So many people are under the belief that clean eating means restriction, and I am here to tell you, that is not the case. The basic idea of clean eating is to consume primarily whole, unprocessed foods. The idea of clean eating has been evolving for decades, and it really means something different based on the individual. Eating clean revolves around maintaining a balanced and personalized diet of fresh, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and whole grains. For some people, it also includes eggs, meats, fish and dairy. Why are more and more people making the shift toward clean eating? When you eliminate processed foods from your diet, you will notice a mental boost, clearer skin, weight loss, increased energy, stronger hair and nails, improved mental health and better sleep. Rather than going on a 30 day diet or some silly cleanse… making the shift to clean eating becomes a sustainable lifestyle. There are no rules to follow or cans & cant’s, rather, it’s a frame of mind.
A simple shift that if you can accomplish, you can change your life, forever. Clean Grocery List Vegetables
Sample Clean Eating 2- Day Menu Day 1 Breakfast Oatmeal with blueberries, coconut flakes, crushed walnuts and cinnamon Tea or Coffee Lunch ½ cup of brown rice or quinoa, sautéed spinach, extra virgin olive oil, diced tomatoes, hard boiled egg, avocado 1 oz of dark chocolate water and lemon Snack Brown rice cake with nut butter and a sliced banana Fresh green smoothie Dinner Grilled wild salmon Baked sweet potato with coconut oil and sea salt Sautéed kale with onions and garlic Day 2 Breakfast Poached eggs over whole grain toast with sliced avocado, tomato, sea salt and olive oil Tea or Coffee Lunch Lettuce turkey wrap with hummus, cucumbers, lettuce Sliced Apple Water with lemon Snack Celery sticks and carrot sticks with guacamole Dinner Grilled grass-fed steak Sautéed peppers and onions over arugula 1 oz of dark chocolate and fresh raspberries Not so bad right? Clean eating again, doesn't mean restriction, it means eating wholesome, nutrient dense foods, and feeling satisfied. I hope many of you find my sample grocery list and 2-day sample meal plan helpful. If you give it a try... let me know what you think! Currently, I work with many individuals on optimizing their nutrition, personalized exercise programing, and taking a hold of their health and their happiness. I offer a free 30 minute, online consultation for anyone who may be looking for some coaching. Please send me a note to [email protected] with your contact information if you are interested in a consult! I would love to hear from you :)
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Sitting here in the middle of this Blizzard hoping that baby boy just stays put for the next 24 hours! We have lost power and cable once again. I actually think we have had more days in March without power than we have had with power. March is proving to be a real lion, but I am hopeful that this will mean spring is arriving early and April will be beautiful! Baby Dow and I want to get outside this April and walk the beautiful Harbor loop here in Chatham. Okay, here is my 39 weeks pregnant bump update that you all have been waiting for! Not sure whether or not we will get a 40 week update, but I will be sure to keep you guys posted on his delivery and life with our new baby. Size: We had an ultrasound last week, and baby boy is approximately 8 lb.. He is ready to go! (So is Mama J) Weight Gain: Total weight gain since conception has been 16 lb.. I am ready to start having the scale go the other direction! Symptoms: I am still feeling great, I am sleeping well, no heartburn, the pain in my groin has decreased as my body has adjusted to all of these changes and my energy levels are pretty good considering. I absolutely feel like my belly couldn’t possibly get any bigger and its not easy getting up from the couch or getting comfortable for a long period of time in one spot. Favorite Wardrobe piece to wear right now: There is no such thing as a favorite piece of clothing right about now. Getting dressed is just pretty much a nuisance. Nursery Update: The nursery was really complete as of Week 35, so there really isn’t too much to report here. It’s really such a warm, beautiful space that we cannot wait to bring our son home too! One moment I loved about this past week: Marrying my best friend!!! Tim and I made it official and tied the knot. It was such a private, beautiful ceremony and truly everything that the both of us really wanted. We said our vows and made our promises to one another along the shore here in Chatham on a deck at the weather station that overlooked a lot of the coastline. It was a beautiful day. One thing I plan to do for myself this week: This week I am finishing up most of my work with clients and trying to take it a little easier. Remembering to rest when the opportunity arises and enjoy just being with Timmy and relaxing before the big day.
Food cravings: No particular food cravings… I do have the appetite though. Timmy and I went to breakfast Saturday morning, before he could ask me how my breakfast was it was already down the hatch! “I’ll take a short stack of pancakes, side of bacon and a poached egg please.” …. #noshame. Currently working on: We are working on our birth plan and finishing up our music playlist. Together we are working on how to keep me as calm and focused as possible. I am working on easing any anxiety as it comes up for me and reminding myself that this is a beautiful process that brings us closer to meeting our son. Women have been doing this forever! Any mamas out there have anything to share about what helped them during their labor day?? I would love to hear about your experiences. xo If you are packing your hospital bag, that means you are getting close to meeting the newest member of your family, CONGRATS!!! There is sooo much information out there about what to bring, what not to bring, that I wanted to write a post based on all of my research and reading about what you really need and what products work the best. I have packed my bag and am sharing what is inside my Hospital Bag, and hopefully it will help some of you when packing your own bag!
1) Kindred Bravely Nursing Bra My outfit post labor will be basic and comfortable. After all… it is the hospital. Kindred Bravely Nursing Bras have by far been the most comfortable sleeping/nursing bra I have tried so far and I have tried quite a few to try and get the right fit. This bra will be perfect because it is so soft and supportive which will be important when the milk boobs come in! I also love that the Kindred Bravely Company is run by work-at-home moms who share the same mission, to be grateful, be generous, be brave and be encouraging. What better mission for moms!? Use the promo code MY20 for 20% off! 2) Kindred Bravely Hospital Socks I know that the hospital will provide socks, but for any of you who have spent a night in the hospital… the socks they provide and usually very loose, not cozy and not comfortable. Being as comfortable and cozy as possible is important to me! These Kindred Bravely Non-Skid Hospital Socks are perfect. They have all sorts of inspirational quotes on the bottom of them, like mine that say, “Keep Calm and Push On.” They are MUCH more comfortable then the hospital socks they will give you and the non-skid feature will make them hospital approved. 3) Slippers Slippers are an absolute must. When I am not in my socks, I will wear my slippers. But make sure that they are non-skid and have good traction. I have always loved my LL.Bean Slippers. I recently just ordered these and they are super comfortable and a great more affordable option in three great colors. 4) Dark Colored Joggers Joggers are super comfortable and allow for enough room to wear the ice packs, pads and big net underwear the hospital will provide you with post labor. I am going with a dark color because the possibility of leaking is well… very possible. So I am packing a couple pairs of dark colored, comfy joggers to wear. I also love that the ankles are tight so you don’t need to worry about tripping. Here are the joggers that I have decided to go with. 5) Bathrobe Other than the fact that I absolutely LOVE bathrobes, after talking to many, many mamas about nursing in the hospital, the overwhelming consensus was that a bathrobe makes dealing with nursing in the hospital setting much easier. So what I will do is wear my nursing bra under my robe, with joggers during our stay. That way the bathrobe will keep me warm, and when I need to nurse I can easily pop it open and nurse our son. Here is the bathrobe that I decided to go with. I didn’t want to pack my bulky, UGG Robe for two reasons. One, I didn’t want to get it dirty because its tan. Second, I didn’t want to pack such a bulky robe in my bag. The bathrobe that I ordered for the hospital is super soft, flattering and comes in grey or black, its also super affordable so I won’t be upset if it gets stained or nasty during our stay. 6) Flip Flops I have lots of friends that work in the hospital and have shared with me that you never want to step foot into the shower without flip-flops. I didn’t need to hear anything else. So I am packing these flip-flops. 7) Depends THIS was a huge recommendation from many of my readers and clients who have been through this. I think it is genius! Rather than wearing the huge, mesh underwear and the humungous diaper-sized pad that the hospital will give you, I am packing these depends for a closer, more comfortable fit. 8) Dermoplast Spray This spray is recommended for after birth. It doesn’t contain any agents that cause a tingling or burning sensation, which is important, and overwhelming reviews say that it does not get sticky either, which is great. Apparently, this helps with all of the pain down there that follows childbirth, so I put some in my bag incase I need it. I also bought a more natural option, Earth Mama Perineal Spray. I wanted to have them both on hand incase one works better than the other. I don’t want to mess around with pain down there! 9) Motherlove Nipple Cream I am sure that the hospital will have some sort of nipple cream if you need it, but I wanted to bring my own. I would much rather be stocked and ready when I need something rather than wait for a lactation consultant to make their rounds. I decided to go with this nipple cream because it is lanolin-free and organic, it is also safe to apply after feedings and it doesn’t need to be wiped off before the baby feeds again. Safe for everyone. 10) Bamboobies Washable Breast Pads The thought of having a disposable breast pad stuck to my leaky and sore nipple just sounds terrible, so I am going with these super cute, washable nursing pads. They have regular absorbent and overnight options in the package and when you are done using them I love that I can just throw them in the wash! They are so soft to touch and will be much more comfortable. Also, I will absolutely save money because I wont need to continue to go buy the disposable ones that are not cheap. 11) Bath Towels Again, another inside scoop from a nurse who works in the maternity ward… the towels that the hospital provides is the size of a postage stamp. So I am packing my own, large, soft and comfortable bath towels for a shower. That shower post delivery is going to feel AMAZING and I don’t want to mess around with any wimpy towel. 12) Diffuser Every hospital has different rules about what can be in the delivery room and what cant, so you need to check with your birthing facility, but where we are giving birth we actually get to check in to our own private room where we will stay with our son for the duration of our stay. That being said, I am packing our essential oil diffuser and some of our favorite scents, lavender, eucalyptus, and calm from Young Living. 13) Snacks The food offered at my hospital is crappy. It really just blows my mind how unhealthy the options are in the hospital setting, but I am NOT going to go off about that right here, right now. SO I am packing tons of snacks for Timmy and I. I plan on bringing some of our favorites like RX Bars, plantain chips, and nuts. 14) Going Home Outfit for Baby Our hospital does not provide a onesie to bring the baby home and even if they did I think I would bring my own, especially with the way this weather has been thus far this month. I am bringing a cute cotton onesie, and an adorable Patagonia Fleece Bunting snuggly to keep him warm. 15) Going Home Outfit for You I am going to keep this very basic and comfortable. I am bringing a pair of joggers, a kindred bravely nursing tank top, a loose fitting shirt and a pair of slip on sneakers. I would say keep it simple and keep it comfortable, ladies! 16) Toiletries and Hair Items This will look different for everyone, so I am not going to list out everything that I use, but personally I will be bringing all of my body and skincare products to use during and after I shower. Then I am packing just a couple of my makeup basics, I just personally want to be able to freshen up a little bit after giving birth and bringing a few of my essentials will help me feel good. As far as my hair goes, I am going to pack my brush and blow dryer, but I don’t have any expectation of a fancy blow out, just enough to get by. 17) Pictures and Music Timmy and I have collected some of our favorite pictures of our family and friends and created a playlist to listen too during our stay. The hospital can feel so cold that my hope was with pictures and music it can help me relax and keep us comfortable. 18) Thank you Notes and Gifts for the Nurses After all is said and done, I think it is SO important to show the nurses and midwifes our gratitude for their work to help bring our son into this world safely. We are bringing a card for the floor and I plan on having Timmy grab some breakfast pastries and coffee for the staff before we head home! There you have it, these are the essentials that are being packed in my hospital bag for our stay. Have you thought of something that I may be forgetting? I would love to hear from you in the comments below. And for those of you getting ready to pack your bag, congratulations to you and your family and I wish you a healthy, happy and comfortable experience. xoxo We flipped the calender this morning and there March was... it really resonated with me for a few moments first thing this morning while the sun was rising that this month, in less than a month, we will be meeting our newest member of our family. Its such an incredible feeling. I am excited, sometimes anxious, nervous at other times, and totally confident and ready to do this during other moments! All of the support we have recieved from family and friends is truly wonderful and we are so thankful for each and every one of you. I feel so fortunate to be part of this miracle of life. I was chosen to knit this little being together in my womb with the utmost care and love. I continue to remind myself of that when I have days or moments when I am feeling tired, emotional or anxious. My body continues to work with me, not against, to build this beautiful being I get to call my son. Thats amazing!!! Size: So I can no longer go by the “What to Expect” app, because my boy is big and he has surpassed what they predict the size of the baby to be this week. At 35 weeks the ultrasound weight was 6 lbs. 7 oz. … So I predict we are about 7 lbs. this week. According to Google… 126 medium strawberries 3500 cotton balls 3080 skittles and $3,178 in U.S. one dollar bills all weigh 7lbs. Weight Gain: Doctors appointments are weekly now, so I went this morning and my weight is the same as Week 35, 15 pounds gained since conception! Symptoms: I pretty much feel amazing! The only symptoms at this point are that he has dropped significantly so his head is creating pressure (lots of pee runs!) and some pain in my hips. The waddle is real. Favorite Wardrobe piece to wear right now: Favorite or just plain necessary… JOGGERS. I am living in my joggers at this point. Thankfully my clients understand and you can dress them up or down with a cute pair of sneakers and/or a cardigan. I have found the joggers from aerie to be the most comfortable, so soft and great price. A bonus is that I will be able to wear these post pregnancy as well. Nursery Update: As promised here are some pictures of the finished space… there is still some putting away of things to do so I didn’t take a totally complete picture, but you will get the idea. One moment I loved about this past week: Making time to catch up with my girlfriends. One afternoon last week I met two of my girlfriends at a local café and it was so nice to just relax and reconnect. Over the weekend I met up with another girlfriend of mine for breakfast, which was also so fun… and delicious!! (Little man can EAT in the morning) One thing I plan to do for myself this week: Well, this weekend I am for sure taking advantage of some down time and relaxing on the couch with a couple of books I am reading right now. I am still working full work weeks and its exhausting, so I am looking forward to some serious down time. Next week I am working, but I am trying to finish up my schedule by mid-afternoon so I can have some time at home and Timmy will be home which will be a great opportunity for us to finish up little projects around the house. Food cravings: No real food cravings right now… although the thought of a Philly cheesesteak and French fries continues to come up in my thoughts. I have NO idea what that is all about people. Currently working on: Staying calm. There are so many emotions right now as we approach DD. Anxious, excited, nervous… I continue to tell myself daily that labor is nothing to be afraid of and that it is a beautiful process, each contraction bringing us closer to meeting our son. I also keep telling myself that I am totally going to ROCK labor. ;-) There you have it! 20 days to go... I'll be sure to get in another Bump Update between now and then. This week stay tuned to hear about what is going in my hospital bag and some of my favorite new beauty finds (both skincare and makeup!). xoxo |
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