30 Day Clean Eating Test Group:

Day before we start:

This is my first ever 30 Day Clean Eating Test Group....so bare with me as I am working with each one of you focusing on making small changes throughout each of your days to make a longer term, healthier lifestyle to live not just for you but for your whole family. Follow this page, share, post daily, comment, ask questions as this page is there for you to interact with me and anyone else on here that is going through the same struggles and challenges that we all are. The next 30 days is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Decide if it is something that you can make a part of your daily life and set that foundation and example for your kids and family.
Day 1: Clean eating…what is it?
Day 2: Importance of Hydration
Day 3: Meal plans and shopping lists
Day 4: Portion Control
Day 5: 5 Day Family Friendly Meal Plan
Day 6: Clean Breakfast and snacks
Day 7: Clean Lunches and sides
Day 8: How does eating clean help your body?
Day 9: Clean Dinners
Day 10: Clean eating resources
Day 11: Fun Clean Food Facts
Day 12: Planning Ahead & Preparing
Day 13: Food Groups
Day 14: Healthy Carbs
Day 15: Healthy Meals on the go
Day 16: Being Consistent with a Busy Family
Day 17: Shakeology and what it can do for your health
Day 18: Success Stories
Day 19: Cleaning out your cupboards and pantry
Day 20: The Crack-down
Day 21: Staples to have in the house all the time
Day 22: Progress photos and measurements
Day 23: Importance of Fueling your body properly every day
Day 24: Mindset change
Day 25: Fun Healthy Facts
Day 26: Benefits of Exercise and Clean Eating on your health
Day 27: Leading by example
Day 28: Fixing what’s broken
Day 29: What do I do from here
Day 30: Back to Basics

Day #1:Welcome to Day 1 of our 30 Day Clean Eating Group!! The whole idea of this next 30 Days is to inform you as much as I can on how all the little changes you make if you stick with them consistently for the long term that they alone will help you have greater progress and better health long term. You will find that over the course of 30 Days if you are consistent and follow these steps and implement the information given that you will improve your over all health, energy, cravings, lose weight and find that energy to fit in a little exercise each week as well. Now to get started!!!What exactly is Clean Eating?Clean eating is a lifestyle based on the idea that the best way to eat is to abundantly enjoy whole foods — that is, foods as close to their natural state and you can get them. This means eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins instead of pre-packaged, processed foods or fast food. Clean eating is also committed to replacing saturated fats with healthy fats. Many on the plan don’t count calories, but instead trust in good quality, healthy food.Step 1Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Choose fresh, unprocessed foods over canned or processed products. Clean eating enthusiasts believe that we were meant to survive on fresh fruits and vegetables and that processing them reduces their nutritional value and fiber content and adds salt, fat, sugar and chemicals. Choose fruit instead of fruit juice and if you must pick a processed vegetable, frozen is always better than canned.Step 2Balance protein and complex carbohydrates. Incorporate whole grains like brown rice or millet over processed grains. Eat lean meats, and choose organic or grass-fed meats when possible as these foods are usually clean of pesticides, hormones and additives. Grill, broil or steam your meats rather than frying.Step 3Avoid sodas and high calorie, sugary drinks. Follow the tenant of clean eating that aims to remove added sugars from the diet. Choose water or tea for your beverages, or juice your own fruits and vegetables and enjoy them without added sugars or preservatives.Step 4Trade bad fats for good fats. One of the most important aspects of clean eating is removing saturated fats from the diet. Lower your saturated fat intake by avoiding fast food, choosing lean cuts of meat and getting your fat calories from foods like nuts and fatty fish.Step 5Eat several small meals to keep blood sugar stable and to avoid overeating. Choose snacks like nuts, low-fat or fat-free dairy and fruits and vegetables. Note that some people who live a clean eating lifestyle don’t eat dairy products while others adapt clean eating to a vegetarian lifestyle.*The one requirement for this group was to commit to 30 Days of Shakeology. The reason is because Shakeology is an incredibly nutritionally dense, whole food based shake. It is a quick, easy, on the go meal and if you are eating every 3 hours you will find that it is the perfect meal and will help improve your energy, digestion and curb your cravings! Did you know there are 9 servings of fruits and veggies in Shakeology alone??Task for today: How much water are your drinking each day? I want you to make a goal to drink a minimum of 64 oz of water today. If you already do so then the recommended is half your body weight in ounces of water.

Post #2:

Give yourself time to adjust. While eating clean can be a huge change for some people, keep in mind that most recipes can be adapted to a clean eating lifestyle. You don’t have to give up your favorites (unless your favorite is Twinkies. Anyone know what those things are really made of? Ick!). Pizza, cookies, ice cream and even cake or doughnuts can be prepared with clean eating ingredients. Just browse around for a bit to see what I mean. Obviously, you need to keep things in balance. If all you eat is clean eating donuts all week long, you’re not going to get healthy. But my point is that you should never feel deprived either. Remember we are working on making changes that we can keep as a lifestyle for our whole family. Get creative with your kids, have fun and while you are learning this whole process bring them along for the ride! Kids love to help in the kitchen!!

I love this facebook page "Clean Eating with Kids" https://www.facebook.com/CleanEatingWithKids

and also Tosca Reno's "The Eat Clean Diet For Your Family" is great, too!

http://www.toscareno.com/books/the-eat-clean-diet-for-family-and-kids/#.Ukl-xYXTPtY

Day #2

Most people know that water makes up the majority of our physical body. They probably also have “drink X glasses of water a day” advice tucked away somewhere in their brain. But few people realize howmany glasses they didn't drink through out the day before the day is gone. It can be to easy with this routine to become dehydrated. The effects of dehydration are often ignored simply because they are unrecognized. What happens when you get dehydrated?There are several grades of dehydration: mild to moderate and severe.Mild to moderate dehydrationMild dehydration may include a light headache, dry mouth, and fatigue. Your urine will likely be a darker color than normal, but won’t be until you are more moderately dehydrated that the urine will become a darker amber color. Also, you may not be going to the bathroom as frequently as normal.With moderate dehydration, your headache is more severe, you are more fatigued and you are probably a bit lightheaded and dizzy as well. It’s at this point that your body also doesn’t have enough water to keep you cool. You might find it pleasant to be sweating less, but this is not a good sign. You may experience heat cramps, heat stroke, or heat exhaustion.Most people will experience mild sometimes in to moderate but rarely severe dehydration. Just remember, if you are thirsty you are already experiencing the first sign of mild dehydration. Stay ahead of the game and always carry a water bottle in your purse or hand.Common advice is to drink 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day or half your body weight in ounces of water. But depending one where you are at, you may need more than that. If you have a lost a lot of water from sweating or from something like being sick or working outdoors in the heat or intense exercise, you will need to work over-time replenishing your fluids.It’s also not a good idea to simply “drink when you’re thirsty.” This seems to work alright when it comes to hunger, but often times thirst does not clearly manifest itself. Also, did you know that sometimes thirst can be confused for hunger? Here are a few tips for staying hydrated:Take note of the color of your urine and how often you are urinating. If it is dark in color and you are going more than 8 hours without urinating, you need to replenish your fluids.Carry a water bottle! If you are dehydrated, it may take more than just water to bring you back to equilibrium. Have your next glass with an oral rehydration salt. You can buy these at any pharmacy. If you’re in a bind, put a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt into a glass of water and stir. I like to sprinkle Himalayan sea salt in mine.Try scheduling your water drinking. If you consistently find that you wait until it’s too late to dehydrate and symptoms have already started, try to create a water drinking schedule. For example, a glass after you wake up, another at 1030AM, etc.Drink juice, tea, coffee in moderation. Many people are under the impression that caffeinated beverages will automatically dehydrate you. This is true if you overdo it, but one tea or coffee will actually help to hydrate you a bit. You can also buy sports drinks like gatorade, which will help replenish your electrolytes. I am not a big fan of Gatorade, but on SMART water too has electrolytes. Have any of your own tips for staying hydrated? Please share them in the comments below. **Don't forget to bring that water bottle with you every where you go and stay hydrated all day long!! Who got in 64 or more ounces of water yesterday?

Post #2:

20 Raw Almonds a small green apple and 20 oz of water for afternoon snack.Work on eating smaller meals every 3 hours to help boost your metabolism!!

Day #3:

Today is day 3 of the clean eating challenge. I am loving how I am receiving many text messages with pictures of peoples food! Great choices, but if you can post them on this page because they are all wonderful ideas to share with each other. So proud of you guys so far! I know this is only a few days in but just think of the little things you are doing to plan and think a head of what is clean and what is not, what to make for dinner/lunch/breakfast and what not to have. I came home last night from Gracie's soccer to my husband grilling Asparagus, Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes and Organic Pork Chops with seasoning. It was yummy! Eating Clean will help you have more energy and feel better physically! Stay the road and you will see!!!**If you have your Shakeology I personally recommend having it for Breakfast. You can blend it in the blender with some frozen fruit or peanut butter and a banana or even make a little espresso drink and put a cup of black coffee and ice in and blend it together.So, the shopping list:Produce:LettuceSpinachPeppersBroccoliZucchiniTomatoesSweet PotatoesRed OnionMushroomsCabbageAvocadoCarrotsAsparagusCauliflowerBerriesApplesBananasOrangesPeachesGrapefruitNectarinesWatermelonCantalopeDeli:Extra Lean Ground TurkeyExtra Lean Turkey BurgerBoneless Skinless Chicken BreastLean Cuts of PorkSalmonTuna (fresh, frozen or can)TilapiaDairy:Milk- 1% or Non FatLowfat Cottage CheeseGreek YogurtGrains:Whole-Wheat TortillasOatmealQuinoaBrown RiceExtras:Nuts (raw, unsalted)Peanut Butter (no added sugar)HoneyOlive OilTomato Products (saues, stewed, paste)Himilayen Sea SaltTips:* Stay on the outside of the store that is where the fresh whole food is located.* Buy organic when you can it may be more expensive but much better for you in the long run.* Get what you can at your local farmers market, buy local and support your local organic farmers.* Make your shopping day also your prep day and cup up and prep your food as soon as you get home.It’s broken out by department, and you will notice that the Fruits and Veggies section is by far the largest; and that is because that food is in its most natural state. When in doubt go organic. Also I have included a few shopping tips on the list. But of course, there are always more to add!*Frozen fruits and veggies are acceptable but make sure you read the label! Check for added sugar. If it lists anything that sounds like sugar (High fructose corn syrup, Cane juice, etc…) pass on it and go with fresh.*I touched on farmers markets, but as we are getting into summer…these are going to be the best paces to get organic produce, and clean food. Often the vendors sell produce in bulk for less than what the box stores cost. The Mulino produce stand is one of my favorites, be careful as they don't always have local or organic though. I personally always look forward to Summer in Oregon as we have so many more options for local farmers markets. If you know of any other local areas pleas share below. Baumann Farms in Woodburn/Gervais is great too and they have an amazing Pumpkin Patch too so you can spend the day out there with activities with your kiddos and enjoy some fresh produce while you are there!*Menu planning is helpful prior to creating your shopping list, however I love to create new meal ideas on the fly, so I often get lots of things and decide later what to make. The best part about cooking clean, it is easier to get creative with spices, oils and fresh produce and lean meats!!Now for the meal plan.... I am only listing 5 days here, this is a great base plan, and you can mix and match the different meals to create new daily plans.Day one:Meal one: Green Tea w/ 1 tbs honey, Raw Oats oatmeal (they have tons of flavors! Meal two: Hard boiled egg white and a bananaMeal three: Baked turkey burger on lettuce with salsa, and cottage cheese with tomatoes (spice with pepper)Meal four: 15 Almonds and an appleMeal five: Steamed chicken breast and roasted veggiesMeal six: Detox tea w/ 1 tbs honey (I prefer the Republic of Tea’s Get clean, but any detox tea will do)Day 2:Meal one: Green tea w/ 1 tbs. honey, egg white omelet with spinach, tomatoes, red onion, and zucchini.Meal two: Orange and 15 almondsMeal three: Baked Tilapia with side salad (lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots…etc.) You can make an easy vinaigrette using 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs vinegar, salt, pepper, and any other herb to taste.