Carbs are NOT the Enemy!

So there is always a common misconception that carbs are the "Deadly Enemy" when it comes to losing weight or building muscle. There is a small truth behind this. If you eat "refined carbs" that have been processed beyond knowing what the real ingredients are in the product, then you have a problem! But, when you eat healthy "unrefined carbs" that are loaded with health benefits and digest without added fat and sugar storage, you are good!

So, what foods are the "bad carbs???" Some people will say: "Bad carbs are anything that is white." Well, that just isn't so either. A russet or red potato is "white" and these are good carbs. They are not refined and when eaten in the right quantities are healthy to consume! Although my personal choice is sweet pototoes over white potatoes bc of other nutrients, I do still eat white potatoes occasionally.

Now your bad carbs would be examples of the types of food you see in this picture. All of these carbs are highly refined and have little to no nurtional value. They make you feel bloated and lead to spikes in your glucose which is not at all good for trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Do you eat many of these foods???? I know I used to and now when I eat them I feel so sluggish and bloated!

Here is a great way to get started with picking out healthy carbs when you make your next trip to the grocery store. If you usually eat white sugar, rice or bread....switch them all to brown! Now, with sugar I don't mean buy brown sugar. Brown sugar is simply sugar that is mixed with molasses for a sweeter treat! Buy organic unrefined cane sugar if you are going to consume sugar at all.

I personally have made the switch to only use Stevia in it's raw form ( I use the name brand Stevia in the Raw) or organic raw honey to sweeten my drinks or dishes. I used to drink soft drinks with artificial sweeteners and completely cut those out of my diet once I read up on them.

 





 

Now, I am an oatmeal eater and lover! I will make oatmeal so many different ways in the mornings! I really feel like my stomach is less bloated when I eat oatmeal on a daily basis. I will say any oatmeal is better than no oatmeal at all due to how it can help with all kinds of health issues, but the absolute best is steel cut oats. There again, these are not refined at all. They are cut and packaged as to where old fashioned and instant are processed a little to make that "flat" look that they have. Steel cut oats also have a chewy type consistency that I love!

And here is the newest craze lately! It's quinoa ( keen-wa)! This is an ancient grain/seed that is considered a protein. It is a natural superfood and is being used in place of a lot of rice dishes and in some cases oats. I have grown to love this food and the benefits of it are amazing! Here is a link explaining a little more about quinoa and it's health benefits : http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

I hope this little explanation of good and bad carbs helps you in the future!http://mistifreiberg.blogspot.com/p/meal-planning-food-prep.html

Clean Eating Cauliflower Crust Pizza

So this evening's dinner menu was cauliflower crust pizza. Now that I am on the 21 Day Fix, I watch my starchy carbohydrate intake more than I used too (yellow containers). Being I only get two yellow containers a day, I have to think about substitutes for certain dishes or just do without a starchy carb for that meal. I have been trying to have my yellow containers earlier in the day so I have more time to burn it off! I found a recipe on Pinterest and then tweaked it to my own and broke it down by containers for the 21 Day Fix. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this pizza was. The only complaint I have is that I should have spread the cauliflower dough out a little thinner and made it even crispier. Other than that, it was delicious!

Now, I just made ours with veggies that I had here at the house, but you can put any clean meats and veggies that you like! Get creative and I hope you enjoy! By the way...the pics below have some mozzarella string cheese on them because I didn't have quite enough shredded cheese at home! Improvise!

Now, if you are doing the 21 Day fix here is the serving size and the containers to count:
2 slices = 1 green container and 1 blue container

 

Clean Eating Cauliflower Crust Pizza (makes two pies)

5 cups grated cauliflower (about 1 large head)
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
2 1/4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup fire roasted crushed tomatoes
3 cups grape tomatoes (sliced), sliced black olives, peppers and mushrooms
2 tsp. chopped garlic
Dried Basil

Directions:
Line a pizza stone (pizza pan will work too) with parchment paper (trimmed in a circle), and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have a two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft. Remove from the microwave and let cool.

 



Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat onto a round pizza stone into a 10 in pie.



Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

Top the pizza with the sauce, garlic, 1/4 cup mozzarella, veggies and dried basil. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Makes 8 slices per pie! ENJOY!!

It was very tasty, but I will use more cheese next time!

21 Day Fix Week 2

So, with yesterday being declared the official "Happy Day" I decided to do one of my 21 Day Fix workouts and make a little video collage of me and use the infamous "Happy" song! Working out truly makes me happy! It's known that when you exercise your body releases endorphins and it just puts you in such a better mood. It's like therapy....and what better therapy than exercise! YOU get happy and get fit all at once! I call that a "winner, winner, chicken dinner" right there!

Have you given it a try? Have you tried releasing your stresses and worries with a little cardio or strength training? If not, well then I suggest you give it a try! You will be amazed at how much better you feel afterward. Not only do you feel better physically, but you do mentally as well! Use this time to unwind and think and get intouch with YOU!

So, "clap along if you feel like a room with out a roof.....cuz I'm happy!!!"

No matter what life throws my way, I can do my workouts and be in a better mood! No excuses! I always strive to be better than I was yesterday!

 

Chocolate PB2 Banana Froyo

So last night was a family night for us. My husband and the kids were going to have chocolate marshmallow ice cream and I was going to have ???? I am currently doing the 21 Day Fix and refuse to sabotage my results in any way, so I made my own froyo to enjoy with them! I usually do this mixture as a snack and eat the yogurt as is, but it was so easy to make it into a frozen treat. Here is what I did. I took a red container and filled it with plain greek yogurt and put it into a bowl. Then I took a tsp of chocolate PB2 (for those of you that don't know what PB2 is powdered peanut butter that has been pressed to take the fat out), half of a ripe banana (1 purple container) and a tsp of honey and mixed in with the yogurt. I then just transferred it to my magic bullet and blended it up, stuck it in the freezer for a couple of hours and viola! A completely clean, yummy and 21 Day Fix friendly snack!

Misti Freiberg's Weightloss and Fitness Journey