This Badass is BACK!
Spread the word: New content is coming, every week. More work for me, more fitness knowledge for you. I call that a worthy trade.
After a brief hiatus, I am rested and focused and ready to re-enter the blogosphere. Hopefully some of you are still out there reading, though no doubt sick of re-reading old blog posts for the umpteenth time. As our governor says: Let's Get to Work.
You see those cookies right up there? Yeah, well those are an example of what I WON'T be eating for the next couple of weeks. See those brownies? Also NOT eating those. Sigh.
Here's the skinny: I am eating completely clean in preparation for a fitness photo shoot at the end of this month, and that means stepping up my game when it comes to food. No sugar, no alcohol, no white flour. Lots of chicken, fish, brown rice, egg whites, oatmeal and veggies. Not exciting, but it works. I've done it before, the result being a fitness competition win at my gym. (Poster evidence below)
I figured the clean eating topic is as good as any to reignite this blog, because so many of my students and clients ask me, "How can I clean up my eating?"
The first answer: NO DIETS. You all know I hate that word, and prefer BALANCE. But when you have a goal that's coming up fast, there are ways to tidy up your plate to make you look and feel great.
Basically, clean eating means cutting out the crap and tipping the balance toward "virtuous" eats and away from the snacks, desserts and handfuls of M&Ms from the office candy jar. I actually eat clean most of the time - no fast food, no overly processed foods - but typically don't think twice about eating a cookie or drinking wine a few nights a week with dinner.
The difference when you have a goal - mine being to bring my A-game to that photo session - is that, for a short duration, you skip those indulgences. You skip the wine, you walk away from the candy jar. You plan your eating to ensure there are no "impulse" decisions that land you in the fast food drive-through. And you keep exercising - with intensity.
So here are the top clean eating foods. If you're ready to join me and step up your A-Game, this is your grocery list:
- Chicken breasts (baked, broiled, grilled): Lean protein. Your staple.
- Tuna, canned: More lean protein.
- Shrimp: Easy to cook, low in calories but a good source of protein.
- Salmon: High in protein, and high in GOOD fats. Easy to grill.
- Eggs (hardboiled): Cheap, lean protein in the whites. Make a couple dozen for the week.
- Oatmeal, plain or low-sugar: Complex carbs that stay with you for energy.
- Greek yogurt, plain nonfat
- Whey protein powder: Mix it into the oatmeal for protein plus carbs, or mix with water for a mid-afternoon snack.
- Casein protein powder: This digests more slowly than whey protein, and is ideal as "dessert" mixed with a half-cup of Greek yogurt at night. It satisfies that sweet craving and will keep your metabolism and muscle repair going through the night.
- Brown rice: Mix it into veggies and chicken for lunch.
- Lower-carb veggies and greens: Broccoli, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, romaine lettuce.
- Lower-sugar fruits: Think oranges and berries, grapefruit.
- Sweet potatoes: Rich in vitamins and minerals, these plus brown rice and oatmeal will be your main source of carbs. Bake them and serve SANS butter, etc. Savor their natural sweetness.
- Almonds, plain: Snack on 10 to 15 in the afternoon for energy and protein.
Not the most exciting pantry additions, right? But notice that all of this is real food, mostly in its natural form. That's really the essence of clean eating. Nothing is processed. It's fairly low in fat, and most of these foods on their own are low in calories. So when these make up your daily menu, it's pretty easy to fill your nutritional needs without exceeding the daily calories you need.
Maybe you're thinking, how does any of this look on any given day of eating? It looks like this - my "menu" from Monday and Tuesday:
6am: 1/2 cup dry oats, mixed with hot water and 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
9 am: 1 egg, 5 egg whites and 1 tangerine
11:30: Big salad of spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, 1/2 cup brown rice, topped with 4 ounces blackened chicken and 1 tablespoon light balsamic vinaigrette
2 p.m.: 3/4 cup Greek nonfat plain yogurt, mixed with 1/2 scoop whey chocolate protein powder
5 p.m.: Myoplex Light vanilla protein shake
8 p.m.: Spinach tossed with 6 ounces of light canned tuna, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar.
10 p.m.: 1 scoop of casein protein, blended with water
So this will be my basic template until the March 26 shoot, after which I will no doubt drink a glass of wine and seek out pizza, cookies - or both! Because in the end, it's all about BALANCE.
Coming up: With exercise, you really can age in reverse.
