Clean Eat Education: Tips for Getting Back on Track

So you've been eating clean and working out consistently and then for whatever reason you "fall off the wagon".  What do you do now?  Give up?  No!  Think about what you would be giving up on...yourself, your health, your family, your goals, your dreams, your happiness. "Falling off the wagon" is going to happen and it will probably happen more than once!  Pick yourself up and move on by following our tips!

- First, you must stay positive.  This is a very mental journey.  If you don't think you can...you won't.  Talk positively to yourself.  Talk to yourself in the mirror each morning.  Instead of focusing on what you don't like about yourself, focus on what you do like.  It sounds silly but it really makes a difference.  Wake up 2 minutes earlier each morning to do this.

- Drink water. Drink ONLY water.  Drink it like it's your job.

- Just because you slipped up and had a cheeseburger and fries does not mean that you should "punish" yourself with a 2 hour cardio session.  Take the kids or your dog for a walk or maybe try out a new class at your gym.  Clear your mind.  Get in a positive state.  Don't punish yourself.

- Go to the grocery store, prepare your food and eat clean!  Get back on track at your next meal...don't wait until the next day.  Start now!  Also, don't starve yourself just because ate something you shouldn't have.

- You are NOT going to mess up with one slip up.  Think about how far you've come.  Think about how much hard work you have put into yourself.  Think about how much better you feel.  Have people noticed that you are a happier person?  This one (or tenth) slip up is just life - it happens.  You are doing this for your health and there is no turning back. What are you going to go back to?  Being unhealthy and unhappy just because you ate something you shouldn't have?  Say that out loud to yourself...sounds silly doesn't it?

- Don't weigh yourself.  Talk about sabotage.  If you do gain weight you are going to feel even worse and probably make it worse from emotional eating.  Give yourself at least a week after you start eating clean and exercising again before you weigh-in or take measurements.  Like we always say, the scale doesn't mean anything anyway.  What does matter is how you feel and how your clothes fit.  Those are much better ways to measure your success.

Remember this is NOT a diet - this is YOUR LIFE.  Eat Clean & Be Happy!

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Clean Eat Recipe :: Quick Breakfast Sandwich Ideas

I don't know about you, but on mornings where I haven't felt the best the night before (hence, I haven't wanted to cook) or I've run out of food and had no time to prepare, the thought about driving up somewhere and getting a breakfast sandwich sounds like the perfect solution.

THINK AGAIN!!!  

Chances are, you have everything you need (or can stock everything you need) to make a quick breakfast that's grab and go friendly (after cooking for approximately 5-7 minutes) and of course, clean. No drive thrus for you!

The Ezekiel English Muffin Egg White Cheddar Sandwich

Ingredients:

• Ezekiel English Muffins - 1 Muffin per sandwich. (Note: Our favorite muffin variety is the Food 4 Life Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins - they come in a pack of six, typically located in the Natural Foods Frozen section of your grocery and should be kept frozen to extend the life of the muffins.)
• 4 Egg Whites (About 3/4 - 1 c of Egg Whites if using a liquid egg white variety)
• 1 TBSP Low-Fat, Organic Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Defrost your English Muffin - If you have kept the English Muffins in your freezer, you will need to defrost it prior to toasting. If you know you will be making this before you rush out in the morning, you may simply pop one out of the freezer once you wake and let it defrost while you are in the shower and getting ready for work. If you don't have the time, we typically microwave ours at 30 secs per muffin.

2. Spray a small pan with olive oil to prevent sticking and place 4 egg whites in the bottom on medium  to medium high heat. Essentially, you will not turn or "flip" your eggs until they are cooked on the top through the bottom of the eggs. Think of it as making an omelette with no stuffing or an egg white pancake.

3. Once your eggs are about 90% cooked, add a sprinkling of cheese and fold in half. Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes longer.

4. While your eggs finish, toast your English Muffin - separate your defrosted muffin and pop it in your toaster. We have found our "Bagel" setting on our toaster to be the best indicator for the perfect muffin.

5. Using your spatula, slice your eggs in half again.

6. Assemble your sandwich and off you go!

Tip - Wrap in aluminum foil to catch any "drips" from the eggs and/or cheese if you decide to take the sandwich in the car with you.

There are all types of varieties of clean breakfast sandwiches you can make. What would you add to make your sandwich your own?

Enjoy!

Protein-Packed Blueberry Muffins

We LOVE foods that mix and bake quickly! That's one of the reasons we like these. Another is because you get your protein and they are totally portable!  Grab the recipe below!

Protein-Packed Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c Quick Cooking Oats (also available gluten-free)
• 1 scoop of protein powder (you could use a vanilla flavored powder and omit the vanilla extract below)
• 1/2 c Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (pastry flour is milled finer than regular flour, although regular flour may be used as well)
• less than 1/2 c Xylitol (if you are uncomfortable using Xylitol, you can substitute Sucanet or Demerara sugar - just keep in mind that it changes the nutritional information for the muffin)
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 c Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1/2 c Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1 tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract (avoid HFCS)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, heated and liquified
• 1 c frozen Blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray (we use pure olive oil).

2. Combine dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Creating a well in the bottom of the bowl, begin adding and mixing in wet ingredients until fully combined.

4. Fold in blueberries to the batter.

5. Fill 12-cup muffin tin with batter, equally filling each compartment.

6. Bake 22-24 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes prior to removing from tins.