Clean Eating Challenge

 

I've set myself a challenge for the last 2 weeks in November. Clean eating, 'no sugar', minimal processed foods, closest to raw form possible. I've done the shop and I've prepared the goods. Ooh, I'm excited about the results.

 

I've found my new healthy living lifestyle good, the active side is fun and I am loving it. But food wise, I do eat well enough, although I haven't set too many standards. So for 2 weeks I'm going to challenge the food side of things and see if I can break some habits. 

 

I have already cut sugar out of my coffee completely Yay!

 

I am aiming to achieve nutrition and satisfaction out of the food I eat. By no means am I looking at starvation. No I am not cutting out fruit because of its high sugar content. And honey as a sweetener in sweets, that I do manage to make, is fine.

 

I hope I can inspire someone else to think about achiving a healthier lifestyle. AND please join me if you want to set a challenge for yourself. I would love to hear back from anyone else eating this way, recipes, encouragement, anything...

 

Jump through to SKY SEA SAND SOIL on Facebook

to have a chat, post your recipes for me to try, etc.

Don't forget to LIKE my page.

 

New Goals: I am trying to hit the next level of fitness, working on lots more cardio. Started Cage Fit and wanting to stick to it until it gets too easy (MMA style training workouts = yeh baby!)

Why Do You Work-Out?

 

I have been wanting to do this blog post for a while. It is important to have clear reasons why you do things, it helps to justify them and keeps you driven to achieve certain goals.

Why do you work-out?

Fitness and healthy living is certainly become more trendy now, well more now than ever in my adulthood. I remember when mum would don the lovely aerobic gear of the 80's, doing sessions on her mini trampoline. Jane Fonda was huge and Aerobics Oz-Style (Bring that one back!). I believe there was a nice fluffy blonde perm and toweling headband included. hehe.

I LOVE the fact that working out is the trend now! And if you are part of it, I know that you know, IT FEELS GOOD!

So, why do I work-out?

 

I'm in my early 30's and part of my family time line has a history of heart disease. Go back to the start of the year, I was feeling a little more tension in my heart than I would have liked too. Reason #1. Done.

 

#2. I have 2 boys, active boys. I also have a husband who has abnormal strength for his size, is fit, healthy and can run. A family of active boys playing sport and a mum who loves to bake just doesn't seem to work. I want to keep up with my family.

 

But my main motivator for why I work-out, reason #3. Earlier this year I felt like I was always surrounded by unwell people. Unwell with lingering stress, back problems, knee problems, growing old unfit, cancers, preventable deaths, general sickness, lazyness. The list just goes on. When you are surrounded by people who are always complaining, it does something to your phsychi, that is when I decided > I never want to be like that.

I work-out because I am committed to making the most of the one life that I have been given to live. I want to grow old with good health and happy memories. I want to play with my boys, I want to make my husband proud and keep him happy, I don't want to be lazy. I want to see my grandchildren grow up and I want to be able to run around with them too. I want to grow old in health not in a wheelchair.

 

 

Just as a side note, can I be honest? It was never about looks for me. *Weight loss and muscle tone are a nice side effect from working out. When you feel good, you look good.

 

Mexican Beans

Beans, not the most attractive of blog posts but I am starting to explore this little world of tinned pulses and I am enjoying the results. The mexican bean 'dip' that I make just keeps getting better and better and I just need to write about it. This bean dip is great smothered on a plate underneath your nachos, great to add to any mexican mince dish and a nice addition to a pumpkin or tomato soup rather than cream.

Ingredients:

Onion, Zucchini, Carrots, Red Capsicum, Garlic

Herbs/Spices - Paprika, Cumin, Salt & Pepper

Chilli Flakes only if your game

Tin of Red Kidney Beans 

Method:

1. Fry the veggies off till slightly softened

2. Add your drained beans, add a bit of water if needed

3. Add your herbs/spices to taste > Roughly 1 tbsp Paprika, 1 tsp Cumin, S+P to taste

4. Stew for 10 minutes or so

5. Put it all in a food processor (love my food processor), add a bit more water if you need to loosen it up a touch. And there you have it, yummo bean dip.

Variations: tomatoes, corn or grilled red capsicum would be awesome. Celery could work well too. I would also add some parsley or cilantro (hehe, fancy word for coriander). Chilli flake it up if you love spice. You can use a mix of beans too, looks like I added chickpeas, butter beans and bertolli beans (?) in this batch.

Closing word: FREEZE the mix into small batches in snappy bags. Flatten the bags contents before you freeze them! This makes is quick and easy to defrost, and also easy to snap off a smaller bit if you wanted to add it to some tomato or pumpkin soup instead of cream, etc.

Down but not out

It's not fun having a cold. I hate being held back from living life full of energy. But I'm being forced to put my feet up today or I'm never kick this nastiness.

I'm definitely enjoying this healthy lifestyle living and don't find it hard to be inspired.

Today I've checked out the Lorna Jane MNB website. I've tucked into some of my health and fitness mags. And there's something inspiring about getting around the house in my snazzy new runners.

Mid Week Mid Section

Workout: I tried a new class this morning CXWorx. I have been around long enough to think I knew what I was doing, but I have just had a light bulb moment > Core strengthening.

When it comes to my body type I have a 'tank loaf' style mid section, nothing like a french stick, long and lean. My mid section is short, thicker than I'd like and with minimal shape. I have never achieved a super tight tummy and never actually thought this would be possible for my body type until now. Core strengthening might just be what I need, why did it take me 15 years to work that one out?

What am I sussing out right now: Core Strengthening

The best thing I could do right now

And I know I'm ready for it. Clean eating.

1 body, 1 life. Why not treat it well and get the most out of it? I can't wait to explore a new world of recipes. And continue to see if this lifestyle change can become my family's reality.

The Challenge

Day 1: no I won't continue counting.

 

Today I hit the gym. Woohoo. It's only been 4/5 years.

 

The question that I really want to answer is can someone who is not linked to the fitness industry live and maintain a healthy living lifestyle? I'm yet to get my clean living book. So we'll just stick to the 'healthy living'concept for now.

 

 

Workout: Back to the gym. I wondered if I should leave my shoe laces in a single knot so I'd have an excuse to stop and do up my shoes. My first class was Grit Strength. 30 min high impact workout with minimal to no rest breaks. I survived, just. I now know what Burpies are. I also stayed for Body Balance. I know how awesome it is to give your body some time and stretching.

 

How do I feel: Apart from my legs almost giving out as I hit the bottom of our staircase, twice, I am feeling awesome and ready for this challenge.

 

Enjoy my journey if you feel like reading in.

 

What am I sussing out: High protein foods that come from natural forms. No shakes thanks.

 

*Before and after shots will come along once I have something worth showing.

Mind Body Soul

It's time to get focused. Its time to start focusing on what's important in my life right now and that, my friends, is managing my health and well being.

 

Rather than committing to an unachievable fitness routine I'm taking the slow approach by getting my mind in the right place first. It's all about the will power from within.

 

So to start off this change I've been focusing on everything that I put in my mouth. Is it good? Is it nutritious? Will it give me the sustainability that I need until my next meal? Do I need this? Why am I eating this?

 

 

I mean if we be realistic it is not hard to eat to live. To maintain a balanced diet. Actually thinking about it, how many times do we reward our kids with a lolly or treat?  No wonder this way of thinking becomes our habit later on in life. Rewarding ourselves with food. Breaking the after dinner craving is a tough one too. I really do wonder where this one comes from. Totally unnecessary after a big meal. Oh and portion control has been something to keep an eye on too.

 

Pre-Loved Shopping Joy

Give me $10 to spend in a second hand store and I'll leave as happy as if I've just spent a couple hundred in Westfield. It is fun scouting around the shelves finding little treasures for my home.

No more mouldy crumpets

I just hate throwing food out. Crumpets are always a culprit for mould before we are able to finish them. And i don't like the way they keep in the fridge. Freeze fresh between baking paper, too easy.