A Healthy Brain Shift and Good Food!

I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful weekend!  My kids are officially done with school and we’re all ready for SUMMER!

I’m so happy to tell you guys that I’ve been eating SO well this week and I feel SO great!  I’m also happy to tell you that I’ve felt a complete shift in my brain in how I view healthy eating and junk food.  It’s quite miraculous, really.  I sincerely have lost all interest in junk food!  It still “sounds good” to me physically, but it’s lost it’s appeal to me mentally because I see it for what it really is; something that will steal my health, cause me to be a slave to cravings, zap my energy and keep me from reaching my goals.  It is SO not worth it.

I also think this “brain shift” is a permanent thing and not just a quick fix or temporary motivation.  It’s been great and has really been life-changing for me.  I’ve already felt significant results in just one week (feel leaner, back down to my low postpartum weight, good digestion, more energy, appetite under control, etc.) and can’t wait to see where it takes me….long term!

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A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine texted me and asked if I wanted to do a “healthy eating challenge” with her.  I of course, said HECK YES!  I will never say no to a healthy challenge.  They energize me and I love them so much!

I like to look at a “healthy challenge” as an opportunity to evaluate my life, make changes where necessary, set new goals and commit to making them happen.  My friend and I are both committed to health for the long haul, but we also understand that sometimes “life gets in the way” and we find ourselves off track.

We each defined our own “rules” and decided we’re going to take two days “off” a month.  However, I may not take a day off for a while because I really don’t even feel eating any junk right now!  I’m sure I’ll take a day off eventually, but when I do I’m going to make sure it’s just ONE day and doesn’t turn into a string of bad days….or weeks!

My friend and I are going to stay in touch and keep each other motivated and accountable, kind of like “AA” buddies, lol.  We decided to start this week (June 1st) and we’re going to continue through the END OF THE YEAR!

Ya.  That’s a long time.  But, we’re trying to make it a lifestyle.  I’m also happy that my “new mental state” has coincided perfectly with this healthy challenge.  I’m really just trying to define a “typical healthy diet” for myself and then stick with it….forever.

Since I’m trying to make this “challenge” become a permanent lifestyle, I decided to make the “rules” for my diet very reasonable and doable.  It’s pretty much a typical “clean eating” diet.  Here’s what I’m going to allow…

• fruits
• veggies
• nuts/seeds
• beans
• lean meats
• eggs
• almond milk/coconut milk
• whole “real” grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats
• Low-carb (real ingredients) tortillas and Flat Outs
• Ezekiel Bread
• cottage cheese, plain yogurt, a little cheese
• clean protein powder
• condiments that are made from decent ingredients

Here’s what I’m NOT going to eat:

• candy, including chocolate chips
• baked goods
• sugary stuff
• fried foods
• Fast Food other than salads
• ice cream, milk
• bread, white flour
• pasta
• added sugar

That pretty much sums it up.  It really shouldn’t be too hard as long as I PLAN and prepare.  I’m determined to succeed!

So, I’ve been starting each day with my glass of warm lemon water.  It seriously feels so cleansing and detoxing to me.  I’ve also been having this for breakfast a lot…

It’s my fav Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal (with raisins!) and a side of eggs (1 egg + 2 egg whites) scrambled and topped with ketchup.  YUMMY and filling!

I had this for breakfast yesterday…

This omelet was so good!  It included 1 egg + 2 egg whites with tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, ham and cheese topped with avocado and sour cream.  I have to say that the little dollop of sour cream made this so awesome!  We had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner the night before and I always love making omelets for breakfast the next day with all the leftovers.

Here’s my Haystack from the night before…

I love this dinner and could eat it every night.  Cutting up all those toppings is a royal pain though!

Tuesday was a crazy night for us, so I just made my kids sandwiches before they headed out the door to their various activities.  I also went to a class at the gym that night.  When I got home, I made myself a fresh batch of Chocolate Protein Pancakes for dinner and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

I’ve decided that when I get the “baked good” urge, I will make these!  I love to eat them hot off the grill topped with peanut butter (it becomes melty and so delicious!) topped with berries or bananas.

I made Salmon Burgers (no bun for me) for dinner on Monday night.  I am not a fish lover, so you guys should be proud of me!  I just bought the Salmon Burgers at Costco because they were on sample and so good!  All my kids liked them too!

I made them with a salad, homemade baked fries and green bean fries (which I burned, dang it.)

This tasted like such a fresh, summer meal!

I’ve also been making a Green Smoothie every single day and I’m hooked!  I love to make a GIANT one and sip on it for a while.  I drink protein shakes quite a bit, but I don’t usually make Green Smoothies.  I love that I can get so many fruits and veggies in so easily.

Ya know, I think most Green Smoothie recipes include WAY too much fruit, fruit juices and unnecessary ingredients.  I try to include just enough fruit to make it taste good, but not go overboard.  I’ve been making a basic simple Green Smoothie this week that I call my Detox Green Smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water (or liquid of your choice)
• 1 head romaine lettuce; chopped
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach
• 1/3 of a cucumber; cut into chunks
•  1 apple; cored and cut into chunks
• 1 banana; peeled
• juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• ice (more if you want it thicker, less if you want it thinner)
• Note:  you can add a sweetener to make it more sweet (stevia, honey, sugar), but I don’t add any sweeteners.  I’m trying to get used to just the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Wash and prepare all fruits and vegetables.  Add everything to the blender and mix it up!  Enjoy!

BTW, my bananas were frozen; that’s why they look a little “interesting.”  Ha.

Here’s the printable version of the recipe.  This smoothie recipe is HUGE and fills my quart jar TWICE!  You can drink the entire thing yourself (I do!) or you can share it with a friend or freeze some for later.

This is a great smoothie and I’ve been looking forward to it every day!  My sweet baby always wants a taste too!

Love him!

I also wanted to share a couple fun things that I’ve been a part of lately…

My Chocolate Protein Pancake recipe was featured in the April online issue of Personal Trainer Magazine.  It’s such a great magazine FULL of so much good stuff; workouts, recipes, tips, motivation, etc.  I love it.  You can click here to read the free magazine.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you KNOW that Chocolate Protein Pancakes are one of my all-time favorite recipes.  I LOVE THEM!

I was also featured in Health & Image Indianapolis online magazine last month.  It’s a fun interactive online magazine!  You an click here to read the article on their site.

I really love magazines and websites full of helpful information and healthy motivation!

Well, my sweet family is waiting for me to end this post so we can go out to dinner on this beautiful Saturday night!  I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.  Love you ALL!

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