kick it to the Carb!

Building meal plans can be confusing with all the contradictory diet advice out there. There are however six key elements every meal plan should include. Today we are diving deeper into element number five: plants If you remember last week we said we were breaking carbohydrates down into two pieces and last week we went in depth on fiber. This week we are breaking down plants. While essentially they both come from the same source each one has its own importance.  We are going to define a plant based diet not as vegetarian or vegan though those are examples but as a diet that consists of a balance of all plants. Meat and other animal products are part of a balanced, healthy meal plan, but everyone has different dietary needs and personal preferences.  Whatever path you choose you can lead a healthy, active lifestyle with a high performing body with or without animal products. Everyone however, needs plants in their diet. So from here on out when I say plant ba...

Building meal plans can be confusing with all the contradictory diet advice out there. There are however six key elements every meal plan should include. Today we are diving deeper into element number four: Fiber. The next two topics we are going to cover are going to actually be two different aspects of the same macronutrient; carbohydrates. We are breaking them down into two because each one performs a vital function and is also a missing component in the American diet.  Now to get down to the not so elegant benefit of carbohydrates; fiber. Why isn't it the pretty part of this puzzle? Well you see when you have enough fiber in your diet, you digestive system works properly which means you poop more, barring any medical conditions (you're going to see this alot, most of the advice and information you see here will depend on health and certain medical conditions may need special diets or meal plans so it's always good to consult your doctor and ask what shou...

Building meal plans can be confusing with all the contradictory diet advice out there. There are however six key elements every meal plan should include. We will dive deeper into each one in the next few weeks but for now here are the six pieces  you meal plan should include regardless of your goal. Protein: Everyone is going to need a different amount depending on several factors but protein is the building blocks to our muscles and helps us stay fuller, longer. Vitamins and minerals: The micronutrients are super important. Being deficient in one or more of these can impact your health, energy levels and weight.  Fats: Help with maintaining blood pressure and triglyceride levels and also helps with normal functions of your vision, brain and heart.   Fiber: Important for digestive health Plants: Number four and five are fancy ways of saying carbs which are vital for digestive health, energy levels and phytonutrients.  Hydration: Helps with digestion, sk...

A few weeks ago I made the switch from meat eater to my own strange combination of vegetarian, flexitarian, vegan (ish). Honestly I was kind of scared it would wreck all my results and be super hard to hit my protein numbers. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. The back story. Years ago in high school I was a vegetarian for the all the wrong reasons. I wanted to be skinny and saving animals seemed like a noble cause. I didn't lose any weight but I did eat mostly plant based for five years. I say mostly because I still ate meat on occasion in private but didn't tell anyone. Communities around diets and ways of eating can be very mean if you don't follow the plan exactly and even people who didn't eat how I ate would make comments. *Side note if you do this to people stop. It isn't cool or nice. Let people eat how and what they want without comment because these comments can be damaging and create food and public eating aversions that can be harmful.*...

I remember life before I started my health journey. I was frustrated that working out didn't really do anything to make the weight fall off but I wasn't ready to give up my Taco Bell. I found a solution that worked for me. I started my nutrition program and my coach told me to have one colorful meal with a protein, a carb, a veggie and some good fat. So I had Taco Bell for dinner and followed her plan for my other meals and snacks. After all meat is protein, lettuce and tomato are vegetables, cheese and sour cream are good fats and chips and shells are carbs. Full disclosure this is 100% not what my coach meant when she told me to have a colorful meal but I still lost 30 pounds! Then I was hungry for my next result and I was mentally ready to give up the Taco Bell, go to the grocery store and cook my own food. Jump ahead a few years and I began meal prepping and eating super clean. I lost 10 more pounds. There were a lot of meal fails in this part of my journey. Some ...

I am a creature of habit. When I find something that works I stick to it, partially because I love saving time by just repeating the same thing day in and day out to get the result I want; most people call it consistency I call it efficiency. The key to succeeding at your goal is to set yourself up for success. This means having plans B-Z when plan A goes off track. This means having good choices on hand to grab when you are hungry or busy. Your pantry and fridge are either going to be your greatest asset or your hardest hurdle. Stock them wisely. The great thing about this is that I know what I can keep on hand to fit my goals and set myself up for success so here are some of my staples, some I eat weekly, some are kept on hand incase life happens and I need something quick and easy to grab to avoid that drive through line. Breakfast: I always do protein + a carb for breakfast My staples are: Oats, Kodiak Cakes (frozen is best for those in a hurry), eggs or egg whites, 7 grai...

I may have gone a little overkill for my 30th birthday. I wanted all my favorite things and that included my five favorite cakes. So me, miss healthy eating, ate five cakes at one time spanning three plates. Don't believe me see exhibit A. Birthdays, social events, cookouts etc... always leave those on a "diet" or who are trying to eat better a bit stumped because you want to indulge and have fun but you also don't want to wreck your progress, am I right? Life is about balance and that includes learning how to survive these functions maintaining a balance between having fun and stopping that little bully voice inside you from making you feel bad about your choices. So here are some survival tips for all those fun eating events you have coming up. 1. EARNED meals, not cheat meals because it is NOT cheating if you stayed the course and planned ahead. I plan my earned meals. I take a look at my calendar for the month and see what events I have coming up and if I ...

Do I have your attention?  Good. Because Carbs Aren't Killing You! They aren't making you fat either. I know, I know all the diet advice out there is telling you to cut carbs and you will lose weight. That isn't actually true. Well actually it is true, but not for the reason you think. All weight loss is is a calories deficit, calories in vs calories out. Simply: to lose weight you need to consume less calories than you burn off in a day. You want to know a super easy way to take in less calories a day? Cut out one of the higher calorie food groups and your calories consumed per day goes down. It's great news for those of you trying to lose weight....unless you actually really love bread, pasta and grains or like me if you cut those out of your diet completely your workouts suffer, you're tired all the time, going to the bathroom becomes a struggle and you slight hate life because you are hungry and grumpy all the time.  So what is a car...