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Please keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. I try to listen to my body and respond by giving it what it needs. If I start a cleanse and I feel terribly hungry that day, I’ll do half the juices and end my day with a salad. Listen to your body, and treat yourself well.
My Juice Cleanse
In addition to healthy eating, I also participated in a one-day juice cleanse, which significantly contributed to the weight loss on the scale. I had some questions about the cleanse, so wanted to share some details on that as well. The one I do is unfortunately only local to Charlotte, but it is a very basic cleanse, and I know Clean Juice has one that is very similar, and they have locations across the country. Charlotte girls, I get my cleanse juices from The Green Brothers Juice Co.
It comes with 6 juices that you pace drinking throughout the day, as well as a concentrated juice shot that you begin your day with. More specifically, the cleanse includes 3 green juices, an orange juice (mostly carrot and ginger), a purple juice (mostly beet), and a cashew milk (pressed cashews). The shot I get is cayenne, ginger and lemon juice (not super tasty, but it’s just a shot), and it helps provide energy throughout the day since you’re not eating chewable foot and your body will likely lack energy. I drink 1 juice every 2 hours throughout the day, and try to drink 16 oz. of water between every juice. Surprisingly, I don’t feel very hungry or tired throughout the day, but occasionally I start to drag a little around 4pm, and if I do, then I drink a black coffee to help me get through the day. I recommend doing a juice cleanse on a day you are at home, only because you may need to use the rest room often throughout the day.
Cleanses have a lot of benefits, but I specifically use them to reset myself and rid my body of toxins, so that the healthy eating and working out is more effective in creating change within my body. I try to do a juice cleanse at least 1 day a week, but at the very minimum twice a month. I love how my body feels after a cleanse, and I actually feel stronger and have more energy on the days to follow. Your first cleanse can be tough because your body is used to physically eating and chewing food, but it is only one day, and I believe you can challenge your body to do anything for a day. How you feel afterwards will be well worth it.
What I Eat in a Day
I was in my best shape when Drew and I got married 4 years ago, and I attribute a lot of it to my diet at the time. I was more strict then than I am being now, but I stuck to a mostly paleo diet at the time. I wanted extreme results, where as now I just want to feel strong and live a health lifestyle. Currently, I allow myself to eat light cheeses and healthy carbs, which would not have been on the plan back in the day. I’m also a believer in small portions and the occasional cheat day. If I want a glass of wine on the weekends or a couple bites of dessert, I don’t hesitate to treat myself. If you stick to a strict routine all the time, you will burn yourself out, and your eating habits will become a long last ‘diet’ rather than a healthy lifestyle.
Breakfast: I try to start my day with high protein and some kind of healthy carb to help provide energy throughout the day. This can look like 2 strips of bacon, egg whites, and half a grape fruit or a slice of whole wheat bread with almond butter. I mix it up a little bit, but that’s an average meal for me.
Snacks: I eat snacks 1-2 times throughout the day, and it is usually some kind of low-sugar fruit (banana, grapefruit, cup of berries), or a handful of almonds, turkey jerky, carrots and hummus, a protein bar or even a cup of green tea. Something that will curve my hungry, but also be fulfilling. I am usually out and about, so I always try to have some kind of snack on me so that I have something to eat when I get hungry. It helps me avoid running to Starbucks and grabbing an unhealthy pastry or something like that.
Lunch: My lunch is the meal that probably varies the most and depends what I am doing that day. If I’m out running errands or working from a coffee shop, I’ll grab a salad at a local restaurant with some kind of lean protein (salmon, chicken, shrimp). Be careful on the dressing. I try to stick to light vinaigrettes or just basalmic and olive oil, and always ask for it on the side. It allows you to portion control the dressing to what you need. Other days lunches will just look like a large protein shake. I’ll be sharing my protein shake recipe I LOVE soon, so stay tuned!
Dinner: Most of my dinners looks the same, but I try to change it up from time to time to add a little variety and avoid getting bored with my diet. Most days its just a lean protein (cooked salmon/fish, chicken, shrimp) and a vegetable (Brussel sprouts, riced cauliflower, side salad, cooked peppers, etc.). For instance, last night, I grilled salmon and put together a large salad of spinach, chopped strawberries, goat cheese and crushed candied pecans topped with basalmic dressing. If I feel like I need something a little extra that day, or I’ve been feeling tired lately, I’ll throw in a sweet potato, or some other kind of healthy whole-wheat carb like wheat pasta. My favorite meal I do pretty regularly is turkey meatballs, spaghetti squash, and stewed tomatoes for the sauce. It’s SO good and really healthy, too. Maybe I’ll share the recipe sometime. 🙂
Eating Out: As far as eating out, I don’t let my eating habits hold me back, I just try to select restaurants that are going to provide healthy eating options. What are the restaurants in town with the best salads that I actually enjoy eating, maybe go to a Mexican restaurant and order chicken fajitas (pass on the taco shells and chips, though), or sushi is always a good option if you pick rolls that are not fried and don’t have too much spicy mayo sauce on them. 🙂 It’s all about portion control and not letting yourself fall too far from the path. Eat healthy foods you enjoy and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to stick to routine.
That’s about it! My biggest goal is to avoid getting bored with my meals so it keeps me motivated. If I start feeling that way, I’ll often resort to some kind of paleo cookbook and find a new yummy meal to cook to keep things interesting. I’m a huge fan of paleo slow cooker meals. They’re so yummy and usually really easy to cook, too! Also – my biggest recommendation – plan ahead! If you don’t plan out your meals and snacks, you’ll find yourself starving and reach for the first unhealthy thing you can find. Write down your meals for the week in advance so you have meal goals to stick to, and it keeps you on track.
Hopefully this gets your New Years eating habits off to a great start. If it makes you feel better, I’m so happy with how my body feels right now that I don’t even crave bad foods. Once you get into a groove, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to stick to a routine. Please feel free to leave any questions you have in the comment section down below, or you can always shoot me a direct message on my Instagram (@baileyschwartz)! Xoxo.
