logotype
logotype

No products in the cart.

clean eating Tag
Home clean eating Page 38

Tag: clean eating

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
January 8, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

3 Tips to Stay Clean This Season

Winter can be the hardest season for clean eating. It is a time for being inside surrounded by the delicious smells of kitchens and restaurants. We look for warmth and comfort in hearty soups and heavy meals and sauces. We use up more energy in the colder months just to keep our body temperate up, which means we feel the need to eat more. Feeling cold can trigger cravings for those warm and tasty foods, so here are a few simple things you can do this season to keep yourself on track with your weight loss and to feel healthy and clean.

 

1. Eat what is in season. You may have your go-to meals and snacks but with the changing seasons you should change up what you eat a little bit. It’s a good idea to take advantage of what fruits and vegetables are in season to get the most benefits from them. Instead of a tropical fruit smoothie, try something dense and green with kale or something rich in flavor and antioxidants with pomegranate. Both of these foods are in season this time of year and can be used in salads and snacks as well. Beets are also a great choice and very versatile – they’re excellent for juices and in salads. Believe it or not, salads will warm you up just as much as soups or stews. As long as your body is provided with something to burn for heat, it’s up to you what you choose to eat. Some other great options if you’re looking for something different are nuts and seeds. Try heating them in the oven for a delicious, warm snack.

 

2. Warm up with hot drinks. After a long, cold day you don’t always have to turn to food to warm you up, especially when you don’t really have an appetite and you’re just looking to have something. Hot drinks like water with lemon or tea will not only feel good, but they’re good for you. Lemon and ginger in tea or warm water can help boost your immune system in cold and flu season by flushing out toxins, warm you from the inside out and they’re great for weight loss. They’re also a better alternative to coffee or hot chocolate, which have a much higher amount caffeine and sugar.

 

3. Keep a level head. Remember that cravings are psychological. Your brain may try to convince you to eat certain things when you’re cold, but that doesn’t make them necessary. By definition, a craving is just an intense, urgent or abnormal desire or longing. Your body needs fuel, but even in these cold months dense foods don’t always have to be high in calories or carbs.

 

Cravings are always hard to manage but especially more so this time of year. But when you are able to satisfy hunger with something healthy instead of whatever you are craving, you won’t derail your weight loss.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
December 29, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

New Year Celebrations

The final holiday of 2014 is just around the corner. It is hard to believe that this year is about to come to an end! Whether you plan to celebrate the coming of the New Year out on the town or watch the festivities from the comfort of your home, take this time to make one last healthy push this year. New Years is typically a night of partying and leaving this year behind for a fresh start, but don’t let it fool you. You don’t get to press a magical restart button when the clock strikes midnight. The rules still apply, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate these past 12 months to the fullest. Make this week extra healthy – eat clean and exercise in preparation for New Years Eve celebrations and to get a step ahead on your New Years Resolution, instead of letting Christmas and Hanukkah holiday eating spread out over this week. The time after the big holidays is crucial. It may seem like a constant uphill battle, but once you are able to bounce back after such a hectic and heavy eating schedule you will be so glad that you put in the extra effort now. Enjoy that party and a bubbly drink knowing you earned it.

 

This is a great time to be building momentum. This month we have talked a lot about getting through the holidays, but you should also take this time to give some thought to your New Years Resolution. Usually it’s something that people dread. A seemingly impossible task that they commit themselves to even though they know deep down that they won’t accomplish it. They tell their family and friends that they’re going to finally get healthy, eat right, exercise and lose those 5, 10, 15,  20 plus pounds. But then they dive in with the wrong mindset. Everything healthy they do is a step in the right direction, and when they go off track and finally give up? Well, it was expected to end that way anyway.

 

That cycle ends this year. Whether you have been on your weight loss plan for the past few months or made the decision to start last week, you already took the first step. What else will you do differently? Remember how far you have already come and look forward to your future accomplishments.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
November 24, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

How To Get Through the Holiday Weekend

The countdown to Thanksgiving is now less than a week! As one of the most highly anticipated meals of the year, it’s good to have a plan to get through the holiday as healthy as possible. Break the cycle of overeating and post-holiday regret with these tips to stay in control.

 

Start with a light and healthy breakfast in the morning. Skipping meals or not eating at all until dinner on Thanksgiving Day will only hurt you. Going hungry all day then stuffing yourself with a big meal will throw your body completely off balance and putting so much pressure on the big meal will make it seem like you have to over indulge because that is what the day is all about. Instead, think of it like any other holiday meal. It’s special, home made, and you only get it once a year, but, like all other holidays, don’t forget that Thanksgiving is about more than just food. Continue eating light throughout the day at lunch or just have snacks.

 

When you do finally sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, go with the tasting approach we have mentioned before. Start with a tablespoon of any dish you want to try or know you love. For the healthier dishes you find such as vegetables or salad, be more generous. That includes turkey! Just be sure to cut away any skin or fat. It can take your brain 20 minutes before it realizes that you’re full, so take your time when you eat. There may be certain dishes that you think you want more of when you sit down to eat, but when you give yourself time to really enjoy the food at a slow pace you may realize that you don’t need seconds after all. Help yourself to another serving of the dishes you really love if you’re still hungry. As long as you go little by little, you can fully enjoy your favorites.

 

Now comes the hard part: getting back to your weight loss plan after the holiday. Mondays can be hard, but the Monday after Thanksgiving can be especially difficult. Make a plan now to get back on track. Prepare a meal, make plans with a friend to exercise or sign up for a class. Don’t just tell yourself you’ll do it, make solid plans so you can’t just let it slide.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
November 13, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Two Weeks Until Thanksgiving

 

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. The Halloween decorations just came down and now another holiday is already around the corner. This is going to be a very busy time, but you should use these next two weeks to prepare for the four day feast.

 

The best thing you can do in this time is have a really clean two weeks. Be extra vigilant about what you’re eating and drinking, but it’s not about eating less. Don’t end every meal unsatisfied. If you’re consumed with cravings for two weeks, Thanksgiving dinner will throw you completely off balance when you finally satisfy your hunger and over eat. It is never good to go extreme in either direction – it’s all about balance and staying in control. It doesn’t end with one meal or one weekend, it’s about making healthy choices every day.

 

If you can comfortably skip a snack on some days, try it, even if it’s every other day or once a week, it can still help. Pick something easy like switching out your coffee or latte in the morning with a bottle of water, or skip that afternoon snack.

 

Another option is having a cheat meal instead of a whole cheat day. This can work leading up to Thanksgiving and also any day over the holiday. It might take some extra will power but it can help you enjoy the special meals a little more when you know you’ve been really good in the time leading up to the holiday. No matter what you choose to do, it is so important to have the right mindset. Enjoy everything to the fullest but don’t let your guard down. Be sure to keep reading the blog this month for more tips and some healthy recipes for Thanksgiving!

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
November 3, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Why You Should Be Drinking Lemon Water

 

By now you have probably heard, read or been told to drink warm lemon water as part of your weight loss plan and for a healthy life in general, but do you really know why? Just 12 oz of hot or warm water with lemon each day can offer you a long list of benefits that will keep you body healthy inside and out.

 

When you think lemon, the first thing that may come to mind is Vitamin C. Lemons are an excellent and rich source of this vitamin that is essential to the body in so many ways. Firstly, Vitamin C is vital to the function of a strong immune system. This nutrient helps protect from deficiencies that can get you sick, and it can help fight off colds, flues and even recurrent ear infections. Vitamin C also neutralizes free radicals as it travels throughout your body. Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons, and in their mission to find another electron they can cause damage to the surrounding molecules in your body. Free radicals can interact with healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and can also cause inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that Vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing the symptoms of some types of arthritis by reducing pain and inflammation in joints and knees. Vitamin C helps with maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue and cartilage. Free radicals can damage blood vessels and can change cholesterol to make it more likely to build up artery walls, which is why Vitamin C can be helpful in preventing the development and progression of diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis (a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries).

 

Lemons offer not only a high level of vitamin C, but is also a great source of nutrients like citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Citric acid is an antioxidant that plays a role in fighting free radicals. It also helps prevent the build up of mineral compounds that can cause kidney stones. Potassium helps nourish brain and nerve cells, and also helps control blood pressure.

 

You will also get digestive benefits from lemons. They stimulate and purify the liver, and aid in the production of digestive juices. They are also great at cleansing the body of toxins and can help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in your body.

 

They also offer some external benefits: lemons can keep your skin healthy and clear by preventing the formation of wrinkles and acne.

 

So what are you waiting for? Next time you are at the grocery store, look for lemons that are heavy for their size. This means they have a thinner skin and more meat to them. They should be fully yellow in color with no green, soft or hard patches. They will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week.

 

This season when you are looking for something warm to drink, treat your body to a simple, healthy cup of lemon water.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11730

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Read More
Healthy TipsLifestyleUncategorized
October 23, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Take Out Guide

Dining out or ordering in from a restaurant can help save time and energy on a busy night, but it can also make it hard to find the right dish that fits into your weight loss plan. It can be difficult to navigate a menu full of sauces, pastas, cheeses, breads, and fried foods. But you still have a choice. Don’t think a meal is out of your control because you’re picking from a menu that wasn’t make with your fitness in mind. Here are some tips for eating outside your home.

 

If you are ordering from an Asian menu, edamame is a great appetizer. Avoid anything fried like egg rolls or dumplings. Lettuce wraps with steamed or grilled chicken and/or vegetables is also a great option. For dinner look for steamed chicken or fish, no sauce, or stick to vegetables throughout your meal. Asian dishes may seem lighter than other types of cuisine but sauces can contain lots of calories, fat, sodium and/or sugar.

 

When it comes to sauces, Italian food is probably the most notorious. It will be tough to find something that isn’t covered in creamy, cheesy or meaty sauces. And something to watch out for even before your plates reach you is that basket of bread.  It looks great and tastes even better, but is not a great option when trying to lose weight. Since bread has no nutritional value the only reason you will be eating it is to expand your waist. Instead, start with a salad. Something simple and traditional with a lemon and red vinegar dressing and plenty of vegetables. For an entrée, look for grilled chicken or fish, without any sauce, or just stick with vegetables.

 

Like a basket of bread, a bowl of chips at a Mexican restaurant can tempt you into eating meaningless calories. Don’t snack! If you wouldn’t eat it at home, don’t eat it in a restaurant or off their menu. Luckily, grilled chicken and vegetables will be abundant. Look for a burrito bowl (the ingredients of a burrito or taco but without the shell) or fajitas (without the tortilla). As always, vegetables are a good idea.

 

If you’re going with something American, such as a diner, deli, sandwich shop, or a local or chain restaurant, your options are along the same line. It’s always safe to go with salad or vegetables with light dressing and no sauce. Again, skip the bread or bread sticks that may end up on your table – if you didn’t order it, don’t eat it. Grilled chicken, fish and turkey are great options. Or have breakfast for dinner with an egg white veggie omelet.

 

No matter where you eat, always keep it clean and simple. And always ask yourself, is this a meal you would prepare for yourself and eat at home? Or are you using a meal out or ordered in as an excuse to stray from your weight loss foods? In the end, it doesn’t matter if you eat it at your dining room table or a table at your family’s favorite restaurant, it’s still a meal that counts.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY

 

Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
October 20, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Fall Themed Recipes

Just because you’re eating healthy that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this season’s popular dishes. There are so many recipes that can work just the way they are or can be tweaked slightly to become healthier versions. Butternut Squash Soup is a classic that just needs a few adjustments. You can use olive oil and soymilk instead of butter, and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Be sure to include onion, celery, carrot and even a green apple for their added benefits and more flavor.

 

 Butternut squash soup

 

Apples are an easy go-to snack this season, and you can mix it up by making Homemade Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips. Simply cut any flavor of apple into thin slices and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon. Bake them in the oven until crisp and enjoy!

 

 

bakedapplechips

 

Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals, and baking them to make Sweet Potato Fries is a fun, seasonal treat. Just peel and cut them into strips, toss them with a little bit of oil and seasoning, then put them on a sheet with parchment to bake.

 

3350565244_96b9a211d1

 

Keep it simple with Pear-Ginger Applesauce. All it takes is fresh ginger, lemon juice, apples and pears. It’s a sweet and tangy dish packed with immune boosting power from the ginger, fiber from the pears, antioxidants from the apples, vitamin C from the lemon juice and much, much more.

 

 6166204350_0f6ebc61bd

 

Another fall vegetable brimming with health benefits is the Brussels sprout. They support cardiovascular health, detox and digestion, and even have anti-cancer benefits. Be careful not to overcook them, otherwise they will give off an unpleasant sulfur smell. Cut each sprout into quarters and let them sit out for at least 5 minutes, then steam them for 5 minutes.

 

Basic Brussels Sprouts; Alton Brown

 

Last but not least, get in on the pumpkin spice craze with a Pumpkin Spice Smoothie. Just blend pumpkin, banana, almond milk, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and ground ginger until smooth – it’s that simple!

 

 Pumpkin+Smoothie9-2

 

 ~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY

469 7th Ave New York City, NY

Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
September 18, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Are Your Kids Making YOU Fat?

Back into the swing of things and we already feel the Snack Closet calling our name. We buy snacks for lunch, snacks for after school and snacks for sports.  Stealing one or two handfuls for yourself and then another for “just in case”. Before you know it, you ate half the bag of Goldfish. If only they didn’t eat those darn Goldfish! If only they ate vegetables and fruits. Not the candy, cakes and cookies…not to mention the ice cream!

 

Do these thoughts sound familiar? Are you constantly blaming your children for making you eat?  As parents, we know how very difficult it is to not buy that cake they love. You know, the one they beg for all the time, and when you buy it they only have one little tiny slice. The cake that you could inhale by just smelling it.  How are you expected to get through each day with all these delicious sweets and treats in the house? You have to take one piece or maybe two. A handful for me and one for you. What choice do you have? Do you have a choice?

 

Let’s think about this more clearly….Who bought the snacks? Are they really all the snacks your children like or are they some that you like as well? Or did you buy them because you like them and hope the kids will take a piece to make you feel a little better about buying and eating it?

 

When we really think about it thoroughly, it’s not the kids who are making us fat, it’s more likely that we are making our kids fat. We buy foods that we know are loaded with calories and sugar, but it’s okay because they are kids, right? When we’re really honest with ourselves, we realize this is not the case and it’s time to make the right choice.

 

Start by keeping the unhealthy snacks out of your home. If an indulgent treat is just a couple steps away, it’s more likely for you to give into it. Not to mention that giving in to your kids’ cravings is creating bad eating habits they may carry with them their whole life.

 

Next, lead by example. Show them that eating healthy is something to be proud of, not a way to punish yourself for bad behavior. When you start making healthy choices it will affect the people around you, especially your kids.

 

Check back later this week for healthy snacks you and your whole family can enjoy!

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
Read More
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
September 3, 2014By Josephine Fitzpatrick

BACK TO SCHOOL – BACK TO YOU!

Vacations are coming to an end and the children are back at school…now it’s time to get back to you. Why wait until New Year’s to make a resolution to lose weight and be healthy? September is a perfect month to start a “New You”.

 

With long work hours and after school sports here are a some IMPORTANT TIPS to make sure your September schedule is a healthy one that works for you:

 

1) PLAN YOUR WORKOUT IN THE MORNING:  When you plan to do your workout first thing in the morning you have an 80% chance of actually doing it. On the flip side, if you don’t do your workout first thing in the morning, you have an 80% chance of NOT doing it!

 

When we start with a morning workout, we are much more likely to have a better nutritional day. Why? Because mentally you have put yourself on track for the day. You will not want to ruin your hard work and effort with an unhealthy snack or meal.

 

If you are a stay-at-home parent, get the kids off to school and head to the gym. Don’t put it off until after you clean the house or get the laundry done. Before you know it, the kids will be getting off the bus as quickly as they got on. Head right to the gym. Follow up by running your errands and then head home and do your housework.

 

If you are a working parent, make the effort to get up an extra hour early and get your workout in.  It will change the dynamic of your day from okay to awesome! While I understand how difficult it can be to add an extra hour to your day, I can assure you it’s worth it, both mentally and physically. Your body will get used to it and in return, that extra hour will actually make you feel more healthy and energetic throughout the day.

 

2) REMEMBER: WORKOUTS ARE IN ADDITION TO HEALTHY FOODS, NOT IN REPLACE OF:  What exactly does that mean?  You are doing your workout so you can be healthy. If you want to lose weight in addition to clean eating it will help you lose even more weight; HOWEVER, you are NOT working out so you can eat whatever you want all day…AND you are NOT working out so you can eat more food throughout the day (even if it is healthy food – it’s still more). Workouts are to keep your body, mind, muscles and bones healthy and toned. In addition to a healthy eating plan, it will help you lose even more weight.

 

3) KEEP MOVING: When you are with your kids at after school sports, make sure you are not sitting, chatting and watching them. Even if you already worked out in the morning, grab some of the moms and dads and walk around the track or field. Unless it’s a game, you don’t need to watch your child practice. They have coaches to tell them how to play. They only need mom and dad to tell them what a great job they are doing and how amazing they are.

 

4) PLAN YOUR MEALS IN ADVANCE: Don’t ever start the day by winging it. If you don’t know what you are going to eat each day, it will most likely turn out bad.  Either the night before or the morning of, make sure you know exactly what you are going to eat. Plan it out: You should know what you are eating for your meals and snacks each day. If you don’t know, you can quickly turn a healthy day into an unhealthy day all because of lack of planning. More importantly, when you don’t plan it out, it sometimes means mentally you know you will go off that day. That’s why you don’t want to think about it. So make sure you know exactly what you are going to eat from the time you wake up until you go to bed. When you are proactive it will make all the difference in your day.

 

When you incorporate some time for yourself into your schedule you can really make a difference in how you look and feel. No one said it’s easy to be healthy and fit, but everyone will tell you it’s worth it.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, N& 10018
Read More