Clean Eating - Day 2

Welcome!

Before I go into my food list for Day 2, I want to talk a little bit about why I haven't mentioned a work out plan for this diet. First of all, it's completely fine if you do work out. This diet is not about limiting your calorie intake, so you can work out as thoroughly as you like. Just make sure you are taking in some nutrients both before and after your workout to refuel your body. Ryan and I both very much want to get to the gym. But, we decided to just focus on our food intake this week. It's such a drastic change for us, we really wanted to give the diet a week to settle in before we added the complication of pre and post workout food. That was just our decision - you do what's best for you!

I'm also including my wake-up/bedtimes because the diet suggests you eat within 60 minutes of waking up, and finish eating 3 hours before you go to bed. And make sure you're getting 8 hours in between.  I'm cutting it close in all of those aspects, which is something I need to work on!

Now, here's the list of my Day 2 foods for your inspection:

November 5, 2013

7:00am - Rise and Shine!

8:00am - chocolate protein shake (see below for recipe)

12:00pm - chicken fajita salad (see post on Clean Eating - Day One for recipe) with olive oil & lemon dressing.  Iced tea, unsweetened.

3:30pm - about 20 almonds, grapes, blueberries. Water.

7:00pm - slow cooker pork loin (see below for recipe). Sparkling water with lemon slices.

9:30pm - cucumber chips (see below for recipe)

11:30pm - Bedtime

Chocolate Protein Shake Recipe: 2 scoops protein powder of your choice, 1/3 cup coconut milk, 8 oz. coffee, 2 scoops of cocoa powder, 1 stevia. **Important - I had to work pretty hard to find a gluten, dairy and soy free protein powder. I did finally find one By Naturade called "Soy-Free Veg Protein Booster" blend, made from peas & beans mostly. You can find it on AllStarHealth.com if your grocery store doesn't supply it.

Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe: This is a great, easy, filling recipe that makes a TON of food. You can eat leftovers for days or freeze a few portions. It's super simple - put about 3 lbs. of pork loin, 4 cups of chopped cauliflower, 2 cups of chopped zucchini, and 12 oz. of tomato sauce in a crock pot. Add some rosemary, thyme, or Italian seasoning (or all 3 if you're feeling particularly spicy). Put on low and cook for 6-7 hours. When it's done, season to your liking. You can put this with brown rice, sliced vegetables, or just eat it by itself with some hot sauce. It's very filling, so just find your favorite spice combination and enjoy!

Cucumber Chips: This is a brand new recipe I tried today and I was VERY impressed. Skin a cucumber, and slice into thin rounds. Be careful how thick/thin your slices are - thicker slices will take longer to cook but will hold up better if you want to use them for dips. Thinner slices will take less time to cook, but you'll have to eat them solo. Also, you run the risk of burning them, so be careful. Coat the cucumber chips in olive oil and salt to your liking. Place on a baking sheet and cook at 200 for at least an hour. Here's where the thickness of your slices come into play - my thicker slices took 2.5 hours, thinner slices about an hour. If you have a food dehydrator, you can also use that.
I have to say that the BF was a little dubious about this recipe, not being a fan of cucumbers in the first place. But he LOVED them. He literally said I could cook them everyday if I wanted. They really are a great substitute if you're like me and crave salty, crunchy things at night.

Day 2 was a generally good day, although I did experience a pretty sharp headache at around 4pm. I don't think it was a caffeine headache, as I had coffee and tea yesterday. I think it may have been my body going through a slight detox from lack of sugar, but that's just my best guess. It didn't last too long, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Also, people brought community donuts AND fried chicken into my office today and it took all my willpower to resist. But I did! Protip: When you smell something delicious that you're not allowed to eat, find something healthy to munch on. I dug in to my fruit and almonds a little earlier than usual to keep intense hunger at bay, which kept me from eating badly.

That was Day 2! Check back tomorrow for more updates and thank you for reading! I was completed amazed to see that over 50 people read my last post in less than 24 hours. WOW! I'm so flattered and I hope that all of you get something out of this blog! I know I certainly do. Love & harmony to you!