Simple Truth Products Review

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I received some coupons and a soda from the SimpleTruth line, available exclusively at Kroger. I sampled their line, and here's what I've got to say!

"Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic are open, honest and affordable foods that represent the joy of eating closer to the way nature intended. Making better food choices just got a whole lot simpler with clean packaging and easy-to-understand ingredient statements that take the chore out of selecting organic, “free from 101” and natural foods.

All items are free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients so you can feel better about the delicious food you serve your loved ones. With a full line of products from meat and produce to dairy and canned goods, you’ll find Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic exclusively at the Kroger Family of Grocery Stores." 

I love that the products are free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients. This is EXACTLY what clean eating is ALL about! I sampled all flavors of their sodas, and they were all delicious. The only thing I did not like was the high sugar content of each soda- so I would split one soda with a friend, and water it down- it was still delicious!

They also had some great meal replacement bars. Philip tried one that had graham crackers and chocolate in it- like a smore! He raved about it.

I'll be honest, I was hesitant to try any of the products, because you know how picky I am about my ingredients! I was sure that I would find SOME suspicious ingredient or preservative. I was wrong- not one to be found.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend the line of Simple Truth products. You can trust them, and they are exactly what we clean-eaters should be consuming.

**I received free coupons and product samples in from the Simple Truth brand in exchange for my honest feedback. Other than that, I am not affiliated with the Simple Truth brand in any way.

Fitness Evaluation Results... Ouch.

I joined a new gym. I was a member of one of those 24 hour gym facilities, but let's be honest- after spending the entire day caring for a 2 year old and a 7 month old, the last thing I want to do is head to the gym when I've finally got a chance to sit down. And Taco Bell is SO much more tempting at 10:30 or 11 at night. Especially when I can say, "I just burned like 300 calories... I've earned taco bell, right?"

If you are thinking, "Hey, that sounds like me...", consider joining a fitness facility like the one I joined. I checked out a few local ones in my area, and finally decided on Christus Schumpert Wellness South. Here are a few things I looked for:

Childcare (What better incentive to get up and go to the gym every morning, than to have a break from your children? I love them, but mommy needs to be alone sometimes.)
Shower facilities (Now I can shower without a 2 year old audience asking my about all of my body parts! And I can pee alone! Every mother's dream!)

Classes

Included in my membership was a fitness evaluation. Here is what you can expect at a fitness evaluation:

A cardio test

A measurement of the fat on your body

A sit-ups test

A push-ups test

So, after 4 months of eating clean, I was curious to know how I would do. And I figured, it would be nice to have a complete record of where I was in the beginning (or close to it.)

Results

Resting heart rate - 78 BPM - Average
For this, I have a legitimate excuse- I had just carried 1 carseat, 1 two year old, a diaper bag, and a gym bag into childcare. That was practically a workout in itself. However, I'd like to see this get lower.

Resting Blood Pressure- 110/70 - Optimal

Target Heart Rate- 155-175 BPM

Aerobic Capacity- 44.77 (ml/kg/min-1) - 89th percentile ranking/Above Average

Girth Measurements

            Forearm-          10 in
            Upper Arm-      11.5 in

            Chest-              39.75 in

            Waist-              33.75 in

            Hips-                41 in

            Thigh-              24 in

            Calf-                14.75 in

Total-               174.75

And here is the part I really didn't like... I have 27% body fat. Ugh. And at first I thought, "Well... I'm sure that's pretty average for women my age..." until the trainer so kindly informed me that I was in the 10th percentile. Oh. Well. That sucks. I rank well below average. Meaning my body fat percentage? Well above average.

So, THAT, my friends, is where I have found renewed motivation and determination. BMI can be such an inaccurate assessment of health. Just google "body fat percentage", and you can see how someone with the same BMI and a different body fat percentage can look completely different. 

September Clean Eating Update

I honestly cannot believe I'm still eating clean. I mean, I can believe it, because it's not that hard, but I can't believe it because I usually find it really hard to stick to "diets". I don't really consider this a diet, because its really an entire change in the way I look at food.

I feel so much better now! I don't eat to the point that I am miserably full. I actually think about what I put into my body, and I have learned ways to satisfy cravings (Krispy Kreme doughnuts, anyone?) without eating those bad things. (I substitute a chocolate protein shake for chocolate doughnuts.)

My weight is staying at 173, which is okay with me, because I really just need to kick my exercise a notch (or 50. ha.) I joined a local gym with childcare this week (YAY) so now I can go during the day when staying home with the kids is proving to be too much for me. I get to workout, have some mommy time, and shower without a 2 year old audience yelling at me, and the kids get to play with other kids (Ok, Lily gets to. Kingston gets to watch.)

Black-eyed Pea Stew

Yesterday, I realized I had a bag full of black-eyed peas that was just sitting in my cabinet, and as much as I hate the things, my husband LOVES them. So I did some searching and found this recipe for Spicy Black-eyed Pea and Tomato Stew from "Keep It Simple Foods".

I modified it a bit to use what I had in my kitchen, and it actually turned out reallllly good. I don't even like black eyed peas, but I liked this. It was so good, I can't wait to make it during the wintertime- it will be perfect to warm us up! Here is my modified recipe:

Black-eyed Pea Stew

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (if using dry beans, cook fully before adding them to the stew)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 small sliced squash (Any vegetables can be used- I just had 3 squash that I needed to use. I hardly even noticed them in the stew.)

1 cup of corn (I used frozen.)

2 tomatoes, diced

1 small can of tomato paste

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon coriander

1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil, onions and garlic on medium heat. Cook until onions are slightly browned.

2. Add squash and tomatoes, cook for 3-5 more minutes. The squash do not have to be fully cooked yet as they will finish cooking when we add the remaining ingredients.

3. Add remaining ingredients (corn, black eyed peas, water, tomato paste, spices, Tabasco sauce). Stir, bring to a boil, and cook about 3-5 minutes, or until corn and squash are done. If you want your stew thicker, cook for longer.

My very picky husband really liked this. I suggested that we could serve it over rice (he loves rice too, haha), but he had finished his bowl before I could even get the rice out. I served ours with a size of Ezekiel 4:20 bread. I don't even like black-eyed peas, but I loved this. Can't wait to eat our leftovers!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

I'm out of fruit... Nooooo... But I weigh...

I'm in the midst of a dilemma. I'm out of apples, grapes, and strawberries. And I'm on my 3rd banana for today.

Do you have a favorite fruit that you can't get enough of? That's apples and grapes for me. I love strawberries, but the rate at which the grow mold disturbs me. (Not that I ever waste perfectly good strawberries by forgetting them in the fridge and letting them grow mold for weeks..... o.O)

I'm still eating clean! However... I went to Baton Rouge Saturday for a Pampered Chef show with my dear friends Laura and Meredith, and although I did pretty well on Saturday, I had some sushi (that was most definitely cooked- I don't do raw fish) on Saturday night. And on the drive home on Sunday I treated myself to some Burger King.
It's not a big deal to me though, because I've been trying to eat clean 100% of the time, and most people only do it 80/20 or 70/30. I just can't be an 80/20er. I'll end up being a 20/80er if I tried. :D

The scale is reading 174.5! ('m excited about that. I weighed between 168 and 173 when I went to the beach about 5 years ago, before I met my husband, got married, and had kiddos. So my initial goal weight is 173. Although Phil says I'm "bikini-worthy". Let's give him the stretch marks and excess skin that two carrying two adorable children blesses you with, and see how "bikini-worthy" he feels. Not very? Yeah. That's what I thought. :D

Anyway, that's all I've got for right now. I'll share a recipe for clean eating enchilada casserole tonight- I've been cooking a lot of chicken breasts and veggies lately and haven't been feeling experimental. I need to go scrounge up some more good recipes.

Got Questions? Post them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!!

I'm still here!

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm STILL here though, and I'm still eating clean!

I confess, I ate one unclean meal. My husband took me to the Village for dinner, and I started with a clean salad, but then it progressed to the steak on a bed of mashed potatoes covered with mushroom cream sauce. And then it was followed with a mini dessert. Which I hardly could eat.
On the way home from dinner I just felt yucky. Not necessarily sick to my stomach, not necessarily like I ate too much, but just yucky. Like my body could already tell this food was different than what it has been eating for the past few weeks.

But, that was the only time! :)

Philip has quickly hopped off the clean-eating bandwagon, but has agreed to eat clean at home, and to not bring any tempting goodies into the house. He eats what he wants at lunch, and doesn't ask for McDonald's at 11pm anymore. :D

I've found some really good recipes (some are sweets... YUM...) that I've been making. I'll share them soon- they are delicious!

Haven't gotten a chance to weigh yet. :( I will soon though! And I will update y'all on it! :)

1 week in!

Well, I weighed in yesterday at....

176.5!

I lost 4 pounds last week (I'm kinda shocked!) and did not cheat once! So proud of myself for my commitment!

The more I eat clean, the more I find myself wanting to learn more about how to take better care of my body. It's pretty neat.

Before I started eating clean, I had fast food at LEAST 3 times a week (probably normally 5-6 times a week). I actually craved fast food. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized I haven't had fast food in a week! That's quite an accomplishment for this family.

I am eating allll the time. Never hungry. Cooking a lot more, which I enjoy more than I thought I would. I've also found I'm spending more time with my husband cooking and less time with my husband watching tv or playing on the computer.

My biggest challenges this first week were when we went out to eat- I got a salad- and when I had a cooking show. I am a Pampered Chef Independent Consultant, and my hostess wanted us to prepare Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup and fresh Salsa. That soup is GOOD. But not clean. So I passed on it. I tried the salsa (with no chips, lol) and it was good. Clean too!

All in all, I can say I actually ENJOYED my first week of eating clean. :)