Let's Talk About Shakeology and Clean Eating

Is your health important to you?  Most people say that it is, but I find we don’t really know how to care for ourselves or that we lack education on what “healthy” is.  We aren’t aware that what we eat affects our health, or how our food affects our health.  I ran a free 5 day sugar elimination group, which was very eye opening, this week.  We are a nation consumed with fast food, sugar and junk food.  The sad part is we think we are eating healthy!  Partly because of what we have been taught eating “healthy” is and also because change is hard.  I don’t doubt people’s desire to be healthy, but I find that the actions aren’t matching the desire.  We know actions and words can be different sometimes.

Why is it that when it comes to our health, we focus on it when it is convenient for us or we need something?  We are getting ready for a reunion, a vacation, a wedding, etc., that is when we want to get healthy and lose weight?   What about the other 300 days in the year?  If you are complaining about the way you feel, not having enough energy, being over tired, the way your clothes fit, how you look, having out of control cravings, lack of will power, and body aches and sore muscles, then it’s time to change!  

Did you know you cannot outrun your fork?  If you are eating poorly, no amount of exercise can outrun that.  80% of your results come from the foods that you eat.  You cannot out exercise a bad diet.  But you can add exercise as you change your eating habits ;)  In February, I dove head first into the idea of clean eating and slowly started to change my nutrition.  I had dabbled in clean eating prior, but not full throttle.  Initially, I did it for weight loss, but what happened along the way was worth WAY more than what was happening on the scale.  I felt good, for the first time in my life!  I had more energy, I was confident, happy, not crabby.  {None of this hangry business anymore!}  It was awesome!  Would you be surprised to hear I did this by eating more food more frequently?  The kicker was it was the RIGHT kind of foods, not the wrong ones.  I learned how to treat my body the way God designed it to be treated.  I learned how to use food for fuel rather than comfort or a boredom buster.  I learned to listen to my body.  It was life changing!  The more time I have eaten clean, the more I believe this is the right way to live!!!  It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.  My food fuels my body by eating the right kinds of foods, by having healthy portion sizes, spaced every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, cutting out processed foods, and drinking lots of water.  I can eat this way no matter where I am at!  Yes, it is more challenging away from home, since we live in such a fast food society that values cost over health, but I have found ways to do it and can help you too!

As a recovering person with food issues, I have tried everything under the sun – prepackaged diets, counting calories, counting points, diet shakes, etc. and I did not lose weight, nor did I feel satisfied at all.  In fact, I was more crabby doing those things than what I’m doing now!

Shakeology has been a huge part of this for me.   I have tried other meal replacement shakes in the past and still felt hungry.  I’m usually in a hurry!  When in a rush, I used to eat on the go – you know, leftover kid foods, sugar laden cereals, etc.  On a good day, I’d get to a coffee shop and have a latte and muffin, but then feel like crap the rest of the day….I was dragging because I wasn’t giving my body what it needed to operate as it should.  Then, I would feel GUILTY for not making a better choice, and I would then CRAVE more of the bad stuff!  {Which is another downfall to sugar – it’s addiction component}

Are you on this vicious cycle of wanting to be healthy, but feel like you don’t have enough time, and just lack of energy and will power?  Can you relate?

If so, let me help :)

1.  Start today!  My blog the other day talks about how the perfect time never comes…do it now!  What do you have to lose?  You could actually lose weight before Christmas rather than waiting until after Christmas!

2.  Baby steps - cut out the processed foods, carbs, sugars, pop.  You likely know what your “bad foods” are.  Start there.  Begin reading labels and stop buying foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce or understand.  Get rid of the bad foods in your house – the candy, the cookies, ice cream, etc.  You can’t eat it if it’s not there!  {Been there, done that!  Good bye, Girl Scout Cookies!}

3.  Don't feel guilty not buying sweets for your kids.  They don’t need it either!  It isn’t good for them!  Did you know that sugar weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness?  On top of brain fog, lack of concentration, etc.  Who needs that?  None of us :)

4.  Start drinking Shakeology. Why??? First of all, shakeology is NOT A PROTEIN SHAKE which most people think it is. Let me explain why it isn't.  Shakeology is a meal replacement and not a protein shake.  It has the right carb to protein ratio your body needs to stay full for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  It has the fast burning carbohydrates with the slower burning protein to keep you satisfied.

It has a ton of natural {not processed} ingredients that meet your daily requirements for vitamins and nutrients. So you notice that the energy you were lacking is decreased because you are now getting vitamins and nutrients that give you energy.  Your cravings for sweets are decreased which is originally caused by vitamin deficiency and you are no longer deficient.  You are not over eating because Shakeology is portion controlled, so your portions are in check.

Shakeology is not for weight loss.  It's for nutrition, and of course when you have proper nutrition you naturally lose weight!  Shakeology is something I drink daily because it is convenient, it's healthy, it does not add to my grocery budget - it replaces something I used to have that was less healthy!

So when you look at clean eating and Shakeology as an investment in your health how can you deny it?  It's the one thing that keeps me on track when life gets busy! Instead of eating leftover kid food heading out the door, I now grab a shake and go!

5.  Change how you look at food.  View it as fuel not for comfort or boredom busting :)  When you eat, a good thing to ask is “ is this giving me energy, is this giving me nutrients or is this purely comfort and to fill a void?”  From time to time, you will eat for fun, to celebrate, etc., but this is not an everyday occurrence!  Enjoy things from time to time, not daily :)

If you are reading this and feel ready to change, commit to Shakeology once a day! This is your health, your life and you’re the only one in control of it.  And, you ARE worth it!  I see so many people who don’t know how to take care of themselves…how can we care for those around us if we aren’t caring for ourselves?  We can’t!  

I’d also love for you to join my next clean eating support group.  This way you can learn to make this a lifestyle change, not a diet.  I have lots of recipes, meal plans, grocery lists, travel tips and tools to help you!  The only way you won’t succeed is if you don’t put in the effort to change ;)

If I am not your coach on Team Beachbody your next step is to create a free account. I will then contact you to start your consultation about how you can improve your health and balance the good with the bad!

I’d love to partner with you to be the best you YOU can be!  You ARE worth it!