Talk about preparation and dishes! My sink was piled high! Now that all the dishes are clean and my refrigerator is packed with ready-to-go meals, I can breathe.

Here are the things I cooked to make it easier to follow an unprocessed diet.
4 servings of steel cut oats
1.5 pounds of chicken
Roasted asparagus, carrots and a sweet potato
Hard-boiled eggs
2 c. brown rice

In addition to this food I have plenty of fruit, spring mix (my favorite!) and lots of frozen spinach and broccoli. With all of these fail-safe options, I can make a clean and balanced meal without any fuss.

Though I have been eating mostly clean for several years, this challenge takes even more preparation and planning. I mapped out what I was going to eat for tomorrow and even what times I had to get the food in. With my schedule being all over the place, I have to make sure to have all the food I need with me and ready to go!

I had to visit Whole Foods before all this preparation to get a few of the missing ingredients I forgot on Saturday's grocery trip. Normally when I shop I don't even look at the tempting foods. I simply get what I need and get OUT of there. Today I found myself hanging around the cheese aisle, reading yogurt labels and gazing longingly at the hot food bar.

This goes to show that you only really want what you can't have! It was like I had to say goodbye to food I rarely even eat! I thought back about the days when I would eat so much prepared food, because it was easy. I was taking in so much sodium and fat my body was crying out for a cleanse. This was a few years ago, before I got into the business of fitness and health. 20 unhealthy pounds ago! I do not miss those convenient foods anymore when I think of how unhappy and unhealthy I was.

No more Pasta Sides for that girl! It is NOT worth it. In total, all that preparation took about 2 hours. This was also while cleaning up my house, getting work clothes ready for my early morning and catching up on Criminal Minds.

Preparation is the KEY! 

Day 1

The first step in my 28-day challenge was to visit my local grocery store and stock up on all of the needed clean eating foods. Most of my purchases took place in the produce aisle. I also stocked up on chicken breast, fish and eggs for that needed protein.
Returning home I made sure there were no temptations in my house. Removing any cheese, pasta (even though it's wheat) and anything else that doesn't fit into my challenge nutrition regiment. Goodbye for now wine!

In addition to my clean eating, I will be following a meal plan with a few supplements from a company called Advocare. I am testing out these products out on myself to see what their 24-day challenge can really do!

Spring is in the air!

Upon hearing birds chirping yesterday and feeling the itch for warm weather, I have decided to do some spring cleaning in my system. 

For 28 days, beginning Sunday, I am going to eat completely clean, abstain from alcohol, complex carbohydrates and anything processed. 

This challenge will not be easy. I already eat healthy but, as many of you know, I am human and do, indeed, have cheats. I enjoy my wine and cheese on occasion. 

I am not advocating that this “perfect” 28-day “diet” be a plan for life. It is merely a jumpstart and a cleanse to get my body running as efficiently as possible. 

Since I am sure this is going to be a major challenge, I am going to be blogging about this daily. I will include what I am eating and how it’s making me feel. I am going to be completely honest! I am doing this to show all of you that, while I KNOW this is HARD, it can be done. And it can be done with an extremely busy schedule. 

Along with my dietary changes, I am going to be taking at least a 15 minute walk after a meal (dinner would be best but as my schedule doesn’t allow, I am going to take my walk after lunch). During this walk, I am going to simply concentrate on my breath and allow the stresses of life to simply, NOT MATTER, for those 15 minutes. 

Just to clarify, these 28 days are NOT a vacation from exercise. Along with my 15 minute walks, I will be continuing with at least 5 days of exercise. My blog will include comments regarding my workouts and related energy levels. 

I invite any of you to join me in my personal challenge. You can take the entire challenge or take bits and pieces. This is “your ride.” 

Remember, it is not about the end of these 28 days, but about the journey through them.  

Rachel Carta, CPT, NASM
Feb. 25, 2012

• I am not a registered dietician and am only making note of what I am personally eating. Please consult a physician before making major changes to your diet and exercise. 
• During the first 24 days of my challenge I will be testing some products from Advocare. More information to follow regarding these products.