Clean eating tips that have worked for me.

Over the past 2 years of running virtual bootcamps for women looking to get healthy and fit and take control of their lives, I have come to realize that exercising is NOT the part most people struggle with. Its CLEAN EATING that stops most people from achieving their goals!

I used to think that if I stayed within a certain amount of calories or ate 100 calorie packs of tiny cookies I should be losing weight right?? I mean common those cookies are tiny and its only 100 calories !! 

Our bodies NEED good clean food, not all that processed stuff thats so quick, and available EVERYWHERE!! 

Heres a list of a few things I do that have changed my health mentally and physically! 

PORTION SIZE:: Number one thing you need to do RIGHT away is know the correct amount to eat of certain foods! 

using your hand.....

2 cupped hands together  = 1 cup of fruits and veggies 

Palm of 1 hand = 4 oz. of meat OR 3/4 cup

Palm of cupped hand=  1/2 cup starchy complex carbs 

1 scant handful of nuts or healthy fat. 

EAT CLEAN PRINCIPLES

1.      Eat 5- 6  small meals a day.  Eat every two-and-a-half to three hours.  I literally set the timer on my phone  to remind me when to eat!  Now that I have been doing it for so long my body just tells me that its time to eat! As a mama of three littles I am usually the LAST person i think about. But When i follow this eating schedule i feel better and am a much nicer mama and wife! 

2.      Eat breakfast everyday, within an hour of waking up! . .  I exercise first thing in the morning and I don’t eat before hand.  I workout, drink my results and recovery drink, jump in the shower ( if I am lucky) and then make breakfast.  I always have a warm glass of lemon water each morning as my wake up and detox!  I squeeze 1/2 or a whole lemon into a glass of warm water.  I make it a rule that I cannot eat my breakfast until I drink the entire glass of water. lemons go bad so quickly so to avoid having to buy them ALL the time i juice a BUNCH and freeze the juice in ice cube trays! 

3.      Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.  A lean protein would be your plain unsalted nuts, almond butter, all natural peanut butter, white meat such as chicken and fish.  A complex carb is your fruits and veggies such as bananas, apples, oranges, cucumbers, carrots, tomoatoes just to name a few.
4.      Eat sufficient (two or three servings) of healthy fats every day (evoo, avocado) FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT!! 

5.      Drink Half your body weight in ounces! .  I make this a MUST!  If you want to lose weight then you must drink a lot of water each and everyday.  If you do not drink enough water you body actually holds onto water weight.  Drinking water speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight. So if you weight 150 lbs you drink 75 oz. of water daily! 

6. Take snacks with you wherever you go! 

Even if you think you won't be gone for a long time i have learned especially with kids, things happen, and everything takes longer then you think! 

7.      Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.  Limit your starchy complex carbs to two to four servings each day.  I suggest not relying to heavily on juices.  I would aim to get your servings of fruits and veggies each day from actulaly eating them.  This way you get the added fiber from the skins of the fruits!  Juices more often than not have added sugars and additives that our bodies do not need.

8.      Adhere to proper portion sizes.

DRINK GREEN TEA  WHEN YOU think YOUR HUNGRY! I noticed this helps tremendously when i have those late night cravings! I grew up in a household where we ate dessert EVERY night after dinner and let me tell you that is a HARD habit to break! 

CARRY A REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO! Make sure this water bottle is something that is easy to open and you LOVE the looks of it! Fill it with cut up fruit or mint! :) 



TOP 5 WAYS TO MAKE CLEAN EATING EASIER! 

**Pack a cooler every single day! ( you won't want to waste that food) 
**Carry a water bottle with you all day everyday! 
**Make a shopping list and STICK to it. i grocery shop every 2 weeks I meal plan for those two weeks meals for the entire family! 
**Keep your pantry stocked with staples. I always have rice cakes, cashews, peanut butter, banana chips, Larabars etc.. 
**plan out your leftovers ( make second meals out of them OR tomorrows lunch! 


If you would like more information on how you can transform your lifestyle with eating clean please message me at ashleysenddell@gmail.com or check me out social media! Instagram   https://www.instagram.com/ashleysenddell/

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