My Clean Living Life – Part V

I can’t believe that I am already into my 7th year of clean eating!   MacMillan Dictionary defines clean eating as “a diet that is based on eating whole foods and avoiding processed and refined foods.”  If you were to tell me even 10 years ago that eating clean would be a way of life for me today I would’ve called you crazy (smile)…

Backstory:  In June of 2011, I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer so (post-surgery and during chemotherapy) I started my journey of clean eating.   I have to admit that it has not always been “easy breezy” and, as a matter of fact, it has sometimes been a real struggle because it takes both time and effort to think and eat clean…

 

 

Also, I work on 100% commission in Media Ad Sales so I am on the road alot – that being said, I sometimes don’t have time to eat a healthy, clean lunch.   The quick and easy option (junk food) is not only plentiful, but very appealing  to the eyes.  From time to time I give into those temptations…

 

 

And I have to admit that oftentimes when I am stressed I tend to go crazy in the “snacky” foods department…

 

 

Plus every now and then (mostly weekends) I’ll have bacon and eggs (not exactly clean eating) but certainly comfort food…

 

 

Late night eating is never a good thing but occasionally  I can’t help myself and I give into those delicious satisfying cravings in the middle of the night…

 

 

Thank God for my daily workout regime at the Edge Fitness Club in Hamden, CT…

 

 

And that (God willing) there’s a tomorrow to start over with to try and eat clean, once again (smile).

 

 

 

My Clean Living Life – Part IV

I am a super proud Colon Cancer Survivor(since August of 2011) so eating “clean” is an essential part of my life.   I’m also Lactose Intolerant so I’m ever mindful of making the right food and beverage choices.

Here are just some of the products I find make it easier for me to lead a dairy-free life:

I eat cereal every morning so milk is a major part of my diet.  Before I even realized I was Lactose Intolerant I had already made the switch from whole milk to 2% milk and then finally to 1% milk so switching over to Almond Breeze Almondmilk (Original and Unsweetened) suits me just fine.

I love love love cheese so I was super excited when I found out I could still have cheddar cheese, a personal fave, as well as any of the “hard” cheeses as they are easier to digest than the “soft” cheeses and therefore do not upset my stomach.  For cheddar cheese, I prefer the CABOT brand…

When it comes to yogurt there are so many options today but I tend to gravitate towards Yoplait lactose free yogurtas it just tastes better than most of the other dairy-free brands flooding the market.

I used to love to slap a dollop of whipped creme on top of my pie or cake during the holidays.  Instead of using whipped creme, try this simple recipe to make your own dairy -free version:

  • Use one can of full-fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen organic Coconut Milk is a good brand to use)
  • Plus one tablespoon of  local honey for sweetener (optional)

Whisk the two ingredients together for up to 4 minutes and you’re good to go!

During the dog days of Summer (which is honestly the only time I think of ice cream) one of my fave dairy-free choices is Breyers Lactose Free Natural Vanilla as it’s simply delicious.

If you are a salad lover like me, scratch the heavy blue cheese or ranch dressings (or other milk-based dressings) and switch over to the lighter Balsamic Vinaigrette (Wish Bone makes a tasty version…)

And finally,  I’m an avid snacker so I found that Hummus easily takes the place of  creme (“soft”) cheese, its way better for you plus it tastes good too!  Sabra Classic Hummus (or its many equally delicious varieties) makes a healthy satisfying dip whether you’re snacking on raw veggies, crackers, pretzels, and/or baked chips.  Yummy!

So whether you are Lactose intolerant or not, Bon Appetit!

Fresh is Best!

In spite of the fickle pre-Summer weather this month, my work and social life (which are both calendar-driven as opposed to season-driven) appear to be getting busier and busier.

 

 

At the same time this girl (with her history of colon cancer) absolutely needs to find the time to eat healthy in order to stay healthy.

 

 

While I do enjoy eating the healthy dishes that I prepare in the crock pot, or buying, heating and eating Amy’s organic canned goods, or even micro-waving and eating clean frozen meals, it’s beginning to get monotonous…

In a perfect world, I would have my own personal chef…ready, willing and able to whip me up a variety of fresh and healthy dishes that taste as good as they look (smile).

Lucky for me I found the next best thing through my early morning conversations with Margot, my gym friend.

Margot suggested I look into the Fresh Meal Plan.  It’s offered at all of the Edge Fitness Centers in Connecticut.   And it’s ‘the nation’s largest farm-to-table meal plan service with free delivery to your doorstep.‘   What ultimately sold me on it though (outside of the obvious benefits) was that all Edge Fitness members receive 10 percent off the weekly rate of $109 for the first 6 weeks and, THIS IS HUGE,  we could cancel at any time!

Here’s how it works:

You register by logging onto FMP’s website

Once online you can read all about the program including  the history of its Founders, FAQs and testimonials.   They even have a phone number to call and  talk to a live person who explains how everything works.   Once I was satisfied with all the answers to my own questions I was ready to begin.

The first thing I did was decide on one of four meal plans:  Traditional, Paleo, Signature or Vegetarian.  Each of the meal plans come with a featured image  and each plan is detailed in full so that you truly understand what you are signing up for.   This also helps you to decide which meal plan is right for your lifestyle.  However, no matter which meal plan you initially choose, FMP gives you the option to pick and choose meals from any one of the 4 meal plans!

I chose the Paleo meal plan because, for the most part, me hungry but me still needs to eat clean-healthy (smile).

 

 

Selecting your weekly meals:

This must be done on a desktop or laptop computer, not a mobile device.  Simply log onto the FMP website and select your healthy meals for the following week.

Here’s what I chose for my first week of 10 prepared, ready to heat-and-eat meals  (1 lunch; 1 dinner per day):

Korean BBQ Pork Chop

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry (pictured)

Roasted Mediterranean Mahi

Miami Cuban Turkey Burger

Truffle Steak Frite

Panca and Chive Turkey Meatloaf

Chicken Caprese Salad

Blackened Mango Mahi Tacos

Spartan Bison Burger

Kung Pao Chicken

 

Free Delivery right to your doorstep!

On Mondays by 7am a local courier delivers the first 6 meals and on Thursdays by 7am the remaining 4 meals are delivered.

All of these meals come neatly packed with 2 disposable ice packs inside an insulated cooler bag.

 

 

They are all stored in bake-friendly disposable containers.

For the best in fresh, you should refrigerate them immediately.

The now empty insulated cooler bag is left outside on your doorstep the day before your next delivery.   The containers and ice packs are yours to keep or dispose of as you wish.  Easy breezy 🙂

Again, I pre-paid $98.10 for the week or $9.81 per meal for my first week of 10 meals which is not too shabby considering the fact that I did not have to grocery shop, do prep work or spend precious quality time in the kitchen (smile).

And the taste — Yummy!

 

 

So far I’ve had the Truffle Steak Frite with Sweet Potatoes and Green Salad and the Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry with Broccoli.  All of the Paleo meals are high protein, low-fat and low calories (less than 400 calories!)

My only caution is that the food is soooooo good that it may be difficult to go back to your normal, regular diet.  Outside of that I have just two words:

 

 

My top 10 fave blog posts!

Over the past 2 years I have published almost 50 blog posts on The View from Lajeune so I think this is a good time to highlight my top 10 faves.  Here they are:

 

The View (from Lajeune):  The View (from Lajeune)    I chose this blog post because the  entire day was truly magical from beginning to end!

A Place of Desert:  A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free  This blog post will always hold a special place in my heart as I truly learned what it is like to survive colon cancer…

My Very First Bug:    My Very First Bug…  This post took me back to a time when I was asserting my independence but too hard-headed to see that the route I chose actually costs me in more ways than one (smile).

Clams on the half shell…:  Clams on the half shell…and roller-skates!  This blog post speaks to me as it happens during the 70’s, one of my favorite decades!

Like Moths to the Flame:  Like moths to the flame…   This blog post is special to me because it brought me back 31 years to when I first started my career in media…

CT “Summatime” Eats:  Connecticut “Summatime” Eats!    This blog posts was real popular with TVFL readers who, like me, love Connecticut in the Summertime and the variety of eats!

Divas in the Desert:   Divas in the desert!  My good friend Tony Marinaro, who is a faithful TVFL reader, chose the title to this blog post and I will forever be grateful to him for it :))

My Clean Living Life (Parts I, II and III):    My clean living life…   My Clean Living Life – Part II;   My Clean Living Life, Part III    I imagine that these blog posts are popular with my TVFL readers because they know the struggle to live “clean” is real…

Cave Girl:   Cave Girl    I enjoyed doing the research on this blog post and tremendously benefitted from my ‘R & R’ day.  I was not allowed to take pictures of us inside the cave so this will have to suffice:

Taking Fun Seriously…:   Taking fun seriously…my very first golf lesson   I had fun writing and doing the research for this blog post and still hope to one day have that golf date with my Dad…

 

Thank you for reading The View from Lajeune.  I have plenty of more stories to share…

My Clean Living Life, Part III

This has got to be one, if not the, hardest times of the year for a striving-to-be-clean girl like me (smile).

 

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Wake me up when the holidays are over! 

 

It doesn’t help that I live in New England where its bitter cold outside  at 5am in the morning when I wake up to go to the gym.

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And, to add insult to injury, good and un-healthy food greets me everywhere I turn, making it harder and harder for me to make  the right food choices…Between office day and night parties, get-togethers with friends, family gatherings, pre-holiday dinners, after-work happy hours and the like, I almost feel like throwing in the towel and biting into that lovely red velvet cupcake!

 

And eating clean?!?   What a joke?!?   Not with all of this yummy, hot and cold prepared food surrounding me…

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But then this tiny little nagging voice of reason shakes me, wakes me up and tells me to maintain control because if I keep giving in to food temptation, it’s going to be that much harder come January 2nd…

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Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz…

 

So…I take a deep breath and remind myself of the little things that I have done in the past to counteract the decadence.   Here are just a few tips that I have used successfully:

  • Drink lots of water (not only is it filling but it also cleans out toxins)
  • Eat slowly and take small bites
  • At parties, eat out of tiny dinner plates 
  • Try not do two things at once (like eat and talk on the phone) as you will lose track of your portions
  • And finally, drink one large (10 ounces or more) glass of ice water for every alcoholic drink consumed

The holidays are truly a whirlwind of fun, good food, good drinks and activity but if you try to keep track of what you eat and drink daily and not give in to every temptation out there you can get through them with minimal damage and celebrate the post New Year in style!

 

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Have a Happy & Healthy New Year!