A Food Dilemma: Poison or Pleasure?

I've been struggling lately.  I feel like a lot of people have.  I can feel it in the air.  I don't know if it the changing of the seasons or the start of school, but it seems like everyone around me is fighting their own personal battles.

I would've never been able to resist at Hogwarts

Mine, is food.

Last year, I got a real handle on my eating.  I wasn't heavy by any means, but I lost a good amount of fat that I was carrying around my middle and in my thighs.  I was eating more, eating cleaner, and lifting heavy.  I was drinking very little alcohol because I was exhausted every night from renovating my new home.  I felt strong both mentally and physically.

This year is proving to be a different story.  I have started training for my first marathon, a HUGE bucket list item that I never thought would be possible after my knee surgery.  And I know that one of the main struggles for runners can be eating TOO much... especially too much carbs.

So, I've been watching what I eat... at least, I think I have.  And I've been working out, hard, every day.  And yet, the pounds, and the fat, have been creeping back.

This makes me angry and frustrated!  Meanwhile, my good friend Bethany over at Living Between Labels is struggling with her own autoimmune issues.  She has been forced to cut out MAJOR foods, like tomatoes and wheat, because they cause her body to, essentially, attack itself.  The two of us, along with many of our other friends in the health and fitness world, talk daily about what we should be eating, what we shouldn't be eating, how much to eat, when to eat it.  And then we have to help our challengers navigate these same questions and struggles.  And that just goes for people with no food allergies or health issues!

It's exhausting.  And the struggle to constantly make the right choices is real for a lot of people.  My friend and coach Kristin can't eat gluten or dairy, and for her, she says it's simple:  these foods are poison.  If you think about it like you're eating poison, it's very easy to say no.

But then, food is an addiction for many.  Just like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine are all poisons, people still put them in their bodies every day.  And while many people die from them, many don't.

Food gives me joy.  Pizza and chocolate and ice cream and pasta and chips and grapes and cheese and wine.  I feel good when I drink my Shakeology and eat my salad for lunch and my lightly sweetened greek yogurt and my cauliflower and my turkey meatballs for dinner.  But those are not what I want.  But even when I do eat those consistently, sometimes it's not enough.  I want a treat.  Those are healthy in moderation.  But what is moderation?  One small portion a day?  One large portion a week?  You only live once, you know... what's wrong with having a glass of wine at dinner.

So here I sit, fighting with myself and my desires.  Do I want wine or do I want rock hard abs?  Do I want the guilt of eating a piece of chocolate or the agony of turning it down?  What is REALLY going to make me happy?  Food or 5% body fat?

You know what?  I'm not sure yet.  Whenever I think I know, I change my mind.

I want to live a long, happy, healthy life.  What's the recipe for that?

Quick, Easy and Delicious Breakfasts!

I have always been a breakfast eater.  Another opportunity to eat?  Let's do it!  When I was in grade school, my breakfasts weren't always the healthiest... but we ate well-rounded homemade meals for the rest of the day, and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and donuts and waffles we had  in the morning didn't seem to have much of a negative impact on our health.

Now, of course, I still eat breakfast, but it's usually my healthiest meal of the day.  Of course I'm talking about Shakeology!  But, if you like to drink your Shakeology at a different time of day, or you haven't hopped on board yet, here are some awesome breakfast options!

Eggs:

So many different ways to make them!  I actually prefer mine scrambled in the microwave.  I know that sounds weird, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!  Just crack a few eggs in a microwave-safe container, add a little almond milk if you’d like, and cook 30-60 seconds at a time, stirring in between heating.  Don’t overcook them though.  Wait until they start to balloon up in the microwave and there’s just a tiny bit of liquid left.  

Not only are eggs versatile because you can cook them a million different ways, but when you scramble them and make them into an omelet, you can add almost anything!  Tomatoes, spinach, peppers, ground meat, etc!  Check out this website for other basic ways to cook eggs.

Yogurt:

I love me some greek yogurt.  What I love even more is that I figured out an AMAZING way to eat plain, non-fat greek yogurt without it tasting like sour cream!  The other greek yogurts are fine, but the fruit and added flavors can have a lot of unnecessary sugar and unnecessary processing.  Try adding either a LITTLE BIT of honey, maple syrup or ONE stevia packet to your yogurt and then some cinnamon or even pumpkin spice!  Delicious!

Ezekiel Bread:

Amazing, especially the cinnamon raisin!  It’s made with sprouted grains, which is a lot healthier than white, or even whole wheat (check that out here:  http://authoritynutrition.com/ezekiel-bread/).  A little butter or even some avocado on top and you’re good to go.  Remember though, this is still a carb, so make sure you have some protein with it!

Oatmeal:

Delicious and easy.  Save yourself money AND added chemicals and sugar by buying a giant container of plain oatmeal and scooping from that whenever you want it.  You can always add the fruit and cinnamon later.

Another helpful tip:  the longer the oatmeal needs to cook, the more WHOLE it is.  The more WHOLE it is, the healthier and more nutritious it is and the less processing it had been through.  Therefore, steel-cut/irish oats are heartier than rolled oats which are heartier than instant oats.  For me, I find rolled oats to be a good middle ground.  They only take about 5 minutes.  Certainly more time than one minute, but I can get other stuff done while that’s cooking.  Again, this is also a carb, so add some protein!

Ground Meat:

Don’t shy away from ground meat in the morning!  Who said you have to eat it for lunch and dinner!  Add that stuff to your eggs or even to your oatmeal!  Why not!

Looking for different ways to season your meat?  Check out all of the seasonings on this blog post!

I found a lot of amazing make-ahead, quick-eat recipes on the following blog.  They are all clean and labeled with whether they are freezer friendly, vegan, gluten free, etc.  I am excited to try some of these!

http://ifoodreal.com/25-clean-eating-breakfasts-on-the-go/

I should also note that a lot of the recipes call for protein powder.  If you are a Shakeology drinker, just use your Shakeology!  Even though Shakeology isn’t a “protein powder”, it had enough protein in it to have the same effect in the recipes!