Italian Chicken Enchiladas

What you'll need

-4 whole wheat flour tortillas
-1 large can of Kirkland Natural Chicken (Costco) in water or 4 small chicken breasts
-Red, Green, and Yellow pepper (I like to purchase the medley already chopped and frozen at Trader Joe's)
-1/2 cup of Mozzarella made with 2% milk
-1 jar of spaghetti sauce of choice (remember to check those labels for sugar content. Keep those grams as low as possible!)
-1/2 tbs of Oregano. I prefer fresh
A baking dish


cut or shred the already cooked chicken and toss them into a bowl that contains about 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce. Add the chopped peppers. Once coated in the sauce, spoon the chicken/sauce mixture into the 4 tortillas and roll them up tightly and place them into a baking dish. If your baking dish is too large for these rolls to keep their shape, use a toothpick to keep them rolled up.

Use the remaining spaghetti sauce and pour over the rolled tortillas. Top evenly with the mozz cheese and oregano. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings:
237 Calories
6 grams of fat
3 grams of saturated fat
23 grams of carbs
3 grams of fiber
24 grams of protein


Serve with a spinach salad with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Why I am doing this.....

Documenting my journey keeps me honest and focused.

Getting emails like this from someone I never met (in person) is also pretty awesome:

"You’ve got me hooked… I’m not 100% “clean” but for the most part my recipes are clean. I’ve been researching clean recipes and I just can’t get enough. I’ve made your black-eyed pea salad, (Furla’s) polenta lasagna and I drink a smoothie every morning. I’m now obsessed with clean eating blogs and my philosophy of “you have to have meat to make it a meal” has completely changed. I’m the one who posted that I lost 15 pounds in a month but it’s actually only been just over 3 weeks. I don’t calculate my daily calorie intake but I know every day I’m satisfied and I’m eating really tasty foods. My cravings for junk are gone and I’m now craving veggies instead.

Thank you for all your help and the wonderful info you have on your blog."

To all of my friends that are reading this that have either committed to a healthier lifestyle and to the ones thinking about it....You can do eet! The reward is worth the effort. Let's support each other.

Lex.

Summer is here!!!

At least it is here in Chicago! A hot 90 degrees out there today. You know what this means; BBQs, Beer Gardens, BBQs, Margaritas, BBQs, Festivals (Hello Taste of Chicago!) and BBQs.

I shared my healthy bbq with you last week, however, your typical BBQ fare will not always be healthy. Today's post will go through some steps to help us all make better choices when put into situations where eating clean is difficult.

STEP 1: Eat your meals!

Part of the premise of Clean Eating is eating 6 small meals per day. Do not skip any of these meals leading up to the BBQ thinking that that you are saving yourselves 200 or 300 calories that you will "make up for" at the BBQ. What ends up happening is you are far more hungry than you usually are which means you will eat even more food at the BBQ than you would if you'd have stayed on track with your meals.

STEP 2: Offer to bring a dish!

Open your Clean Eating Magazine or cookbook (or this blog!) and find a recipe that you can bring to share with the crowd.

STEP 3: Plan your plate!

Take a look at the table and what is being served. Plan in your mind what you intend to put on your plate before you hop into the buffet line. This way, your plan is set and hopefully you won't be tempted by the evil potato chips and fattening dips!

STEP 4: Stay away from white breads and cheese

Odds are, not everyone will have a whole wheat option for that burger. Who says you need a bun? Balance out your meal and keep your sugar/refined carb count low by eating a burger sans the bun. Keeping the cheese off will also help keep fat contents in check.

STEP 5: Enjoy yourself

Life is too short to be stressing out about eating every time there is a bbq. Implement the steps I have listed here and minimize the damage. Remember, attending a BBQ is supposed to be fun. Focus more on catching up with friends, playing some fun summer time games (beanbags, volleyball, frisbee), and enjoying the beautiful weather than you do on the menu.

I know it's hard. I do love the taste of potato chips and greasy hot dogs and if you are due for a cheat meal (about every 10 days), go ahead an indulge. But, if this bbq falls on a day that is not a cheat day, let's do our best to treat our bodies with respect!

Now....let's talk about the drinks. Moderation is key and drinks are not prohibited in the world of clean eating. I would recommend that you stay away from the sugary mixers (cranberry, pineapple, soda, etc) and stick with a light beer, a clear alcohol, or a glass of wine. Of course, I would only suggest a drink or two, but I never want to be called a hypocrite so accept that suggestion as a loose guideline.

Alexia.

Guilt-free Lemon Mousse Pie

I made this pie for my bbq this last weekend and while I can't speak for my guests, I absolutely LOVED it.

What you'll need
9 whole grain graham crackers
1.5 tbs of canola oil
2 packages of sugar free vanilla pudding
1/4 cup lemon juice
zest of a lemon
1/2 tub sugar free Cool Whip
9" pie pan

Start by making the pudding per the instructions on the package. Use skim milk to prepare. As the pudding reaches its boiling point and just before you take the pudding off of the stove to cool, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Let chill and set overnight.

The next day I used about 9 full size grahams and threw them in food processor until they were finely ground. I then mixed in about 1.5 tbs of canola oil just to moisten the crackers.

Press the cracker mixture into the pie pan.

Fill the crust with the pudding mixture. Freeze for 1 hour. In the meantime, allow your Cool Whip to thaw.

After the hour, spread a thin (1/4") layer of the sugar free Cool Whip to the pie. Freezing the pudding in the crust before hand allows for you to add a nice layer without disturbing the pudding.

Lighty sprinkle a pinch of lemon zest over your pie.

ENJOY a slice (1/8th!!) of this refreshing summer pie and with each bite, continue to doubt the fact that your treat is a mere 100 calories.

Let's Get Physical, Physical.

I wanted to talk about exercise today. I want to know what your routines look like and how you stay motivated to workout. I am coming to realize just how different people are and how what may work for one person, does NOT work for another. The exercise is good for all of us, but what motivates us to actually DO the workout is the variance.

There has been a lot of talk about new workout DVDs and programs that promise amazing results in 60 or 90 days. I think that most of you, if you own a television, know exactly what programs I am talking about and even considered purchasing them at one time. Or maybe you did! I reviewed one of these workout programs, the one that requires a chin-up bar, free weights, and 90 days of your time.

I personally wasn't motivated by this program. When my alarm would go off at 4am, I would dread waking up to do this workout and the host's voice and silly little jokes during the workout were like nails on a chalkboard. I also have certain feelings about beginners trying to push themselves too hard and putting themselves at risk for injury, but hopefully the beginners taking part in this program are heeding the advice given during the workouts by making modifications and taking breaks. On top of that, the workout itself was boring, in my opinion. The music was inaudible. I just didn't like it.

That isn't to say that I don't think one couldn't be successful on this program. In fact, my feelings are that if you commit to working out 6 days a week for 3 months, incorporating both aerobic, anaerobic and strength training, combined with clean eating, which is what is presented in the meal plan for this particular DVD workout, then you are going to see amazing results.

So, I say, do what works best for you. Most people do not like to work out. Making working out suck less by finding something that you actually enjoy doing and incorporate that into your routine.

I personally have a date with weighted walking lunges and plyometric training today. Not my favorite workout in the world. But the results are very motivating to me!

Alexia.

Day 1 of BFL Challenge #2

Today marks the first day of my second Body For Life Challenge. I am really excited about this challenge because I have chosen to modify it slightly in order to shred more fat.

My plan is as follows:

On strength training days, I will wake up and do a cardio DVD at home. In the evenings, I will hit the gym and perform the upper or lower body workout that BFL calls for.

On BFL cardio days, I will wake up and get to the gym to perform the BFL HIIT cardio session. That will be all I do for the day.

I will continue to take the train and get my 4 miles of walking in everyday, so long as the weather cooperates.

As far as food goes, I only intend to have a cheat meal ever 10 days or so, vs. an entire cheat day once a week.

I think that with these modifications, I will be on track to achieve the type of results that will get me to my final goal by the end of this challenge. We shall see!

Wish me luck! Donald took my starting photos this morning and I just finished comparing them to my photos from January. Who was that person????

Healthy Polenta Lasagna

I stole this recipe (thanks Furla!) and modified it slightly to "health it up" a little.

What I used:

Trader Joe's premade polenta (found in a tube in the grain aisle)
8oz of Fresh Mozzarella
1/2 to 1 cup of ricotta cheese made with 2% milk
Chiffonade 6 basil leaves
And 1/2 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (RAO'S Tomato Basil)


I first started by cutting my polenta into slices that were about 1/4" thick. I ended up with about 24 of them from the roll I purchased at Trader Joe's.


I then started to layer a baking dish with the polenta discs. I put about 8 of them on each layer (for three layers total).

Once the first layer was down, I topped them with ricotta, about 1/2 inch thick of a layer, which uses just about 1/2 cup. I then sprinkled about 1/3 of the basil on top of the ricotta followed by a nice layer of sauce. Then I continued with the polenta, another 8 pieces followed by half of my fresh mozzarella, followed by more basil and more sauce. The final layer was more polenta, more fresh mozzarella and more basil.
First Layer:

Second Layer:



Into the oven it went for about 40 minutes at 325. I popped it under the broiler to brown the cheese just for 1 minute at the end.

It was delicious and both of the kids loved it.

You might want to try using more ricotta or including both cheeses on all three layers, but in an effort to keep calories and nutritional composition of this meal proportionate, I cut back.

Here is what you will get, in terms of nutrition. This meal as prepared consists of 4nice size servings.

350 Calories
15 grams of fat
4.5 grams of saturated fat
36 grams of carbs
26 grams of protein


I should also state that I did purchase ricotta made with 2% milk. You can buy a fat free version of this product, however, because I am trying to eat natural foods, the fat free version isn't for me. Most cheeses these days can be purchased made with 2% milk. These cheeses are naturally lower in fat and, in my opinion, taste much better than the processed fat free cheeses available.

And finally, I have to give a big shout out to RAO'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE! They sent me a big wagon filled with their products because Ellie SHOULD have been the winner in their "psghetti face" contest. If you are reading this and voted for Ellie, thank you! Seriously though, you need to try their sauce. It really helped make this dish naturally superb!

Bathrooms and BBQs

One of my bathrooms was completely renovated and I am quite happy with the result. This bathroom has been out of service now for more than a month so I am very pleased to have it back in operation.

To celebrate (and show off my new room), I figured I would throw a healthy, clean bbq. I have invited a few family members over and while I hope that they think my bathroom turned out as well as I think it did, I really hope that they enjoy the cooking.

On the menu will be bison burgers on whole-wheat buns, black-eyed pea salad (see below), grilled veggies, and sweet potato fries cooked in the oven.

Black Eyed Pea Salad:

Ingredients
1 cucumber (10 oz.)
1 red onion (6 oz.)
2 tomatoes (12 oz. total)
1 fresh serrano chile (3 in. long)
3 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (see notes)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
About 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preparation
1. Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds with a spoon and discard. Dice cucumber (about 1/4 in.) and put in a large bowl. Peel and chop onion; rinse and drain. Rinse and stem tomatoes and chile; chop tomato and mince chile. Add onion, tomatoes, chile, black-eyed peas, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to cucumber. Mix well.

2. Up to 30 minutes before serving, mix in lemon juice. Add more salt to taste.

Nutritional Information
Calories:110 (5% from fat)
Protein:6.7g
Fat:0.6g (sat 0.1)
Carbohydrate:21g
Fiber:8.2g
Sodium:303mg
Cholesterol:0.0mg

Bad Days

I want to know who can relate to this.....

What is it about eating something bad or skipping a workout that makes our minds think that we might as well throw away the whole day and start fresh tomorrow.

Example: You wake up to a nice big breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs (not just the whites!!) and you indulge. It was tasty, but you now feel so slow and bloated that all you want to do is sleep on the couch and lay around and do nothing. Until you are hungry again. At which time you figure that you have already been "BAD" today, so fixing a bowl of icecream for a snack is okay. You'll just start fresh again tomorrow. And then on the days that you skip a workout unintentionally (not a scheduled rest day) you figure that you are free to eat a burger. Or a milk shake. Or the KFC Doubledown.

Well, this happens to us, especially women, A LOT! I think that we try to make excuses for ourselves or find any way to give us permission to do something that we KNOW we are not supposed to do. We obviously don't REALLY buy into the logic of this thought process. We are intelligent people. There is no way that we believe in our minds that it is "okay" for us to eat MORE junkfood because we already ate junkfood today. C'mon! Let's stop fooling ourselves.

So, when you do fall off the wagon, pick yourself back up. Take a walk, and remember how hard you are working to get yourself in shape. Isolate those incidents and leave them behind, where they belong. Don't beat yourself up over it and don't use it as an excuse to ruin your entire day.

As for the picture that accompanies today's post, I really have no idea. I googled "bad food vs. good food" and this is what that search yielded. Don't be afraid of the banana.....

Alexia.

Moment of Truth: The Weekly Weigh-In

Watching the numbers on the scale slowly drop 1 to 3 pounds per week really never made me too excited. In fact, in the beginning, it felt SO SLOW! I wanted results much faster. Now that I have taken an active interest in nutrition and exercise, I have been reading a lot about weight loss and I know that this is the best way to go about losing it. It is the most effective for long term weight loss success.

So to me, when I stepped on the scale for my weigh in this morning, I saw that the scale was down 1.5 pounds from last week. I was happy but it was no big deal. I expected those results, afterall, I had been eating clean and working out this week. But then, when recording my weight in my book and looking to compare my numbers to my very first weigh-in on January 19th, it suddenly hit me just how much I had lost. 30 pounds? 30 frickin pounds!!! Well, 30.5 to be exact.

So after a pat on my back and comparing the rest of my statistics which include body fat measuring (down 8.5% since Jan 19th), and inches (down 7 in the waist alone, back in my size 8 pants from a tight 12 which probably should have been a 14) I started to wonder just how much body fat I have lost because certainly I have gained muscle.

After googling images of body fat, I thought I'd share with you what 5 pounds of muscle looks like and what 5 pounds of fat looks like.

5 pounds of muscle compared to 5 pounds of fat:


5 pounds of fat. For 30 pounds, picture 6 more of these!


After seeing these photos, and a similar photo of what 1 pound of fat looks like, I think I am going to be a little happier when stepping on the scale to see another pound lost. I will still celebrate the milestones but I will also recognize the footsteps it takes to reach them and will embrace those small triumphs with just as much enthusiasm.

1 Pound of Body Fat:

Have a Clean Cinco de Mayo!

Today, you are required to eat Mexican food and drink a margarita. Hey, I don't make the rules!

There is no reason that you can't abide by the Cinco de Mayo law and still eat clean.

And I have some recipes to help!

Bison Fajitas
Prepare a bison flank steak (available at most butcher shops and specialty meat stores everywhere) by trimming any fat, which is usually hardly any, and cutting them into fajita sized strips.

Use the following to marinate the meat for a few hours or overnight. (Too late now!)

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon of olive oil

You really need to allow flank steak to marinate for a couple of hours before cooking. The acidity in the lime helps to breakdown the toughness of meat making it very tender after cooking.

Once you have allowed the meat to marinate, prepare a medium hot skillet with olive oil spray and add the meat. The meat should take about 3 to 4 minutes to cook through, dpending on the size of your strips. On the last minute or two, add your veggies! Trader Joes sells a great frozen pepper medley (yellow, green, and red). One half of a bag of this would be ideal for this recipe along with a diced white onion. I also buy these frozen. Saves so much time and effort!

When this is cooked through, you can serve it on whole grain tortillas or wraps or even over a bed of lettuce. Add 1/4 of a choppped Haas Avocado and you have an awesomely balanced clean meal.

Now, on to the cocktail. Clean Eating doesn't necessarily mean that we have to give up drinking and it doesn't necessarily mean that we are cheating. A glass of wine or two once or twice a week will not undermine your efforts in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Skinny Girl Margarita, courtesy of Bethenny Frankel:

2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
Tiny splash of Orange Liquor
Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges
Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice and garnish with a lime wedge
Makes one serving


Enjoy your Cinco de Mayo. Today, my "baby" turns 12, so I have more than one reason to celebrate!

Alexia.

Oldies but Goodies

Since taking my first break from BFL, I have been working out with the programs that started it all for me about 10 years ago. I had so much success with these tapes, no way would I get rid of them.


Yes, the women are wearing uncomfortable looking leotards, and a few men are showing inappropriate amounts of bulge through their bike shorts or unitards, but the FIRM was on to something back then.

In fact, I think that I have seen a lot of muscle tone start to appear in areas where I wasn't expecting to get great results.

Their claim is that you can see visible changes in 10 workouts. I have done about 10in the last two weeks and they were right! While I missed Janet Jones Gretzky, Susan Harris, and the rest of the old gang in their leggings and Reebok high-tops, I know that I need variety. Mixing in some of my oldies along with BFL and other aerobic activities will keep my routines fresh and interesting. Getting bored quickly is a very common way to fail on an exercise program.

Lex.

Clean Food for Thought

I am going to try really hard here to make this newest post read less like a diary entry and more like an informative post that will help us all, including me.

When we venture out to change something about ourselves, often times other things about us change without our notice. I set out to change the way I looked. I was not happy with pictures that I saw myself in. Throughout the course of my transformation, which is still a work in progress, so much more has changed besides my appearance. Aside from the physical changes that take place, both the ones we can see and the ones we can't, I am finding just how much we change emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

I can say that I am a completely different person than I was on 12/31/2009. The things that I chose to do for fun are almost polar opposites of what I would choose to do for fun today. During this realization process, I am discovering that due to these changes, the relationships that I keep with others around me also change. While I feel so good about myself and the positive energy that is in my life, I can't help but mourn the some of the friendships that will undoubtedly fizzle and fade away as I continue on my path to become the person I want to be.

On the other hand, I am excited to strengthen relationships that might have been suffering before I started to put myself first. After all, I can share with them a better me, a better friend, now that I care about ME and MY happiness. I am also looking forward to making and meeting new friends that share similar beliefs and priorities.

Alexia.

Big jeans, courtesy of clean eating!

I am so thrilled! I just treated myself to these jeans two weeks ago. And they are already too big!