Welcome to Clean Week!

Welcome to CLEAN WEEK!

Can you eat clean for 7 days?

Clean eating means to concentrate on whole foods. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, healthy fats are considered clean foods. You want to avoid processed foods, foods with preservatives added and those that contain unhealthy fats. A good rule of thumb is if you could pick it or kill it, you can eat it on Clean Week.

If you missed out on this CLEAN WEEK group, don't worry, there will be another one.  Email me at ellieperico@gmail.com and I'll send you details on the upcoming one!

Below are the basic steps to getting ready to begin CLEAN WEEK:

1.     Determine your eating plan. If you weigh less than 185lbs, you get breakfast, Shakeology (or snack), lunch, dinner. If your weight is over 185lbs, you add in one more snack between lunch and dinner.

2.     Create your Clean Week menu. For each meal and snack, you get 7 different recipes to choose from. This makes meal planning SUPER simple! You can easily mix and match the foods you enjoy to provide the right nutritional value for the week without overthinking it.

3.     Meal prep for the week. Once you have your week long meal plan created, you can start meal prepping for the week. This is a huge time saver and will also keep you on track without excuses for slipping. A sample meal plan is below as an example.  

4.     The last step is to Drink Your Shakeology daily.  Shakeology is used as a snack with this program. The nutrition guide comes with several recipes. You can also choose another snack if you don’t have Shakeology, although Beachbody created Clean Week specifically to try it out before committing.

There are a wide variety of recipes that come in the Clean Week guide and all are labeled V for vegan, VG for vegetarian, GF for gluten free or DF for Dairy Free.  The recipes that come with it are as follows:

§  Breakfast: protein pancakes, berry walnut oatmeal, egg & veggie scramble, almond butter banana, lox ’n’ toast, yogurt parfait, and breakfast bowl.

§  Lunch: tuna melt, Mediterranean veggie pita, lentil quinoa salad, chicken quinoa and broccoli, turkey burger, protein-packed salad, and salmon bowl salad.

§  Dinner: buffalo wings, teriyaki tempeh, veggie burger, grilled halibut, sweet potato and veggies, shrimp and veggie pesto pasta, chicken corn and salad, and pork and beans.

§  Snacks: veggies ‘n’ hummus with almonds, protein power edamame, nutty apple, yogurt bowl, trail mix, avocado toast with fruit, and sweet and savory turkey jerky.

§  Shakeology: almond butter cup, chocolate-covered cherry, banana bread, berry-licious, nutty mocha latte, cafe latte banana, strawberry almond dream, and strawberry chia.

As you can see, there are a number of tasty recipes to choose from. And I really love the ease and simplicity of just mixing and matching. No one should be able to say there’s nothing on the meal plan they don’t like! The recipes are pretty basic and use just a handful of ingredients. 

Below is a sample meal plan I created as an example only.  You can create your meal plan as you’d like.  I like to eat the same things a few times a week (as you can see below) because it makes meal planning easy but it’s totally up to you how you want to create it. Below is a blank meal plan for you to use if you’d like. 

CLEAN WEEK SAMPLE MEAL PLAN
	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	Protein Pancakes	Egg & Veggie Scramble	Lox and Toast	Yogurt Parfait	Protein Pancakes	Egg & Veggie Scramble	Yogurt Parfait
SHAKEOLOGY	Almond Butter Cup	Cafe Latte Banana	Strawberry Almond Dream	Chocolate w/ PB Fit or reg PB	Vanilla with Cinnamon	Strawberry w/ blueberries	Vanilla with banana and pumpkin spice
LUNCH	Mediterranean Veggie Pita	Tuna Melt	Turkey Burger	Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli	Tuna Melt	Turkey Burger	Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli
SNACK (only if you’re over 185 lbs)	Veggies and hummus with almonds	Avocado toast with fruit	Turkey Jerky	Nutty Apple	Protein Powder	Veggies and hummus with almonds	Turkey Jerky
DINNER	Veggie Burger	Grilled Halibut	Shrimp and Pesto Pasta	Buffalo Wings	Veggie Burger	Grilled Halibut	Shrimp and Pesto Pasta

CLEAN WEEK SAMPLE MEAL PLAN
	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
SHAKEOLOGY
LUNCH
SNACK (only if you’re over 185 lbs)
DINNER

SUPER Easy and Delicious Baked Salmon

I swear this has to be the EASIEST recipe EVER for lunch or dinner! And it's SOOOOOO good!!  I bought the salmon from Costco.  It was about 3 lbs of it.  Made it for dinner and Monday and have been having it for lunch all week! The kids loved it too!

Ingredients

Salmon
Kirkland No Salt Seasoning
Parsley
Lemon or lime juice

1.  Place the salmon on a cookie sheet with a baking rack on top. I like to make it on the rack because most of the fat falls into the cookie sheet and the salmon doesn't cook in it.  I leave the skin ON while cooking.   Make sure you spray the rack so it doesn't stick.

2.  Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on top of it.  As much or as little as you'd like.

3.  Sprinkle with Kirkland no salt seasoning and parsley.  Rub it in.

4.  Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

5.  Remove, let cool and ENJOY! We ate it with baked sweet potato and steamed Normandy veggies topped with Gorgonzola cheese.

How to Run Faster and Farther!

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a weekend warrior or a veteran racer — if you pound the pavement, odds are you feel a drive to push yourself every time you lace up. It’s goes with being a runner. But we’re also willing to bet that there’s room for improvement in your training program, and that making just a few small tweaks can help you reach your goals faster. Start with the following five. We tapped two of the greatest running minds in the country to discover their secrets for squeezing more from every workout. Follow them, and you’ll not only train smarter and recover quicker, but have more fun while you’re at it.

Rethink Your Warmup
Slow, easy running is sometimes referred to as “junk mileage” because runners don’t see the benefit of putting in training miles at speeds well below race pace. Nothing could be further from the truth. In particular, priming your muscles for hard workouts and races is one of the easiest ways to boost running performance.

“Warming up helps increase circulation and creates heat, which loosens and primes the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons for the workout ahead,” explains Jennifer Gill, a Road Runners Club of America coach and certified personal trainer based in San Diego. “That not only means better performance during your run, but also a lower risk of injury.”

Another smart move: Perform dynamic stretches such as lunges, high knees, and butt kicks before you log those warmup miles. Research shows that doing so can improve leg strength, power, and overall running economy.

Mix Up Your Workouts
It’s easy to fall into a routine if you lift weights, but it’s even easier if you run. After all, everyone has his or her favorite routes. If you find that you’re running the same pace, distance, and course every day, it’s time to switch up your training.

“The body needs a balanced [and varied] workout regimen to build endurance, speed, and stamina,” explains Nikki Rafie, a Portland-based coach and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier. “This means your running plan should include tempo runs in addition to long slow distance to improve overall performance.”

Need another reason to pick up the pace? Runners tend to get more enjoyment out of high-intensity workouts than moderate to low intensity workouts, according to a study in the Journal of Sports Sciences. In short, running fast is more fun than running slow, and there’s no shortage of research underscoring the link between fun and athletic performance.

Strength Train
Science is pretty clear when it comes to whether strength training can benefit endurance athletes, yet it remains one of the most overlooked elements of many cardio programs. “Strength training can not only improve speed and power, but it can also help improve cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and efficiency, allowing you to perform the same workouts with less energy expenditure,” adds Gill.

What’s more, strength work can help reduce the risk of running injuries by not only strengthening muscles, but also by reinforcing ligaments and tendons. Just two to three strength sessions per week is all you need.

Make Recovery a Priority
Taking time to recover from tough workouts is just as important as the workouts themselves. If you don’t allow your body time to bounce back, you’ll likely run yourself straight into an injury. “The body is always trying to self-regulate and heal itself, and that’s why rest days are important,” says Rafie. “The joints and muscles need time to rest so the body can heal, rather than breaking down from continuous wear and tear.”

For most runners, this means taking at least one day off from training each week. You should also alternate hard and easy days so that your body can perform optimally in each workout. 

Eat Like an Athlete
Burning tons of calories through regular exercise doesn’t give you a license to eat all of the junk food want—at least, not if you want to achieve your goals. Indeed, targeted nutrition and strategic eating — including taking in the right amount and the right kinds of calories — are essential to increasing energy levels, boosting performance, maximizing gains, and accelerating recovery.

Most people focus on protein intake, but carbs are just as important — especially when it comes to “metabolic recovery,” or topping off the fuel stores your body uses to create energy.

“Taking in the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats between workouts will replenish energy stores, rebuild muscles, and provide enough vitamins and minerals for overall health and wellness,” explains Gill, who is also a license sports nutritionist. “If you don’t, your body won’t be able to perform properly, and will ultimately break down.”

Via the Mackenzie Lobby Havey for the Team Beachbody Blog

Crock Pot Sesame Sriracha Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Super simple, clean, low carb, paleo friendly and healthy! What more could you ask for? I love lettuce wraps and the more variety I can add to the meat (or turkey) portion, the better!  Here's a recipe with a little kick to it! The hubs likes spicy and sriracha is one of his faves so this is one I make often! Enjoy!

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Tbsp sriracha sauce (plus more for serving)

3/4 tsp kosher salt

Green onion, optional

Lettuce leaves, for serving

1.  Place turkey, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, sriracha and salt in the slow cooker.  Use a large spoon to break up the meat as much as possible.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-4 hours.  Break up the meat with a spoon and give a good stir.

3.  Serve meat wrapped up in lettuce and top with extra sriracha, sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-4 quart

Cooking time: 2-4 hours on HIGH or 4-6 hours on LOW

21 Day Fix:  1 red (turkey) 1 green (lettuce) 1 orange (seeds)

Recipe via Karen at 365 Days of Crockpot!

10 Tips to Improve Hypothyroidism

If you have been living with hypothyroidism or know someone that has, you are very well aware of the difficulty it can bring to basic day to day life.  Some of these simple changes can make drastic improvements to your condition and help improve your overall way of life.  Below are some nutritional and physical changes you should consider if you're affected by hypothyroidism. 

Baked Vanilla Oatmeal and Nutmeg

Baked Vanilla Oatmeal and Nutmeg - a great breakfast option, especially when the weather is cold and your body is craving those hearty, healthy foods! 
.
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp. raw honey

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with spray.
3. Combine oats, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
4. Combine almond milk, extract, eggs, applesauce, and honey in a large bowl; whisk to blend.
5. Add oat mixture to milk mixture; mix well.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top has browned.

Yields 8 servings of 2/3 cup each
1 yellow  1 blue 1/4 red❤ 

Tri Tip Dinner!

So, last week I had NO idea what I was going to make for dinner and while at Trader Joe's, I picked up a seasoned tri tip.  I've never made tri tip in the oven, I prefer it on the barbecue, but I figured why not give it a try!

I picked up some potatoes and zucchini squash to make with it and went home to make dinner!  Within 45 minutes, we were eating and it was SOOO good and SOOO easy! So here ya go!  Enjoy and hope you give it a shot!

Ingredients (amounts depend on the size of your family)

Seasoned tri tip (Trader Joe's or Costco are where I get them from)
Small yellow potatoes
Zucchini squash

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425

2. Place the tri tip on top of a rack and then on top of a cookie sheet.  Place it in the oven.

3. While the tri tip is cooking, cut the potatoes. I cut them in cubes.

4.  Toss them in a little olive oil and season them with basil, rosemary and I also used Costco no salt seasoning.

5.  Do the same with the zucchini.  Cut it up in cubes, toss them in a little olive oil and season with basil, rosemary and no salt seasoning of your choice.

6. Place on a cookie sheet (use non stick spray) and bake until the trip tip is done.  About 30 minutes.

7.  That's it :) When the tri tip is to your liking (I like it medium rare), take it out, slice it up and ENJOY!