Prep for Success STEP 6: Grocery Shop and Do a Little Food Prep

OK, today might NOT be the day that I grocery shop or do food prep, but I’m putting it here cuz these are ESSENTIAL steps to think about and take care of if we’re going to start this thing on Tuesday! 

I don’t know when YOU shop or when you have time to do a little Food Prep (for me it’s usually Sunday night), but be sure to do it before Tuesday so you’re all set to start!  You don’t want to start this thing hungry or give up before you start cuz you don’t have any healthy food in your house—no excuses!

We’ve gotta fill our cabinets, fridges, and freezers with the good stuff!  Pack in delicious, nutritious, colorful, fresh, healthy foods that YOU LIKE!  Don’t buy a bunch of kale if you don’t like kale!  There’s no sense buying healthy food and then throwing it out later cuz you don’t really like it!  LOL!  Again..buy healthy food that you LIKE!

At some point…do some Food Prep. 

Not a big deal…make dressings, wash/peel/cut veggies and fruit and put them in sealed containers in the fridge so you can use ‘em for snacks or for faster meal prep during the week.  (BONUS:  Food prep gives you less dishes to wash and food scraps to take care of each day–make your mess and clean up ONCE instead of daily!) 

Make it fun…blast some music, listen to an audio book, watch TV, enlist help from another human who lives with you…whatever helps to make it more enjoyable! 

 

I’m ready for this new beginning…how about you?

For those of you who are already playing along and doing prep-work for our Food Tune-Up…let me know if you need any help!

LET’S DO THIS! It's Not Too Late!

The Great Food Tune-Up starts September 5th and runs until September 14th. (10 days only!) 

It’s a fabulous opportunity to bust out of our summer indulgences, crush the unhealthy eating (and drinking!), and get back on track so we can look and feel our best! 

For those who might be hopping on to join the Food Tune-Up now, here’s what we’ve done so far to Prep for Success (feel free to scroll back and read old blogs/posts for inspiration and more details!):

1.  We defined our WHYS…we made a list of reasons WHY eating healthy is a good idea for us (“What will we get out of it?”).  We posted our WHYS on the fridge for a little extra motivation!
2.  We thought about what foods don’t serve us (foods we don’t tolerate well, foods we tend to overeat, and foods with little or no nutritional value) and what foods DO serve us (foods that are nutritionally dense, foods that promote wellness and fullness, and foods that are delicious).  Then we made a Food List/Shopping List containing only the foods that serve us!
3.  We thought about the things that have derailed our efforts to eat healthy in the past.  Then, armed with THAT info, we strategized about how to be proactive and circumvent our obstacles. 
4. Currently (for the next week or so!) we’re making a running list of healthy snacks, recipes, and a draft 10-day meal plan so that we don’t fall into the trap of not knowing what to eat when we’re hungry!

If you’re worried that you’re starting too late…no need! 

The four things listed above are very easy to do.  

There is plenty of time to get it done before September 5th.  

If you need more details or an example of a Food List, a Snack List and a 10-day Draft Meal Plan, you’ll find them in previous posts. No stress needed. The only mistake you could possibly make is doing NOTHING. If you do NOTHING, you won’t get any closer to your health goals. If you don’t have the time or energy to do it all right now, just do SOMETHING!  SOMETHING is always better than NOTHING!

You got this! 

STEP FIVE: A little more planning and some nitty gritty details to ensure success!

OK, so I’m doing it!  My fridge and cabinets are looking pretty good!  I’ve taken out the trigger foods and other junk. I’ve talked to hubby and friends about what I’m doing and I’ve asked for their help.  

Have you been proactive and started tackling your obstacles too?  Awesome!  Feel free to share your action steps below!  

Now the next step…

(This step might take a little time! No worries though, there are still 8 more days before the Food Tune-Up starts!  Plenty of time!)

To help myself avoid the stumbling block of being hungry and not knowing what to eat, I’ve also started a running list of snacks and recipes that fit within my Food List.  I’ve also got a rough draft of a 10 Day Meal Plan.  If you’re someone (like me!) who gets derailed easily if you “can’t think of what to make for dinner”, I’d highly suggest you do the same!  

Take a few days to MAKE A SNACK LIST, RECIPE LIST, AND A “DRAFT” 10 DAY MEAL PLAN THAT JIVES WITH YOUR FOOD LIST!  (By the way, once you make these things…if you save them on your computer you can use them anytime you need a little food reset! Soooo much less work for future Food Tune-Ups!).  

You can check out MY Snack List HERE and my Recipe List and “Draft” 10 Day Meal Plan HERE.  (I always say “Draft” Meal Plan cuz I don’t always stick to it exactly…I still eat only foods from my Food List and recipes from my Recipe List, but they might be in a different order than expected.  I’ll update it as we go along so you can see what I actually ended up eating!  LOL!).

OK, so…get planning!  Remember…"A goal without a plan is just a wish!”  

Let me know if you have questions…feel free to ask below!

Repeat After Me...

That is all for today.

How to Prepare for a “Food Tune-Up”.... Step 4: Prepping for Success by Taking ACTION!

You know those strategies you came up with last time about circumventing the things that might derail you???  

Start working on THOSE things!  (Cuz it’s great to come up with ideas, but they don’t do us any good unless we ACT on them, right?)

For example, in the past, one of my BIGGEST obstacles to healthy eating has been mindlessly munching on junk food around the house, or grabbing junkie snacks cuz I was “starving” and “the healthy stuff” wasn’t available.  

So I’m going to be proactive about that.  I’m going to start clearing out the cabinets and fridge of trigger foods and junk foods.  I might freeze some things. I might hide some things out of sight and put them wayyy up high where I can’t reach them.  I might throw things away.  I might give things away.  This may take a few days…and this is ok! (That’s why we start this process early!)

Another big obstacle of mine was being led astray by well-meaning friends and family who like to take me out to dinner, offer me fun junk foods, or share amazing margaritas with me!  

As such I’ve been talking to hubby and my friends about what I’m doing.  I’ve told them when the Food Tune-Up is going to start (September 5th) and when it’s going to end (September 14th).  I’ve asked hubby if we can eat in for those 10 days and I’m going to ask everyone to do their best to not offer me junk foods or alcohol during that time.  That way those situations don’t suck up all my willpower and make me vulnerable to slipping up!  I really wanna eat healthy and start feeling GREAT!

So if YOU really wanna eat healthy and start feeling great…take ACTION!  Start DOING the things you wrote down yesterday (question #2).  Be proactive about things that may derail your efforts!  Prep for success by taking ACTION!

PS

If you listed obstacles and can’t figure out ways to circumvent them, please ask for suggestions in the space below!  I’m always willing to help and I know others who are reading have gone through Food Tune-Ups before and they have great strategies for success too!  I want everyone doing this to find success and achieve their goals!  Let’s make this happen!

How to Prepare for a Food Tune-Up...Step 3: Prep your Environment for Success!

OK.  So...  

Now we know WHY we’re doing this little Food Tune Up.  

We have a SHOPPING LIST of delicious nutritious foods and drinks that we will eat freely. (Can't wait!)

The next step is to make sure we’re PROACTIVE and get rid of the things that might derail us.

So now, if you’re playing along, be honest with yourself and write down the answers to the following two questions:

1. In the past, what have been your obstacles to eating healthy? (What situations derail your efforts?) 
2. Strategize.  How could you be proactive and circumvent those things that typically push you off track?

You can read MY answers for questions 1 and 2 right HERE.

The most common "obstacles" or "derailers" to eating healthy that clients have shared with me are things like...Lack of Willpower, Being at Social Events, Eating Out at Restaurants, Overeating, Random Snacking, or Late Night Snacking.

Are these your Obstacles too? Do you have different Obstacles?

What Strategies could you put in place to circumvent these issues?

Feel free to share your Obstacles and Strategies below...Your ideas might help others who struggle with the same issues as you!

Let's help to keep each other on track!

Stay tuned for the next post, when we start to put these ideas in motion!

How to Prepare for a Food Tune-Up...Step 2: Define WHAT you're going to eat!

OK, so I’ve decided that I want to break free from feeling crappy by cleaning up my food for 10 days. Hopefully, this will reset my focus and help me to get back on the path to feeling great!

The next step in the process is figuring out what the heck I’m going to eat during the 10 day Tune-Up. So it’s time to be honest with myself and answer the following three questions. If you’re playing along, take out a piece of paper and do the same…

Write down the answers to the following three questions:

1. Are there foods that I don’t tolerate well, am sensitive to, or allergic to (ie. they cause digestive problems, stomach aches, headaches, gas, bloating, belching, acid reflux, etc.)?
2. What are my “trigger foods”? (Foods that set off mindless eating or overeating?)
3. What foods do I eat that aren’t particularly good for me or have little/no nutritional value?

For me, this is easy.

I know what foods I’m sensitive to (dairy, eggs, yeast, sugar).

I know my trigger foods that I eat mindlessly or eat too much of (salt, butter, pasta, bread, rice, sweets, chips, nuts, crackers, movie popcorn).

And beyond that, I know what foods/drinks I eat/drink that aren’t particularly good for me or that don’t have a lot of nutritional value (margaritas, wine, beer, sweetened decaf coffee drinks, Icees, french fries and other fried foods, fatty meats, candy, high sodium or high sugar condiments, packaged stuff, etc.).

Soooo…during my Food Tune-Up, I’m cutting out all those things listed above.

“Oh my gosh, Dorothy! What’s left to eat???”

Worry not, my friends! There are PLENTY of good foods to eat! I am NOT going to go hungry! (And neither should YOU!)

So now that you've listed the foods that DON'T serve you, now list the foods that DO serve you (I’ll do the same!)!

Make a Shopping List. Get out your computer and list foods that are nutritionally dense, promote wellness, AND taste good to you. This will be your SHOPPING List, so feel free to make it list-style and add checkboxes so you can print it out, highlight what you’ll buy, bring it to the store with you, and check off highlighted items as you buy them. (You can find my Shopping List HERE as an example.)

In general, I’m going to eat/drink the following during my Food Tune-Up:

• Veggies…ALL kinds (Yes, even potatoes and sweet potatoes!)
• Fruits…ALL kinds (Yes, even bananas!)
• Pure Herbs and spices (I’ll use fresh when possible. I’m LIMITING added salt.)
• Proteins (about a palm sized serving for 2 meals/day)...lean meats, fish, beans, quinoa, tempeh, lentils
• Added Fats…SMALL amounts of extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, avocado oil, avocado, nuts/nut butters (I’m going to try to give my liver a little break and avoid fats before noon! Just an experiment!)
• Seeds: (A sprinkle here or there!) ALL kinds.
• Sparingly use ACV, coconut aminos, tamari, nut milks, condiments/dressings (as “clean” as possible!)
• Drinks: Filtered water, herbal teas (decaf), spindrift (with fruit juice only), mineral water, home made vegetable juices

Am I going to count calories? No.

Am I going to track macros? No.

AM I going to stress about how much food I’m eating? No. (I’m going to eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m not hungry.)

I want this to be as simple as possible!

Now, do you need to eat what I eat? Nope!

You and I might have completely different foods on our lists…and this is OK! Your list should NOT contain YOUR trigger foods or “empty calorie” foods, but it SHOULD have all the foods that promote health for YOU and taste good to YOU! Also, remember, this is NOT forever…it is only 10 days! It’s a little experiment!

OK, so now you have written down WHAT you WILL eat and what you WON’T eat for your 10 day Food Tune-Up.

Get ready…next we’re going to talk about another Prep Step….How to Prepare Your Environment for Success!

Side salad?  Nope.  A Tootsie Roll!  LOL!
I think I can do better!

How to Prepare for a “Food Tune-Up”...Step 1: Define Your WHY!

So if you’re here with me, you are either interested in following me as I do a Food Tune-Up and seeing what happens, OR you’re interested in playing along and seeing what kind of bennies YOU will get!  

So, step one in the process is Defining Your WHY. 

Ask yourself…Why do you want to do a Food Tune-Up?  

For me, that’s easy.  

Remember the long list of signals/symptoms that I listed in my first post in this series?  Yeah, I want to get rid of those!  They make me feel crappy…and I don’t like feeling crappy!

I want to lose the weight I gained during my “vacation days” and feel less bloated. I want to crush my cravings, rock better energy, have more stable moods, get rid of my reflux, have stellar digestion/elimination, keep rashes and acne at bay, ease painful joints, sleep well, reduce swelling/inflammation, and decrease my histamine responses.  I also want to use this little Tune-Up as a kickstart to get back on track to eating healthy again.  Whew! I wanna do a LOT!  

Can I do ALL of that in just 10 days?  Who knows??? 

BUT I know if I keep on eating like I’m currently eating, I’m not going to feel any better, right? LOL!  

Doing SOMETHING is ALWAYS better than doing NOTHING! It helps you to move in the right direction!  

Stick around and see how many things I can fix or improve in JUST 10 DAYS.  It will be a fun experiment!

But enough about ME.  

If YOU’RE playing along, why do YOU want to do a Food Tune-Up? Write down your reasons on a piece of paper and hang them on your fridge. If follow-through and getting back on track is hard for you (as it is for ME!)…SHARE your intentions right here beneath this post! When we put ourselves out there and proclaim things to the world, we’re more likely to follow through!   Let others help to hold you accountable and keep you motivated!

OK, so you’re on your way!  You’ve taken step one and Defined Your Why!  Awesome!  Stay tuned for my next post:  Step 2:  Define WHAT you’re going to DO!

      

EXPLORATION: Is it time for a Food Tune Up?

Every now and then, I feel like I need to do a little “Food Tune Up”.  It usually smacks me right in the face towards the end of August or at the beginning of the New Year.  Sometimes it even happens at the start of Spring. What causes this?  Ummmm…it’s not a “what,” it’s a “who”. 

 
It’s me.  Yeah, it’s totally me.  I’M the cause–and I fully admit it! 

 
During certain times of the year, I totally “let go”.  I give myself permission to go into “vacation mode,” or “celebration mode,” or whatever you want to call it.  I eat too much.  I drink too much.  I eat things I have sensitivities to like dairy, eggs, sugar, and yeast. I eat bread at nearly every meal and this leaves little space for the other “good stuff” like colorful veggies and leafy greens.

But even though I go hog wild, I still stay observant about how my food choices impact how I feel.  That way, I don’t lose sight of my overarching goal…promoting health and feeling my best. It is a lifelong journey! 

 
So how do I know when it’s time for a Food Tune Up?  My body starts sending out signals…

• Weight gain
• Belly bloat
• Sweet/carb cravings
• Energy “slumps”
• Mood swings (unmotivated, blah, sad)
• Heavy-feeling limbs
• Acid reflux
• Poor digestion/elimination
• Stomach aches 
• Rashes
• Acne
• Painful joints in the hands and feet (especially in the morning)
• Night sweats and/or hot flashes
• Bad dreams or restless sleep
• Dark undereye circles or undereye puffiness
• Feeling full all the time (but eating anyway ‘cuz I’m at a party, with friends, or because “it’s time to eat”)
• Fluid stagnation (I can’t get my rings off, my shoes get tight, and my socks leave indents on my ankles!  LOL!)
• Heightened sensitivity to allergens, scents, and foods (lots of nasal congestion, throat clearing, blocked or buzzing ears, and a scratchy throat when eating certain foods or drinking alcohol)

So I need to know….is it just me?  

What signals does YOUR body send to tell YOU, “Enough is enough!  It’s time to get back on track and eat healthy!”?  Do you experience some of the same things I experience?  Or have you got your own unique signs and signals?  (Feel free to let me know below!)

And, by the way, I’m not planning on ignoring these signals.  I’m gearing up for a little Food Tune Up.  I’m going to cut out the junk and up my intake of nutrient-dense healthy foods and drinks. There will be some information and prep work from now until September 4.  Then the actual TUNE UP begins September 5th (after Labor Day).  Anyone wanna join in?  (Also let me know below!)

I’m going to blog about the process…how I get my mind ready, how I get my environment ready, the steps I take to boost my success, the foods I plan on eating, etc.  You can totally play along, adapting things to fit your needs so that you walk away feeling re-energized and back on track.  

You with me?

Stay tuned…more to come on Tuesday!

–dorothy

I’m going to take you step by step through this process so don’t forget to follow or like my Facebook Page or  this Blog ( http://breathefirstyoga.blogspot.com/) so that you don’t miss out on posts!

Recipe: Easy Breezy Zoodles with Meat Sauce

It's summer.

Zucchini are all over the place.

I've got frozen veggies (peppers/onions/carrots/shrooms) in the freezer that I bagged up a few weeks ago 'cuz I had too many and I didn't want to throw them out.

I've got a jar of spaghetti sauce.

I've got a package of grass-fed ground beef.

Soooooo....You know what THIS means, right?

This means it's the perfect time for zoodles with meat sauce!

I listed a recipe below, but honestly, this is pretty much one of those, "just-throw-it-all-in-the-Instant Pot" kind of recipes. If you don't have every ingredient, no worries....improvise!

It'll be fine. No measuring needed. Just make sure you have enough sauce for the meat. That's it.

Here's how it goes...

Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles) with Meat Sauce 

(A “no measurement, just throw everything in” recipe!)

Equipment:

• Instant Pot (You can also make this in a crockpot or on the stove)

• Spiralizer 

Ingredients:

• For Sauce

• Olive oil (or avocado oil)

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• Random veggies, diced

• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed or diced

• 1.5 lb Organic grass fed Ground Beef (or ground turkey, scrambled sausage, chopped chicken or other meat of choice)

• Salt & Pepper

• Canned diced tomatoes (drained)

• Tomato Sauce (jar or can)

• 1-2 T Italian Seasoning 

• A dash of chili powder if you like your sauce a little spicy

• A splash of coconut aminos or worcestershire sauce if you like your sauce a little sweet

• Tomato paste

• 2-3 handfuls of Power greens or baby spinach, chopped (I usually take handfuls of leaves and cut them up with kitchen scissors!) 

• For zoodles
• Zucchini
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder

Directions:

1. Spiralize zucchini.  Set aside on a paper towel.

2. Press saute on your Instant Pot and add in a little olive oil or avocado oil. Once hot, add in diced onions, diced bell peppers, and any other random veggies--carrots, zucchini, eggplant, etc.   Stir.  Saute for 3-4 mins.  

3. Once veggies are soft, add minced garlic.  Stir.  Saute about 1-2 mins. 

4. Add ground beef (or whatever meat you’re using).  Scramble and brown with a little salt and pepper.  

5. Drain fat with a spoon (doesn't have to be perfect!).  

6. Add drained, canned diced tomatoes, canned or jarred tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning.  If you like a spicy sauce, add a little chili powder.  If you like a sweet sauce, add a splash of coconut aminos.  (You can also add both for a little sweet and spicy sauce!)  

7. Put cover on IP, seal the steam release valve, and set to high pressure for 20-30 mins.  When done, slow release.  

8. After the pressure has released, open the cover, if your sauce is watery, stir in some tomato paste.  Taste, adjust seasonings if needed.  Add chopped greens and stir into sauce until just wilted (just for a little extra nutrition). 

9. Now back to the zoodles!  On the stove, heat olive oil or avocado oil in a pan on medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, throw in some zoodles with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Stir them around and cook until just warm, about 1-2 mins (you don’t want to overcook zoodles...they get mushy!). 

10. Put the zoodles in a bowl and top with sauce.  If you like, add a little vegan parmesan cheese.  

Enjoy!   

Sorry for the random crappy photo...it's an old one!