Keep Calm and Eat Clean...

I've been a rather inconsistent blogger over the last few months; We've had so much
activity going on with our family, with our business, and with our kids that some things just have to take the back burner. It took me a long time to learn that, but priorities have to stay in place or else chaos ensues. Right? I know you know. :) I really, truly, feel that I'm called to minister to people who have had the same struggles that I've had with over-eating and sugar addiction. So, this blog carries on!

In the lull of what was quite possibly the LONGEST WINTER OF MY LIFE - having never ending snow and ice, a death in the family, sickness after sickness for each member of our family, and a miscarriage a couple months ago (I may post on that at a later date), I found myself back in a series of bad eating habits. I KNOW from experience that binge eating is not how I deal with these things (anymore), so I cut myself off at the pass and am now back to clean eating (down 10 lbs in about a month!). It feels SO good to make healthy decisions after experiencing so many repeated trials - or even one trial. Amen?

I wanted to tell you about a few yummy things I've been loving lately. If you're ready to get back to clean eating, here are a few ideas to get you started!

Zoats! Oh my word. You need to Google these! This is oatmeal + zucchini. I mix mine with 1TB pure maple syrup (maple syrup is considered clean) and top with sliced strawberries. It's true, zucchini doesn't have *much* nutritional value. It is a source of vitamins, but mostly importantly it's a Low-GI food that acts as a clean filler for your oats. If I eat a plain bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, I'm ready to start gnawing on my hand by mid-morning.

Omelets. After several attempts at making an omelet the way I thought one would make an omelet, I finally YouTubed some omelet tutorials (I know, I never would have survived at everyone's favorite Little House on the Prairie). My favorite (clean) way to make these (whilst conserving calories) is: 2 egg whites (get the liquid whites so you don't waste eggs), 1 whole egg, 1/4 cup feta cheese, 1oz of ham (I like Boar's Head because I think it has fewer preservatives than others, onion, garlic powder, sea salt and crushed red pepper. SO SO good.

Salad. With chopped red bell peppers. I don't know WHY I've never added these peppers to my salads before, but they add interest AND color. I do love color. I usually make a salad like this: living lettuce or romaine, english cucumber, bell peppers, thinly sliced white onion, and 1TB Bragg's organic vinaigrette. SO good!! Eat that along side your omelet and you'll be in for a tasty lunch.

Hot Tea.  For the most part, I try not to drink my calories (maybe an occasional coffee these days or a chai latte, but my calories are rarely consumed this way). Hot tea is a perfect morning or midday pick-me-up and if you detox from sugar, you can totally drink it straight with no sweetener. I love: TAZO zen and wild orange. Also, I love a good earl gray and sleepytime for evening.

Chicken Burgers. There's something about warm weather that makes me want a burger EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I picked these up at Costco yesterday and I've had two since. They are AMAZING. Sometimes I think I could be a vegetarian, and then I find something like this. They are seriously so good - 150 calories and 19 grams of protein. How about that? Yum!!

Quinoa Cakes. I'm sure these could be made at home, but I found Cedarlane's Baked Spinach Quinoa Cakes at Costco yesterday and they are also - guess what - AMAZING. They are 50 calories each 3g of protein and 100% YUM. If you have a Costco nearby, you should totally run there and pick these up. I had them as a side dish (next to my chicken burger) for lunch today. Better than losing my mind to a bag of chips, right?!

Quest Bars. I'm going to leave you with my absolute FAVORITE treat. These little pieces of joy are pricey $2+ ea, but GNC usually has buy 3 get one free and they are TOTALLY worth it. If we're at a party and there's cake being served, a Quest bar is a direct substitution for me. Then, there's no chance I'm going to cut myself an extra big piece, go back for seconds, or eat ALL the icing that's left around the edge of the cake tray. (I have issues with cake). I also love these when I'm craving a cookie, chocolate or other baked good. They truly are delicious. Check out these flavors: Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream, Lemon Pie, Cinnamon Roll, PB&J and Coconut Cashew. If you look at Quest Nutrition's page on FB or Instagram, you'll also see recipes you can make using these amazing treats.

What are some of your favorites lately? Let me know!