.
(As we did Sunday night because we were so exhausted from crossing #16 off our list.)
BUT 90% of the time, we eat pretty clean and enjoy it.
And, in turn, our bodies feel great.  

Anyway, back to this cookbook, it is chock full of delicious looking recipes and I have so many dog eared that I can't wait to try. 
But these pork chops, these were a winner right out of the gate.
Fiesta Pork Chops 
(via Well Fed 2)
4 large pork chops
s&p to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 small can diced mild green chiles
1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced

1.  Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
2.  Heat 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil in skillet.
3.  Add pork chops to the pan and cook on one side for about 4-5 minutes.  Then flip the pork chops over and brown the other side, an additional 4-5 minutes.
4.  Remove the pork from the pan and reduce the heat to medium.
5.  Add the onion to the pan and sauté until golden brown.
6.  Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7.  Add the chicken broth, lime juice and green chiles.  Scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan (this is the good stuff!)
8.  Bring to a boil, then simmer and allow to thicken- about 3 minutes.  Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil and stir to combine.
9.  Place pork chops back in pan and coat them in the sauce.
10.  Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro.

This meal came together very quickly and was very filling, both of those are make it a winner in my  book.
And delicious to boot---ding ding ding!
Winner winner pork chop dinner! 

Aug 15, 2013

Keepin it Clean {Eating}

So let me preface this with the fact that I am 0% an expert or doctor or a nutritionist.
This is just what has worked for us, the way we live life and eat day to day.

We embarked on the journey of exploring clean eating this past Spring. 
We took our time and scoured the internet for the ins and outs of clean eating, Whole 30 and paleo eating to determine which method was right for us and our life style.
At first glance, we thought Whole 30 was (and is) awesome BUT it was a little intense for us (example here). 

So after lots of reading and thinking, we decided that we would go the clean eating route with touches of paleo.
Basically we decide to follow some guidelines while also adjusting the plans to what worked best for our lifestyle, while keeping within the parameters of the two plans (to the best of our ability).
This is a good article comparing the two.

All in all, we wanted to be eating clean, non processed/refined, healthy food.

Honestly, clean eating wasn't all that different from how we were eating before we were just putting more thought in to what we were putting in our body.  As far as veggies, fruit and lean meat, that is what we eat 90% of the time any way so that was easy for us.
What we did get rid of and stop buying was bread and dairy products.

Now let me say, we obviously break these rules every now and again (specifically on weekends) but for the most part, we do our best to stay on track.
I am a big fan of the 80/20 rule.  That is what works the best for us; healthy wise and sanity wise.
Let's be honest, I need ice cream in my life every now and again.

We decided to go full force clean/paleo the month before we left for Australia.
(Well except my 1 diet coke a day because I just can't stop that terrible habit...I know, I know.)
Then when we returned it was all that much easier to jump right back into our clean ways.
Honestly, the first 3 days were rough and we sorta wanted to slap each other out of hunger.  BUT after that (and since then) it's been smooth sailing.
We both feel better all around, sleep better and are able to work out more efficiently.
They aren't kidding when they say you are what you eat.
It is to the point now that when we eat something that is greasy or fried or just not very clean, our bodies and can tell...
And to me that is the biggest selling point...if you are putting something in your system that you body is then totally rejecting....it shouldn't be in your body, right??
(This photo doesn't really have anything to do with this post except the fact that Floyd is ticked that we no longer have bacon or cheese in the house. Photo by Casey)

I promise clean/paleo eating isn't hard.  PROMISE.
It does take a little more time and a few more minutes in the grocery store but it's worth it.
And shockingly enough, our grocery bill ends up being about the same as it was before.
We do read a lot more labels now but I (dorkishly) find it fun to know what's going in our bodies.
If I can't recognize or pronounce an ingredient, there's a large change it isn't coming home with us. 

Here is what you will find in our house at any given time:
-veggies for days
-fruit
-ground turkey/chicken
-chicken breasts
-lean lunch meat
-hummus
-homemade mayo
-sweet potato waffles
-quinoa
-almond butter
-eggs, so many eggs
-homemade oat flour (for cooking)
-coconut oil/spray
-almonds
-Luna bars
-0% milk fat Greek yogurt
-organic granola (no sugar)

Now I know that list isn't 100% clean/paleo but this is what is working for us.
There are TONS of great resources online for recipes, articles, shopping lists and support.

Again, I am no expert, nor a doctor and we clearly have our splurges and hiccups BUT we've been doing this for a while now and it's really working for us.
And believe me, the benefits far out way the work.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

AND! To get one lucky reader started off on the right track, eMeals is offering up a 3 month subscription for one of their plans! How awesome is that?! I would go with the clean eating if I were you ;)
Just follow eMeals on Pinterest  and for an extra entry tell me which plan you would choose!
I'll use random.org to choose a winner and announce on Monday!
And if you can't wait for the winner, you can sign up with eMeals here!
Seriously, the recipes I've been getting are amazing and so delicious!

And I have to give a big thank you to Lauren who I turned too when we embarked on this clean/paleo journey.  She is a wealth of knowledge and answered a ton of questions for me. 

Aug 7, 2013

eMeals = Dreams Come True

I received a eMeals subscription for free in exchange for an honest review, as always, the opinions are 100% my own.
You guys know how I love a good meal plan but you've probably noticed they have been very vacant from the blog lately.
#shameonme
I have still been planning but with us practicing and learning the ins and outs of clean eating we've been in a bit of a rut.  I didn't feel that our plans have been interesting enough to share.
This really drives me insane. 
I've been on the hunt for new, clean recipes and have definitely found some winners (like this) but I am always looking for new recipes and resources.

(I am planning a more detailed post on our clean eating; what we're eating, why and how I grocery shop, for next week.)

Thankfully I have been rescued from this rut...enter eMeals.
As much as I love planning...they DO IT FOR YOU!
Music to my busy life ears.
With eMeals you can choose the right path for you.  You can choose from clean eating, classic, paleo, gluten free, vegetarian and more! You are also able to choose how many people you are cooking for! How genius is that?!
I could honestly pick and choose a little from each one path but I decided to try out the eMeals Clean Eating Meal Planfor 2 path. 
Once your plan is chosen, eMeals emails your plan for the week and a shopping list for your specific grocery store.  I mean, could that be easier?
They send it right to you! It's already done and everything!
 
There is also an iPhone app where you can access your plan and list right from your phone!
I love the convenience of that and not wasting paper printing it out each week. 

I have only just begun to scratch the service of the eMeals goodness but I am already impressed.  For instance I am dying to try the chipotle burgers and florentine lasanga rolls on our plan next week.
These are definitely going to up the dinner game in our house.

Have you ever used eMeals?
Do you meal plan?
Check eMeals out for yourself here!

Mar 12, 2013

Recipe: Sweet Potato Banana Waffles

Say what?!
Do those things even go together?
Turns out they do! 
And very well I might add.

In an effort to be evermore healthy, the Mister and I are always looking for new foods and snacks to try that are less processed and incorporate more fresh ingredients.
And things with protein that fill us up with energy instead of junk get major bonus points.
Along came these waffles.

I first saw them on Amazing Paleo and made my first batch just like hers but used oat flour instead of almond flour.
They were fantastic and we devoured the 4 the recipe made in a matter of 24 hours.
I knew I needed to figure out a way to get more out of the recipe or I was going to start feeling like I had picked up a shift at Waffle House.

And in all honesty, the first time I made these I was somewhat (apparently) delirious and ended up mixing all of the components (except the sweet potatoes) in the same bowl instead of separating the dry and wet ingredients as the original recipe suggests.  After a major minor meltdown and questioning of my cooking/reading skills, turns out it works out just fine if you do that. #thankyouforrationalhusbands

So the second time around I had some ripe bananas and thought, 'well self, those would probably be good in those waffles.' 
Self was right.
Delicious in fact. And filling.
So I ended up adding the bananas and doubling the batch and ended up with the lovely stack pictured below.
Want to make your own?
(recipe is for single batch)

Sweet Potato Banana Waffles
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
1 ripe bananas 
1 1/2 cup(s) oat or almond flour
3 tablespoons (raw) honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (or more) cinnamon
2 eggs

1. Wrap potato(es) in plastic wrap, poke holes and microwave for 6-8 minutes (or until soft)
2. Let potato cool and peel 
3. Chop potato into small chunks and place in food processor
4. Puree the sweet potato
5. Add all of the other ingredients to the food processor and mix together. (Note: if you are double the batch you may need to mix together in a bowl with a hand mixer.)
6. Fire up the waffle maker and get to cookin'!

I made them a little bit smaller than a normal waffle size and we've been eating half of one at a time.
We have been eating them plain (just heated up in the microwave) or they would be delicious with some almond butter or (pure) maple syrup. 

*I recently bought a bag of oat flour at Whole Foods but turns out it's just as easy and WAY cheaper to make your own with a cup of oats and a food processor.