A Beginners Guide to Clean Eating

Kick Start Your New Year 

Ah, good ole New Year’s resolutions are here! I know that some people think New Year’s resolutions are silly because they don’t typically last, but I personally love them! It’s a NEW YEAR… why shouldn’t we at least TRY?! Not to mention most of need to clean up our act after the holidays…. I know I’m extremely guilty of over indulging during the month of December.  It’s 2016 and it’s time to get cleaner and leaner… who’s with me?! 

If you want to start eating clean but have no idea where to start (it can be intimidating) Here are a few healthy alternatives to give you an idea of where to start! Each one of these suggestions played a huge role in my 40lb weight loss and current weight management.  Consider this a grocery list for beginners, and a fantastic starting point! 

Below you will find healthier alternatives to foods we are used to eating! The most important thing you can do when first starting to eat clean is READ THE LABELS on the back of EVERYTHING YOU BUY.  You want to be purchasing foods with very minimal ingredients.  The more natural the food is, the better! 

Breads: 

• Ezekiel Bread- Found in the freezer section.  This is the only bread I buy now.  It’s clean, natural, and organic.  Not to mention, chemical free, easy to digest, has protein, lots of vitamins, is kosher, Non GMO, no refined sugars, no preservatives, no shortenings, and full of fiber.  It’s absolutely delicious! They also offer buns, cereals, muffins, tortillas, waffles, and more! 

Grains: 

White Flour is stripped of all nutrients which makes it an empty source of calories.  That’s not what we want! Here are few nutrient rich grains to add to your diet! 

• Quinoa- all kinds.  Quinoa is superfood that is PACKED with nutrients 
• Brown Rice 
• Wild Rice 
• Quinoa Pasta 

Flours: 

• Coconut Flour (Naturally Gluten-Free)
• Almond Flour (Naturally Gluten-Free and Low in Carb)

Dairy & Non Dairy: 

I personally try to avoid dairy at all costs.  After doing a lot of research on the internet over the past few years I’ve come to learn that dairy isn’t necessary.  In fact, most of the population can’t properly digest dairy products.  I’ve cut out quite a few dairy products permanently and I have noticed a huge difference.  

• Almond Milk Yogurt (Non-Dairy)
• Coconut Milk Yogurt (Non-Dairy)
• Greek Yogurt  
• Unsweetened Almond Milk (Non-Dairy)
• Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Non-Dairy)
• Unsweetened Soy Milk (Make sure it’s Non-GMO) 

Fruits: 

• Apples 
• Oranges 
• Grapefruits 
• All Berries 
• Bananas 
• Avocados 
• Pineapple 
• Any fresh fruit you like 

Veggies:

• Kale 
• Spinach
• Broccoli 
• Celery 
• Tomatoes 
• Eggplant 
• Squash 
• Carrots 
• Celery 
• Bell Peppers 
• Zucchini 
• Sweet Potatoes 
• Onions 
• Green Beans 
• Any Fresh Veggies you like 

Meats: 

With every kind of meat, always opt organic or grass fed. Also, try and purchase the leanest meat possible.  If you buying lunch meat of any kind, look for nitrate-free! 

• Lean Ground Turkey 
• Chicken Breasts 
• Salmon, Tilapia, or other fish 
• Lean Ground Beef 

Eggs: 

• Always purchase cage free.  

Beans and Legumes: 

If you are trying to eat healthy on a budget, beans are an excellent source of protein (especially if you are vegetarian or vegan) 

• Beans: Explore different kinds of beans.  Black, Pinto, Red Kidney, Red, Soybean, and More! 
• Legumes: You can make so many great meals with legumes.  They are excellent! 

Other Grocery Store Items: 

• Oatmeal: Always buy plain steel cut oats. Nothing flavored due to the chemicals and sugar that they put in flavored oats.  
• Tea:  Any natural, organic, unsweetened tea is great! 
• Dry Beans and Legumes 
• Nuts: Always try and buy nuts that are organic.  Nuts are a fantastic snack filled with a ton of nutrients but you have to make sure you read the labels.  A lot of nuts that are sold in stores are loaded with sodium and sugar.  
• Bars:  I used to be a protein bar junkie.  Make sure you read the labels on the back of your protein or snack bars.  Most of them are filled with a lot of junk.  My personal favorite brand of health bars are Laura Bars… they are delicious, have minimal ingredients, and are very healthy and clean! 
• Condiments:  Most condiments are also loaded with a ton of junk that could be slowing down your weight loss.  When you can, avoid condiments or try and make your own using all natural fruits, veggies, and herbs.  If you have to purchase condiments from the store, look for the organic condiments with minimal ingredients and no added sugar.  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Walnut Oil 
• Coconut Oil 

Sweeteners: 

Processed Sugar is the easiest way to pack on the pounds.  Here are few natural alternatives to sweeten things up. 

• Coconut Nectar
• Honey 
• Maple Syrup 
• Agave 

There are so many healthy alternatives out there today! It can be fun to search for new and exciting things in the grocery store.  I know that since I’ve made these changes, I’ve been a healthier, happier person! I want the same for you in 2016! Let’s make this our best year yet! 

I would love to hear some of your favorite healthy alternatives! Leave a comment below with some of your health tips! 

Wishing you the very best! 

XoXo 

Ashley

Eat This, Not That! (part 1)

This week, I wanted to share a few of my go-to diet hacks with you!  But first, I want to talk just briefly about “dieting” 

 It’s so important to remember first and foremost that with everything in life, BALANCE IS KEY.  This is especially important to remember when developing new eating habits. If you’re anything like me and love your sweets, fried food, extra cheese on everything please! … Let me just say that I understand your struggle!  Making small changes and enjoying the journey  is the only way to get long lasting results.

There are so many healthy alternatives out there today and I am so excited to share them with you all! Many of these items are now staples in my diet.  I didn’t make all of these changes overnight… it took a lot of time but it has been rewarding both physically and mentally.  I feel better, I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss and I attribute so much of that to making the changes below. Along with lots of juicing of course :)  Here is my special edition of “Eat This, Not That”  

Ezekiel VS. Whole Wheat 

Most people know that wheat bread is better than white bread.  There is a big difference between Sprouted Grain (Ezekiel Bread) Whole Wheat and White Bread.  Contrary to poplar belief, whole wheat isn't much better than white bread.  When you eat bread that is made with refined flour (which is most bread) your body processes it quickly like a sugar which throws off your blood sugar levels.  This causes a lot of people to gain weight and bloat.  Most whole wheat and white breads are loaded with preservatives, GMO's, added sugars, and. artificial flavoring and coloring.   

Sprouted Grain Bread (Ezekiel Bread): 

Contains NO FLOUR 

Technically is made from vegetables.  In order to sprout a grain, you soak it until it becomes a little plant! 

Easier to digest 

Is Gluten Free 

Contains more Protein 

I can't remember the last time I bought anything other than Ezekiel Bread.  Ezekiel offers a lot of other "bread like" products and I use them all... Sliced bread, hamburger buns, muffins, tortillas and more!   This an easy switch to make and it's nice because you eat carbs and bread... GUILT FREE! 

Earth Balance Butter VS. Butter or Margarine 

Earth Balance Butter is a dairy-free butter spread that contains NO artificial ingredients. It's made from expeller- pressed oils and has the same rich, creamy, taste and texture of regular butter.  It's Vegan, Lactose Free, Gluten Free,  0g Trans Fat, Casein Free,  and Non GMO.  I haven't stopped using this product since I first tried it years ago.  It's nice to put on toast, cook with, and more! 

Coconut Milk or Almond Milk VS. Milk 

Unsweetened milk alternatives (coconut and almond milk) contains less calories than cows milk.  For example, 1 cup of almond milk contains 40 calories per cup whereas skim cows milk contains 90 calories.  Cows milk also contains a higher amount of carb.  In a cup of cow's milk, there are around 12 grams of carbs whereas unsweetened almond milk contains less than 1 carb per cup.  Almond milk is right in heart healthy polyunsaturated fats while cows milk is mostly saturated fat.  Both almond and coconut milk are delicious.  It may take some getting use to at first if you are one who loves their glass of milk but your heart, health, and tummy will thank you!  You can enjoy a glass guilt-free, pour of over cereal, use it in a smoothie, cook/ bake with it and more! 

Eat Pastry Cookie Dough VS.  Regular Cookie Dough

If there's one thing I can't live without.. it's cookies... and cookie dough.  I discovered Eat Pastry awhile ago and since then it's my favorite treat to pick up on the weekends.  This is a great guilt-free dessert and I promise that you will be impressed with the taste! 

Eat Pastry is: 

Vegan 

Gluten Free 

Organic 

No: dairy, eggs, cholesterol, artificial flavors, or hydrogen oils.  

Other products: Chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough, oatmeal raisin chocolate chip, sugar cookie dough, and snickerdoodle.  

Quinoa VS. Brown Rice

Brown rice is often thought of as the healthy alternative but Quinoa has been giving brown rice a run for it's money when it comes to being the healthiest grain.  

Quinoa has : 

More Protein 

Less Carbs 

More Fiber 

More Magnesium 

More Iron 

More Potassium 

More Zinc 

Digests easier 

Naturally Gluten Free 

Packed with Nutrients 

Low Glycemic Index 

Benefits for Metabolic Health  

Alternative uses:  Fried "Rice",  Quinoa Cookies, Hot "Oat" Quinoa Cereal, Quinoa Breakfast Pancakes, Salads, Cakes and Fritters, Quinoa Bites, Quinoa Burgers, Quinoa "Tater" Tots, and more. 

Please keep in mind that these are simply my personal suggestions formed from my own experiences with my weight loss journey.  Making these small changes worked for me.  I have been able to maintain the 40 lbs I lost by sticking to these changes I made in my diet.  I was always a big yo-yo dieter... I would try something for a few months and then revert back to my old eat habits.  This is why it was so important for me to find healthy alternatives that I could use for the rest of my life! 

I can't wait to share part 2 with you later this week! 

Always keep striving to become the best version of yourself and make the most out of the last few months we have left this year! 

xoxo 

Ashley 

Calories vs. Chemicals Part 1

Happy Monday everyone! Welcome to Calories vs. Chemicals part 1. 

In an effort to not gain the freshman 15 in college, I survived off of diet coke and lean pockets.  I thought diet coke was the most amazing thing since sliced bread and the lean pockets had way less calories than actual pizza... If I only knew what I was putting into my body! Once I stopped obsessing over calories and actually started to look at the ingredients in the food I was eating, (along with juicing) I then became successful in losing 30+lbs. 

 Throughout my year long journey as an avid juicer, I have learned so much about food and the myths behind what the food industry has had us eating up for years.  The biggest lesson learned has been that calories are not scary... the toxic chemical overload in food is.  Toxic chemicals are constantly accumulating in our bodies because the industry has had us obsessing over calories for years with labels like: "Low Calorie" "No Calorie" "100 Calories" 

Let me ask you a question... When you are purchasing your groceries and you turn your food or drink item over to check the calories, protein, fat etc.  How often are you checking the ingredients? 

   

When we focus only on the calories, we miss the fact that in exchange they are filling our food with toxic chemicals.  

& the scariest part about this is 

The more we fill our bodies with nutrient dense foods & empty calories, the harder we make it on ourselves to lose weight and the more we put our health at risk.  

Here is a short 2 minute video on chemicals in our food! I love this video and the way it describes what science and technogoly is doing to our food.

Let's take a look a protein bar.  Most of us think a protein bar is an optimal healthy snack.  They have protein, tons of delicious flavors, they're portable... something we can keep in our car or purse.  In hindsight, it's perfect! Not to mention that it comes off as a healthy alternative. 

At a first glance we see 20 grams of protein 

Flip it over and read

Calories: 280 

Fat: 10g 

Carb: 29g 

Protein: 20g 

Ingredients: 

Soy protein, isolate, beet juice concentrate, organic brown rice syrup, organic dried cane syrup, palm kernel oil, organic peanuts, cocoa, organic rolled oats, vegetable glycerin, soy protein concentrate, natural flavors, peanuts, peanut flour, rice starch, organic sunflower oil, unsweetened chocolate, inulin (chicory extract) sea salt, organic oat fiber, soy, lecithin, calcium carbonate, organic vanilla extract, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, natural vitamin E, calcium, carbonate, magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid, DL-Aplha tocopheryl acetate, thiamine monoitrate, beta carotene, niacin amide, D-Calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, erocalciferol, cyanocobalamin, potassium iodide.  

Can you pronounce that last sentence?  I know I had a hard time with it.  I am not in any way trying to discredit protein bars or say that you should never eat them. I am just simply trying to bring awareness to the chemical overload in foods we think are better than others.  

3 Rules of Thumb

 If you can't pronounce it, Don't eat it 

Try to stick to prepackaged or frozen foods that have 10 ingredients or less 

If it has a long shelf life, put it down 

If anything, I encourage you to start reading the labels on the back of food.  When you can, buy local. Food should always come from the farm and go straight to your table.  Ditch the diet and just be the healthiest, happiest version of yourself that you can be! 

Stay tuned for part 2 later this week, where we will compare and decode labels! 

XoXo

-Ashley 

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

Instagram: ashleynicolemora1 

Twitter: MissAshleyMoora 

Dining Out & Staying on Track

Guidelines for Dining Out & Staying on Track 
How to Navigate through a menu 

Dining out is a part of life, it's pretty much inevitable.  You can try to avoid it, but unless you decide to never leave your house, cut off all communication with friends and family,  and hire a personal chef... you will most likely end up dining out at one point or another.  As the weekend approaches, I thought I would share some easy tips for staying on track while dining out.  One bad weekend can destroy a weeks worth of hard work and lets face it... set backs are NOT fun.

The Rules For Dinning Out 

1.  Order before you walk into the restaurant.  Thankfully most restaurants these days offer an online menu.  I highly recommend going online, deciding what you are going to order and then DO NOT EVEN OPEN THE MENU.  If you can, order as soon as your server asks you what you want to drink so that you are not tempted to order something else.  

2.  If you can, pick the restaurant! It's a lot easier to stay on track if you stick to restaurants that offer a decent amount of healthy choices. 

3.  Eat before you go out!!!!!!! I know this sounds strange, but it's oh so helpful.  Even if you know you are going to order food, eat something small and healthy before you walk through the doors of the restaurant.  It's dangerous to walk into a restaurant hungry and if you aren't starving... You'll be more likely to stick to your diet. 

4.  Ask Questions.  I always use to be so afraid to bother or annoy the servers when dining out, BUT I had to get over it and you know what?  You shouldn't be afraid to ask! Asking important questions and finding out exactly what is in your food can make or break your diet.  Sometimes it may appear that you are eating healthy when in reality, there are hidden ingredients.  So, ask away!

5.  Avoid Gluten.  I know there is a lot of hoopla about gluten-free diets however if you are trying to stay on track with your diet... ditch the bread.  Just by simply eliminating bread, you will feel so much better and less guilty when you leave the restaurant.  You can order a burger with no bun, chicken, salad with no croutons etc.

6.  Ask if your meal can be cooked in Olive Oil.  Most restaurants use corn, vegetable, and canola oil.  This is one reason why eating out can be so unhealthy. Even real butter is better than vegetable oil or margarine. 

7.  ALWAYS get veggies as your side.  Always replace the starchy side.  If you are trying to stay on track while eating out... don't even consider anything else besides veggies as your side.  Just don't even go there... trust me! (this also goes back to rule #3 if you eat before you go out, you won't feel like you need much of a side anyways.)

8.  If you are going somewhere that offers "Free Bread" or other unlimited food items.. pass on it.  This is a hard one for me because it's FREE or as my dad would say.. "included in the price"  but this is a make or break decision at the very beginning of your meal.  I would recommend telling your hostess or server right away that you wouldn't like any bread so it's not sitting on the table, tempting you.

9.  Avoid Breaded Foods.  Always opt for the grilled instead of breaded.

10.  Avoid Dressings and Sauces.  Always ask for your dressing on the side.

11. Skip over the Pizza and Pasta parts of the menu.  I would recommend avoiding places that mostly offer pizza & pasta (like pizza joints or Italian) but sometimes you can't.  If you are at an Italian restaurant, then I would say just skip this part of the menu all together and only focus on the salads, meat, and seafood parts. 

12.  Ask for NO MSG.  MSG is awful and you should always try and avoid it!

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Breakfast ideas: 
Breakfast is usually a pretty easy meal to find healthy alternatives.  An omelet without cheese, an egg plate with with no potatoes, sub the toast, biscuits, pancakes and potatoes with extra bacon or turkey sausage. Always ask for a side of fruit in lieu of a starchy carb. 

Lunch Ideas:
Salads with no croutons, cheese, or dressings.  You can ask for extra meat, egg, avocado, tomato etc.
Non-Cream soups.
Lettuce Wraps.

Dinner Ideas:
Burger with no bun.
Meat, Chicken, or Fish entrees with Veggies
Fajitas with pico de gallo.  No rice, tortillas, or beans.  
A side of Guacamole goes with everything.
 Chinese:  Steamed protein and vegetables with egg drop soup
Italian:  Meatballs with a side salad.

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Fast Food Options: 

If you click on the restaurant, it will take you directly to the nutritional information for that restaurant!

CHIPOLTE 
Surrito bowl with any meat filling, salsa, and guacamole

CHIC FIL A 
Grilled Chicken Strips and a Fruit Cup

SQUEEZED 
Any fresh juices or smoothies

BOSTON MARKET 
Chicken with two sides of steamed veggies

RUDYS 
Any of their meats

WHICH WICH 
Lettuce Wrap

CRACKER BARREL
Eggs, Bacon, Ham, Sausage
Chicken Tenderloins (grilled)

APPLEBEES 
Steak
Chipolte  Lime Chicken 
Jalapeno Lime Shrimp
Garlic Herb Salmon

OUTBACK 
Aussie Cob Salad with no croutons and grilled chicken
Steak with veggies
Chicken veggies

P.F. CHANGS 
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Egg Drop Soup
Ginger Chicken with Broccoli
Lemon Chicken
Changs Spicy Chicken

CHILIS 
Cajun Ribeye
Any of the burgers with no bun and no cheese
Chicken plates with veggies

JIMMY JOHNS 
ask for the "unwiched" style.  They wrap all the sandwiches in lettuce.  Ask for no cheese.

JASONS DELI
Salad Bar
Gluten Free Menu



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There are so many other places you can go, but this is just my short list to give you a few ideas! I hope this helps.  It's important to stay on track over the weekend... even if you are planning on having a cheat meal it's important to plan ahead but just remember that life is short! Don't be too hard on yourself and enjoy the little things!  If you end up cheating when you weren't intending to, it's not the end of the world.  This blog was just intended to provide helpful tips if you are trying really hard to stay on track!


XoXo 
Ashley

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

Instagram: ashleynicolemora1 

Twitter: MissAshleyMoora 

 

Quick and Painless Juicing

 

It's no secret that the WORST part of juicing is the clean up.  Juicing can be extremely time consuming and tedious but don't let that prevent you from juicing all together.  Here are some tips to make juicing quick and painless.  

Here is a list of things you will need. 

1. A Juicer 
2. Fruit and Veggies
3. Paper Towels 
4. All-Purpose Cleaner 
5. A GOOD knife.  (if you don't have one.. invest. It will make your life a lot easier) 
6. A Beach Towel 
7. A trash can/bag 
8. Grocery Bags 
9. A Big Bowl 
10. A Cutting Board 

Tip #1  ALWAYS, always, always, ALWAYS clean your juicer immediately after juicing.  If you leave pulp in your juicer all day it will dry up, making it nearly impossible to clean out. 

Tip #2  Take REALLY good care of the strainer.  That's the most important part of your juicer.  If your juicer did not come with a scrubbing brush I recommend going out and purchasing one (probably the one that has a soap dispenser) It is very important that no pulp is left on the strainer after making fresh juice.

Tip #3  Use warm water when cleaning your juicer out... it will simply make your life a lot easier.

Tip #4   Clean as you go... Juicing can get messy.  I find  it a lot easier to clean up a few small messes rather than one large one.  

Tip #5  Clean your juicer piece by piece.  I usually take off the smallest piece first, rinse that, and then go on to the next piece.  Before you know it, you'll this down to a science!

Here's run down of my juicing process....

I always assemble my juicer first. I use my left over grocery bags as "trash bag" for the pulp.

  After I've done that I lay a beach towel down on the floor because juicing gets messy no matter how careful I try and be (Juice spilling, fruit falling etc.)  Then I place a Trader Joe's paper bag to the left of where I'll be standing so I can throw all the peels that I cut off into the trash bag immediately.  If you have a trash can that is easy to move around you can also use that. 

 

 Once I have all of that done I like to get out the fruits and veggies I'll be using.  I also get out my cutting board, knife, bowl, and the mason jars I store my juice in.  I then clean all my produce and start cutting everything up....

As I clean and cut everything up, I throw the ready-to-go stuff in a bowl.  I find it easier to grab out of a bowl rather than trying to reach all over the counter. 

I throw all of my peels in the trash right away so I don't have a million things all over the counter. 

 Then I just start grabbin' from my bowl and start juicin' away...

Once I have all my juice made I start rinsing off my juicer piece by piece with warm water.  I then toss the pulp out (if I'm not re-using it)  

 Once I have my juicer cleaned I then wipe off my counter tops ASAP.  You never want to skip this step or else you will be left with some sticky counter tops.  After that, I usually shake out my beach towel and then toss it in the washing machine.  

I know the clean up seems like such a long process but you will develop a routine over time, I promise! And the results you'll get from juicing will be so worth it :) 

P.S.  Summer is right around the corner!!! 

Have a very blessed week and happy juicing!!! 

XoXo

Ashley

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

Instagram: ashleynicolemora1 

Twitter: MissAshleyMoora 

P.S.S. I never thought I would feel comfortable walking around with stomach showing... Like ever.  If I can do it... You can do it! 

Top 5 Rules of A Cheat Meal

Oh The Glorious Cheat Meals We All Love! 

We LOVE our cheat meals, there's no doubt about that...Until we step on the scale Sunday morning and realize we gained everything back that we had worked so hard to lose, right?  Carefree weekends can easily destroy a weeks worth of hard work and lets face it, nothing makes us feel more defeated than gaining back weight that we lost.  

So here are the Top 5 Rules of a Cheat Meal: 

1. No Guilt.  Enjoy every single minute of it.  If you allow yourself to feel guilty, you are missing the point.

2.  Plan Your Cheat Meal Place In advance.  Spur of the moment decision could lead to over indulgence. Do not wait until the last minute to pick where you are going to go out to eat.  (But lets be honest, we have our cheat meals planned to a T by Monday afternoon haha)

3.  Don't Forget Everything You Know About PORTION CONTROL.  A cheat meal should be treated as a small indulgence,  it's not a license to binge.  

4.  Limit Your Cheat Meals.  This varies on personal goals but for those just trying to maintain weight, you should not have more than two cheat meals a week.  If you are trying to lose weight, you should only have one cheat meal a week.  

5.  Move On.  Say addios to the calorie and carb consumption you just took in.  HOWEVER, Don't allow a cheat meal to be a trigger to more bad eating.  Do it, love every second of it, and move on.  

Happy Weekend Eating To You All! ;) 

Xoxo, 

Ashley 

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

Instagram: ashleynicolemora1 

Twitter: MissAshleyMoora