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6 Daily Habits That Blast Belly Fat Fast

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Nobody wants to have a big fat belly, I’m not entirely sure if even Santa Clause wants his bowl full of jelly (oh, that rhymes!). Anyway, while diets and workout are tried and tested methods to burn fat as quickly as possible, I have 6 habits you can do that will most definitely be a great arsenal for your weight loss goals, and everybody could always a use a helping hand on the fight against obesity and hopefully get one step closer to that ideal beach body you are aiming for.

Ditch the soda – If you’ve read a lot of my other articles, this is perhaps one of the most useful ways to burn fat. Well not necessarily burn fat since this is more of a way to avoid unnecessary sugars and calories that sneak into your body. Some people enjoy a salad for lunch but side it with a diet soda, sadly even though you are doing a lot for weight loss with the salad, the drink will add on unwanted calories, plus it is so easy to consume a whole can or bottle of soft drinks, you’re literally drinking your allotted calories for the day. Want that weight loss goal? Put down that soda my friend, swap it out for water. Water not only has zero calories, it’s refreshing and helps the body process more of the fats it consumes thus leading on to quite a bit on burn fat front and that’s your goal.

whole wheat to burn belly fat

Up your carb game by taking in whole wheat in your meals. Unrefined carbs do a lot of good for your body, better than the processed ones.

The coffee habit upgrade – A lot of people drink coffee in the morning or even throughout the day, that’s all fine and what not however you need to step up if you plan to consume a cup or two on a daily basis. Black coffee is essentially without calories but when we start adding sugar and cream, that’s when the calorie count balloons and let’s just say that it won’t help you burn fat. If you really need that caffeine in the morning, keep it simple and black.  In fact if you can change your habit, turn it to green tea. I am a strong advocate of green tea, as the antioxidants in each cup are just phenomenal in helping you burn fat. Studies have shown that regular drinkers of green tea tend to be ahead in the weight loss department.

Change your carb game – Carbs aren’t created equal, that is for sure, but a lot of people have such a different perception of carbs that they tend to avoid it altogether. Try to consume unrefined carbs instead of the processed ones and you’ll see that you are making leeway on your campaign to burn fat. Instead of regular white rice or bread, go with a cup of quinoa or whole wheat bread, make sure it says whole wheat and not just wheat, as even that is a big difference. Ideally if you really want to move forward with weight loss, go with clean eating and for more on that, read on my other article.

The dark chocolate habit – Yes you read it right, include some dark chocolate on a daily basis and watch your body burn fat better than before. This is no dream, dark chocolate is really good for you with all the antioxidants it comes with and a study showed that moderate consumption of dark chocolate often lead to weight loss for a number of people in the study. It doesn’t mean you can over eat since it still has sugar in it, but wow who would have thought that if you want to burn fat you need to eat chocolate? Dark chocolate but chocolate nonetheless, that stuff is just heavenly, don’t you agree?

Walnut it up – Saturated fats are really bad for you and they are all around you, sources of saturated fats are in red meats and a ton of baked goods. These saturated fats will definitely make it difficult for you to burn fat as you go along, so it is ideal to avoid them as much as possible. On the other end of the spectrum are polyunsaturated fats, these fats in particular are powerful allies in your quest to burn fat. Polyunsaturated fats helps triggers a gene that reduces fat storage and improves insulin metabolism, which will most definitely help you with weight loss. One of the best sources of polyunsaturated fats is the simple walnut, make sure to consume a serving or two on a daily basis and you can really start to burn fat as you go along. Personally I like crushing up a small serving and mixing it with my oats in the morning or even in my yogurt to give it a different texture and really pairs off well with my dessert. Enjoy it anyway you want just make sure to find a way to consume it daily so that you will move forward with your weight loss goals.

Dark chocolate for weight loss

With moderate, regular eating of dark chocolate, you’re in win-win situation. Dark ones are the healthy kind, while it also satisfies your sweet tooth cravings!

Get a full night’s worth of sleep – There is nothing more important a full night’s rest and if you want to burn fat from your belly, getting that full night of rest has never been more important. When you lack sleep not only are you sluggish, forgetful and a little duller, your metabolism speed tanks and you end up getting hungry at inopportune times in the day. Since you also tend to make poorer decisions due to the lack of sleep, you end up putting food that you wouldn’t normally eat when you are trying to get ahead of the weight loss game. In fact there have been studies showing that the later you sleep at night, the slower your metabolism rate goes, and that’s just staying up late, add to that lack of sleep and you have a pretty big obstacle against your plans to burn fat. Get your body working to its optimal rate, make sure that you get a full night’s rest and watch it burn fat as well as it could.

These 6 habits are some of the most ideal in my opinion, if you keep doing this on a daily basis you should advance towards your goal to burn fat from your belly. Add in some exercise and a great diet and your weight loss is pretty much assured considering a few factors here and there. Just make sure that every time you test anything new, take your time with it, although we live in a world of instant results, some things are worth strolling along for. Becoming healthy and fit is something that everyone should make the time for, it may not happen overnight but at the very least with these 6 habits, you’ll be making progress towards weight loss. Enjoy the journey and when you get to your weight loss destination enjoy it even more, you’ll be glad you took the time and picked up these 6 habits in order to improve your body’s ability to burn fat and achieve that most wanted weight loss targets you’ve been dreaming of.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Bunyadi – A Truly Naked Restaurant

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bunyadi, if the name of this pop up restaurant has yet to reach your ears I’m sure you’re in for a big surprise. It will open this coming June and will only be open for about 3 months, the location is undisclosed, aside from it will be in London but the website is up with a few details, yet this little idea has garnered quite a bit of interest. As usual, a temporary restaurant isn’t much news, but what really sets it apart is the fact that this restaurant will be a completely naked experience. And when I mean naked, I mean naked!

This restaurant will have two sections, one area will be clothed and the other will be naked or as they call it “pure.” While the two sections will have quite some cuisine in it, I am sure you want to know more about the naked section so let’s get into that.

The pure section will have waiters who will also be bare, but do not be shy, all diners will be as well. To make sure that the sanctity of the place be kept to diners and service crew only, all electronics must be checked in the doorway. The idea is to keep it as simple as possible, and this does not only extend to clothing.

Bunyadi vegan and non-vegan menu sample

A glimpse of Bunyadi’s sample menu (Courtesy of Bunyadi)

The menu for the Bunyadi will have non-vegan and vegan menus that will be cooked on wood fire only, served on handmade cutlery and plates, there is even some news that it will serve a raw vegan diet which is just astounding. The idea is to take people back to when things were simpler, unadulterated and quite frankly more free, as stated on the press release they placed on their website. As you may or may not know I am a powerful advocate of the vegan lifestyle and the raw vegan is considered extreme by a lot of people but the consumption of raw food in the nude has never been quite hand-in-hand.

The Bunyadi invites people to experience the sheer nakedness of simplicity dining and the enjoyment of it as well, while being naked is not a compulsory need, the option is indeed very catchy I’d imagine. Seeing as of today they have over 38,000 potential diners who have listed themselves on the waiting list for tickets, I’d say it is beyond catchy. The only problem is, the Bunyadi is set to have only a 42 seating capacity so a lot of people are set up not to be able to experience it in this upcoming 3 month opening.

Bunyadi furniture

Bunyadi announces the arrival of their furniture for the naked restaurant. (photo courtesy of Bunyadi)

Bunyadi is a project of the Lollipop collective, a group dedicated to thinking up of unique events or experiences for a discerning community and quite frankly the Bunyadi seems to be living up to the experience. I can confidently say that it has caught the attention of quite a few diners in the UK and quite frankly if I was in the area I would sign up on the ticket line as well.

For more on Bunyadi, please visit their website at: www.thebunyadi.com. Stay healthy!

5 Best Healthy Fats For Your Body And The Wonderful Things They Can Do For You

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food, Health | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

While a lot of people cringe at the word: fat, one should know that there are in fact a lot of fats out there that are considered healthy fats and we should not shy away from them at all. These healthy fats have great beneficial effects on our bodies and we should really get more and more of them, if you want to get healthy and put some clean eating under your belt, get as much of these fats as you can. In this article, not only will I share what fats are considered as healthy fats, I’ll also share where you can find these healthy fats and how you can enjoy them.

Now I will warn you ahead of time, the list seems to cross over a bit but there are healthy fats that are in need of special mention. Take the time to look for these healthy fats in various foods but as you’ll be able to see, I’ll have a number of good sources but you should always check for preferred sources of healthy fats, there are a ton and you can find them all over.

Polyunsaturated fats – These are just some of the fats out there and you should get a ton of these healthy fats as much as possible. These healthy fats not only lower your overall cholesterol level, they also reduce the storage of fat while increasing the metabolism of insulin within the body and that’s just an amazing plus for these wonderful fats. One of the best sources for is definitely the walnut, which a lot of you may know is one of the ideal nuts in most clean eating plans out there. The walnut is very versatile and can be added in any appetizer, entrée or dessert, heck you can even eat it on it’s own and you’ll get all the healthy fats you’ll need. Take two servings a day to get as much polyunsaturated fats that would best help your body process your insulin and fat storage.

walnuts have healthy fats

Walnuts have polyunsaturated fats which makes it even greater to munch on or add in desserts.

Monounsaturated fats – Given that we just listed at how awesome polyunsaturated fats are for you, I would be amiss if I didn’t mention monounsaturated fats in my top 5 list of healthy fats. If you have problems with bad cholesterol like a lot of people do, monounsaturated fats are your friend then. As one of the healthy fats that can handle bad cholesterol, it will definitely lower the risk of heart ailments and strokes, which no one really wants. Additionally these healthy fats are great at producing nutrients that maintains your body’s cells. A great source for these healthy fats are avocados and I don’t have to tell you that there are a ton of things you can do with avocados. I personally like them maybe in my salad or as a lovely add on to my shake, with avocados there are so much you can do that the hardest part is deciding which part of your meal you want to include them in.

Omega – Ok while these are considered mostly polyunsaturated fats, the omega acids are some of the best in healthy fats that you should be looking for. Not only are they helpful in cognitive functions, such as memory recall, memory retention and so forth, but they are great for the skin. Want that youthful glow? Take a big helping of omega-3 and watch your skin sparkle. Additionally they are considered essential building blocks for the body and should be sought after by anyone who wants to grow up healthy and strong. Now these healthy fats can be found in fatty fish or for those of you who want to stick with clean eating try soy, walnuts and canola oil to name a few places to find these healthy fats. Make sure you get enough of these wonderful healthy fats in order to maximize your brain functions especially as the years go by, you can never have a good enough memory in my honest opinion.

Lauric acids – This healthy fats is found in a lot of food and helps you improve your cholesterol and kills a ton of bacteria and pathogens that nobody really wants in their bodies. A great and wonderful source of these healthy fats is found in one of the most used clean eating oils to date: coconut oil. As you may have heard, coconut oils have saturated fats which was once thought to be harmful to us people however as the studies progressed it was found that they do not indeed harm us in any way unless we over consume it, but truth be told that could be said about anything as well. If you really want to get into clean eating and get healthy fats into your system, trade up your usual cooking oil for coconut oils and I am sure you will see the effects within a week or two, maybe even sooner if you pair it up with clean eating. Speaking of which I have another article which I shared awhile back titled: The how to guide of clean eating.

Avocados have healthy fats

Monounsaturated fats are good for your body and this means avocado lovers have something more to be happy about.

Alpha Linolenic Acid – Wow that was a mouthful wasn’t it? But trust me when I say you want to get a mouthful of these healthy fats in you. These healthy fats are great at treating diseases that are heart and blood vessel related, plus it is an essential building block for the human body’s growth and development. It’s actually found in omega-3 acids and well, as you know omega-3 is just phenomenal for your entire body so let’s take it one step further. Now as you know anything with good omega-3 acids in it is probably a good source of alpha linolenic acid but another good option is flaxseed oil. However even if this is an oil, you shouldn’t really use it to cook, maybe as an add on to other meals but I suggest adding it to your soup, maybe even smoothies or perhaps in a salad or two. The sky is the limit for flaxseed oil and you can find how you best prefer to get it into your life but for sure you want to get alpha linolenic acid in your system.

These are just some of the best fats that you should and can find in a number of food. Take the time to plan it into your diet, maybe even keep it in your meals each week. There are other options if the ones above don’t agree with you and all you need is a good meal or two in order to get those healthy fats into you plus if you have a clean habit going, don’t worry, a lot of these healthy fats are found in a number of food swaps, nuts and healthy oils that you will undoubtedly use in a number of your meals. All that’s left to do is prepare the meal and enjoy the rest of your day, with all these healthy fats around, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the rest of my day too.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

The Dangers Of Sleep Deprivation, The Things That Go Bump In The Night

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Health | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sleep deprivation is something that is often overlooked as one of the greatest issues that we usually ignore. Sleep is often ignored as a basic essential, at the very least most people tend to take as little sleep as possible, this is a very serious matter and sleep should be a very important factor in healthy living. Now just in case you don’t know how bad sleep deprivation really affects you, I decided to write this article in order to stress how you shouldn’t just shrug off sleep deprivation.

Accident prone – When you are under the influence of sleep deprivation, you tend to get a little sloppy and end up making mistakes.  A lot of traffic accidents occur due to lack of sleep and even a lot of house accidents are due to sleep deprivation rather than other factors. You wouldn’t operate heavy machinery under the influence of anything, so why do you do things with your own body while you are sleep deprived?

Opening the doors to diseases – There are a ton of diseases waiting outside the door of sleep deprivation and believe me, you don’t want to open that door. Aside from the fact that a complete sleep cycle is important to your healthy living endeavors, sleep deprivation can lead to heart diseases, increased blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and much more. I don’t know about you but I’d rather avoid all of those as much as possible.

Sex drive killer – Yes, sleep deprivation does decrease libido. A few studies of sleep deprivation lead to show results of both men and women having noticeably lower libidos after a few nights of lacking sleep. A healthy sex drive is rather important for healthy living, while it is not everything in a healthy lifestyle, it is still a very important factor in people’s lives.

Depression can sneak in – Studies show that people with depression and anxiety tend to sleep less, in fact they are likely to sleep less than 6 hours a day. Insomnia one of the most well known sleep disorders has a very strong link to depression. People who are under the sleep deprivation are more likely to develop depression rather than those who have a full cycle of sleep and I’m not sure if you heard, but depression seriously takes a hit on any healthy living plans you may have.

unhealthy eating due to sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation make people more prone to stress which can lead to unhealthy and uncontrollable eating. A bad habit especially when you’re trying to venture into a clean eating lifestyle.

Skin problems – I know you don’t need me to tell you this, as the effects can be seen simply by looking into a mirror. Your skin becomes clammy, your eyes are prone to eye bags and the bloodshot eyes are always a nice clue to sleep deprivation. I’m sure you’ve experienced a few night’s of restlessness before an important event and for some reason you can’t seem to get your look right no matter what you do, jot that down to the lack of sleep and be ready for a rough day.

Motor skills and memory challenge – When a person is under a serious amount of sleep deprivation, their intelligence and memory functions tend to be less than ideal for most situations. A sleep deprived person is usually a leading factor in forgetful people’s memory loss, additionally further studies show that one’s intelligence takes a serious hit when you lack sleep as well. For better memory and cognitive functions, while supporting the healthy living lifestyle, get your full hours of sleep, you’ll notice the difference quite instantly.

Hunger pangs – If the list above is not enough to warn you about how bad sleep deprivation is for you, if you are trying to lose weight then you best be getting your full sleep cycle. There have been studies showing that lack of sleep leads to hunger more often during the day, and not to add more that but when you are also sleepy, you tend to make very poor choices with the food and snacks you opt to eat. So not only are you eating more when you are under the influence of sleep deprivation, you end up eating a lot of poor choices for your meals or snacks, not a good idea for healthy living. Just in case you are looking for clean eating snacks and if you do end up snacking due to sleep deprivation, it would be ideal to have some clean eating meals ready for snacks, read up on my other article: Clean eating on the go.

Death  – Whoa, that sounded scarier than I thought but yes, the lack of sleep could in fact lead to death. That’s as bad as it gets. Of course this is rather extreme and while sleep deprivation increases the risk of dying from various other causes such as accidents and diseases, I am being overly dramatic when I say that it will cause direct death, however one never knows with enough lack of sleep, well… let’s just say make sure you get a full night’s rest.

Less rest for your brain – The brain needs to rest on a daily basis, considering you use it for pretty much everything you do on a daily basis, the more rest you get the better it is for you. Now if you lack sleep and end up needing your brain, which chances are you do, well it won’t be at 100% if you are still lacking sleep. Did I mention you should not miss out on sleep?

Mood swings – Now this one doesn’t need much explanation, at one point or another you’ve tried to function under the influence of sleep deprivation and you might notice that you are a little moody to say the least. Well you can pretty much attribute it to the lack of sleep, especially since studies show that when you are lacking sleep you tend to get a lot of mood swings. Again the solution is simple: go to bed!

Sleep deprivation and stress

Stress can lead to depression and mood swings. These and far much worse can result from bad sleeping habits.

Impaired judgment – Lack of sleep leads to poor judgment, so if you need to use your judgment make sure you get a full night’s rest. When you are sleepless you tend to make poor decisions when sleepy, as you can tell with the hunger pangs, this is a very important factor. Make sure to get your hours in bed before any big decisions.

Well as you can see, sleep deprivation is pretty bad for you. There are a ton of reasons why you should take the whole cycle of sleep, again there are a number of reasons listed above that should convince you to hit the sack, however I am not forcing this on you, find out on your own, test the waters but trust me when I say that you really need to sleep. In order to keep up with your healthy living options or lifestyle, make sure that a full night’s rest is something that is on your list, move everything else aside from this, as it is non-negotiable for anyone who needs the basic functions of his or her brain, after all if you don’t get enough sleep you won’t be able to function properly.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Simple Power Yoga Moves For The Stressed Executive

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

So you’ve started the exercise known as yoga, which as you know is a great remedy for stress and a wonderful gateway to fitness, and my friends, you are so right about that. I understand however that it is difficult to tear yourself away to from work considering you are an executive or someone who has crucial inputs for the business that can’t simply steal away for a relaxing session of yoga, I completely understand that. With that simple reason, I am happy to share with you some yoga moves that are not only easy to do in the few minutes you have free in the office, but they are a great way to relieve stress along the way.

Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot insist how important it is to handle your stress. Stress leads to a lot of ailments, potentially detrimental to your fitness as well, and don’t get me started on the stress eating bit. However worry not my friends, if you have done some yoga and you are dying to get to a session but can’t, do these simple moves in the office and you will have a powerful arsenal against stress.

Breathing technique – This is essential for most if not all of the yoga poses below, this will help you beat stress and keep your fitness in check too, and it’s as simple as breathing in and out. All you need to do is breath in deeply and exhale via your nose to make sure to maximize the yoga exercises.

Neck stretches – Alright this is a fairly simple yoga move that can alleviate so much stress it should be illegal. All you need to do is simply sit up straight on a chair, move your neck up and down, allowing your head to sway along, do this for a few times. Next up is left and right, again repeat for a few turns. After that in this yoga pose, all you need to do is rotate your neck clockwise and then counter clockwise, once more repeat a few times. I’m sure you can feel some knots in your neck loosen and you just relieved yourself of some unwanted stress. Combine it with the breathing technique and you’ll feel a lot less tired.

Neck stretch yoga at work

Neck stretches are one of the simplest ways to relieve tension and stress at work. Include it in your quick breaks to refresh your mind and body.

Shoulder rotation – This simple yoga technique starts with you either seated down or standing, just make sure you have enough space around you. Place each finger on their respective shoulders, aka left fingers on top of your left shoulder, right fingers on the right shoulder. Very easily and steadily rotate both shoulders, moving the elbows in a clockwise direction for a few times and feel your body groan in pleasure. Now repeat anticlockwise and feel a familiar and pleasurable squeal of your body. That was it, feels good doesn’t it?

Shoulder stretch – This, and I use this term fittingly, delicious yoga pose is wonderful for both fitness and stress. Bring your right arm above your head and your left behind your back, now reach for the fingers and interlock. If done correctly, your fingers should be right behind your neck give or take, maybe a little below. Now at this point just breath as deeply as you can, you will feel your shoulders stretch and a little gentle strain will rush through your body, hold it for a few seconds and then release. Switch hands and repeat, then smile as you have just finished another simple yoga pose.

Arm stretch – You can decide to do this standing or seated, either or works for this yoga exercise. All you need to do is interlock your fingers together but with the palms facing outward, yes I realize that is a little confusing but when you are able to do it, you’ll understand. Your starting position is to have the interlocked hands right in front of your chest, now using the breathing technique described above, slowly stretch your arms as far as you can while breathing in. As you return to starting position exhale, and feel the stress crawl away from your body.

Backward stretch – Let’s keep the simple yoga exercises going with this one, start off by standing straight with your shoulders to your sides. Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders upwards, hold for a few seconds and release it as you exhale. Repeat a few more times and watch as the knot in your back slowly vanishes with each exhale.

Prayer pose – Again stay standing and put your hands together in front of you in this yoga stretch, keep the elbows at a 90 degree angle as much as possible as well. Now simply breath in and push your palm and fingers to the left side, allowing the left wrist to bend backwards, exhale and allow the stress to leave your body. Repeat with the other wrist and enjoy as the tension in your body drains away with each yoga breath.

Leg lift – Next up on the yoga poses: leg lift. All you need is a chair, which you sit on the edge of, this is not a pun for anything else mind you, as you simply do not lean on the back of the chair and rely completely on your back strength to keep you seated up right. With both feet flat on the floor, gently lift up one foot a few inches off the floor while doing your best to keep your body straight. Use the breathing technique as much as you can and gently put your foot back down, you’ll feel the stress hit the floor as well. It’s a beautiful thing when that happens.

Knee ups – Remained seated but this time rest your back against the back of the chair and hold the base with both hands at your side. For this yoga pose, keep both feet planted firmly on the floor and gently raise them using your knees up to your chest. Make sure you are using the breathing technique to maximize the yoga exercise effect and hold for a few seconds, slowly put your feet back to the beginning position. Repeat as needed and avoid a rolling chair for this, you’ll thank me in the long run.

back stretch yoga at work

Our back usually gets a lot of stress from sitting at work. Back stretches are a great way to relieve tension in the muscles.

Back twist – Keep that chair handy for this yoga pose, now sit up straight and use your right hand to reach for the back of the chair but make sure your elbow passes the front of your chest. You’ll notice that you are twisting a little already and for this fitness exercise. Now twist your upper body towards the arm that is gripping the chair, now let the breathing strengthen the relaxation and remove even more stress as you eventually return to starting position. Now switch arms and do it again.

I’m sure there are a ton more yoga exercises that can be done and you can keep looking into new ones so it doesn’t get stale. Just take a few minutes a day to do these exercises to manage your stress and fitness, and you’ll feel like you have much more energy on a daily basis. Pair it off with a morning ritual, like in the article I have: Morning stretching routines and you will feel better on a daily basis. All that’s left to do is to get off that chair and start doing yoga!

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Fat Burning Foods, Lose Weight Fast By Boosting Your Metabolism

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness, Food | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

As pretty much a fair number of us are hard pressed to find a way to lose weight fast, there have been quite a few diets here and there, that have surfaced directing you to do this and that, there have been workout routines that boast of losing weight faster than another method. That’s all well and great, and quite frankly I am a strong advocate of both methods, exercise and a well-planned diet of course. However I would like to share with you some food that will help you lose weight fast by helping your metabolism. These metabolism boosting foods will not only stave of fat and help you digest the food that you intake, they are also quite delicious and good for you.

What is metabolism anyways? As biology defines it: metabolism is the chemical processes by which a plant or an animal uses food, water, etc., to grow and heal and to make energy. So to simplify it, this is a way we take care of the food we intake, so the faster our metabolism the more food gets processed and the more we burn it. So if you want to lose weight fast, you definitely want to make sure that you take the time and update your diet in order to add a lot of metabolism boosting foods along the way.

Fish – It isn’t a surprise that fish is on the list of metabolism boosting foods, is it? The healthy fats in fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids that are just great at increasing the metabolic rate. A nice hot salmon with some herbs and spices and you have me giddy in my seat. If you really want to lose weight fast, fish is the choice for you.

Green Tea – It is no secret that I strongly recommend the consumption of green tea. The antioxidant rich drink is a great way to lose weight fast and the EGCG compound in it is also a reinforcement of it being one of the greats in metabolism boosting foods. This drink is just perfect if you want to lose weight fast and I’ll be honest, a cup of green tea after a nice vegan meal is just heavenly in my opinion.

Yogurt – Among metabolism boosting foods, this calcium rich food has a ton of probiotics and the good bacteria that can help your body process any calories you take in. To lose weight fast this is a great way to get some good bacteria in your body and it is also a great substitute for dessert, which usually comes in great amounts of sugar.

Cucumbers – This is a awesome vegetable is a great way to lose weight fast. Not only is it low in calories but studies show that it ‘cools’ down your body and helps hydrate it which will further help your metabolism, making it one of the top contenders in the metabolism boosting foods category. Let’s not discount the vitamins and versatility of the vegetable to be added in a ton of diets, so if you want to lose weight fast, start adding cucumber to your diet now.

Broccoli boosts metabolism

Aside from being tasty, broccolis are very nutritious and high in calcium . A good aid in boosting metabolism!

Broccoli – The calcium inside a stalk of broccoli is just amazing. As mentioned above calcium helps the metabolic state of your body and is a key to lose weight fast. Aside from the calcium it still has a ton of vitamins that is essential to growth and is delicious to boot, what more could you ask for in metabolism boosting foods?

Spinach – This vitamin c empowered vegetable is part of the metabolism boosting foods, as the vitamin c is a key vitamin for metabolism, spinach is a very essential food to include in your diet if you want to lose weight fast. Again the other vitamins in spinach are nothing to scoff at either, so keep adding spinach in your meals to lose weight fast.

Chili Peppers – While I am sure there are people who love chili peppers and quite a few who don’t, this is something that must be added into a diet if you really want to lose weight fast. As one of the metabolism boosting foods, chili peppers and many other naturally spicy ingredients, has capsaicin and that is where they get their heat. Not only does capsaicin help metabolism it tends to give off a lot more positive effects such as a blood thinner effect, an anti inflammatory and let’s face it, the extra kick in food is pretty cool. I’m not saying you should chomp down on a whole bowl of chili peppers here or anything like that but keep it in a meal or two so that you can lose weight fast.

Lentils – A great source of protein and a good way to lose weight fast. Among the metabolism boosting foods, lentils can give you a lot of protein, which is a major helper in the metabolic stages of your body. Lentils are easy to add to pretty much anyone’s diet plans and is a leading ingredient for clean eating. If you want to know more about clean eating, check out my other article: Clean eating the how-to guide.

Nuts – Not only are they a great snack that will help you lose weight fast, these little guys will help you power up your metabolism by giving you protein. Make sure to only eat a handful now and again; while nuts give a lot of natural health benefits, it is quite easy to overeat them as they are just so snackable. Yes I realize that is not a real word, but for some reason the term snackable is very apt for nuts.

Lean Meats – While I am a vegan, I understand that not everyone reading this article is. So those who do eat meat, keep it lean, as it will provide the iron your body greatly needs. While it is not exactly part of the metabolism boosting foods group that we have been discussing, deficiency in iron leads to slower metabolism and that in turn will be a major obstacle in your goal to lose weight fast.

Your breakfast can be a metabolism-booster too! Oats and whole grain foods work well in helping the body speed up metabolism, pushing you much closer to your fat-burning goals.

Your breakfast can be a metabolism-booster too! Oats and whole grain foods work well in helping the body speed up metabolism, pushing you much closer to your fat-burning goals.

Whole Grains – These are another champion of clean eating, as the body needs to use more energy to break down whole grains, this will further your aim to lose weight fast. Keep it simple with brown rice, oatmeal and others in order to maximize your consumption and keep yourself full for longer amounts of time. This is a highly suggested approach to lose weight fast and is a definite choice among metabolism boosting foods.

These are some of the best of the best in my opinion if you are looking for metabolism boosting foods. Include most if not all in your daily diet, not all at once of course, and you will lose weight fast. Pair it up with regular exercise and a healthy outlook in life, which may not directly affect your weight loss but is always awesome to have, and I can guarantee you will lose weight fast.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

10 Frugal Ways To Relax

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Wellness | Tagged , | Leave a comment
10 frugal ways to relax

These tips are a surefire booster to your busy life!

There are too many people who are stressed, I’ve been down that road, you’ve been down that road, we’ve all been down that road, and you know what? Enough is enough! Let’s get off that road together and find a way to really relax and enjoy our healthy living, and when I mean healthy living it means stress free living wouldn’t you agree? It would be great if we could all afford to go to the spa and get a whole day pampering package but as we all know, that doesn’t come cheap at all. Well such are the breaks in life but no worries at all, let me share with you 10 frugal ways to relax and allow yourself to start healthy living for real.

Read your stress away – There’s nothing quite like a good read, wouldn’t you agree? I love just sitting at a park bench, with a great view, maybe a cup of tea in a thermos and a great book. Ebooks are a great option for you tech junkies and of course as long as it’s an interesting read, maybe even a blog that you just love to read, hint, hint. Now that’s what I call healthy living and a great way to relax.

Yoga is key – Yoga is a wonderful way to promote healthy living and is a powerful way to relieve yourself of stress, plus the sweat that you get is wonderful for weight loss. If you’ve never tried yoga, I highly suggest it as a way to workout and just relax. I know it’s strange to hear that exercise is a way to relieve stress but if you’ve ever tried yoga, you’ll know for a fact that it is super relaxing.

yoga to destress and relax

Workout and relax at the same time. Yoga isn’t only good for you physically, but mentally as well. Take time to meditate!

Gardening your troubles away – If you are into clean eating and want to relax the day away, plus have a wonderful source of food for healthy living: gardening is your answer. There is just some satisfaction to taking care of your own produce and eventually reaping the rewards, it’s difficult to explain but if you have a green thumb and enough space, this is great therapy for you. A nice summer day, with some gardening tools along with some ripe vegetables and fruits, sounds incredibly relaxing.

Exercise your troubles away – While yoga is a great path towards healthy living, I understand that it is not for everyone. No worries, sometimes all you need is general is a good sweat and you can feel your stress wilt away. I like how running on the road gives me time to reflect and a little alone time, it’s a wonderful way to get my mind in order and it really calms me down at the end of the day. If you want to really get into healthy living, find an exercise that calms you down.

Wash away your worries – A nice steaming, long bath is just a wonderful way to calm down. Admittedly it is nowhere near the spa but it’s much more gentle on the wallet, believe me on that. I sometimes like to take a video of my favorite sitcom, place it inches away from me with a nice glass of wine and take my time. This is a wonderful way to end a healthy living lifestyle and is a great remedy to any stress you may have experienced for the day, in fact any stress for the entire week if you do it right. No bathtub? No problem, a lukewarm shower when it’s a little chilly out is also a wonderful getaway.

Take a nap – Yes it’s as simple as that, a nap is always lovely. A healthy living lifestyle in my opinion should include some nap time. I realize there are a lot of things to do and some times it feels as though all the things you need to finish are crushing you, but if all the to-dos and what not can wait and you need to manage your stress, take that nap. It will refresh you and allow you to gather yourself, stress will rapidly decline and you will be in a better position to work up to whatever challenge is facing you. Healthy living is healthy napping in my humble opinion.

Prepare a meal for one – It is easy to get lost in stress and then end up eating something completely unhealthy for you, this is no secret and a lot of people often ruin their diet because of this. Not a problem at all, if you want to continue healthy living, prepare some healthy snacks, in fact there are a ton of clean eating options that are very easy to make ahead of time. Take solace in the preparation time and allow yourself to relax the day away by making a nice healthy meal you can munch on, while you gather yourself for the rest of the day. Sometimes it’s better to eat alone and allow yourself to think than to always be surrounded by people. For easy meals, read my other article: Clean eating on the go.

Watch your favorite movie – I’m sure you have that one movie (or trilogy) that you have sitting pretty on top of your television. When the stress reaches monumental levels, sit back, grab a nice clean eating friendly snack so that you aren’t derailed from your healthy living lifestyle and enjoy. I’m pretty sure you already own your favorite movie and even if you didn’t, it’s just a few buttons away online. There’s no greater satisfaction than to watch your favorite heroes do what they always do, make you smile.

Nap to relax and destress

Make power naps when you can. It refreshes and boosts your energy level after, which can help make you more productive for the rest of the day.

Go outside and stare at the sky – If you’re lucky enough to have a clear as day nighttime wherever you live, take full advantage of this and allow your healthy living lifestyle the relaxation it deserves. Go outside and lay on a nice, clean patch of freshly cut grass, the smell is just phenomenal and if the stars are bright enough, you’ll just automatically sigh with relief, relieving all the stress you’ve allowed to build up. Live in the city? Hopefully the light pollution isn’t too rampant and you have access to the rooftop or a very nice balcony, sit back and allow nature to dazzle you with it’s most wonderful mosaic of beauty: the stars in the sky, simply breathtaking.

Call on your best friend – There’s something to be said about having a best friend or a group of best friends if you’re lucky, at the drop of a coin they will come running and spend time with you. Healthy living is dependent on these friends, well not dependent but it does make it much easier. You simply shoot them a message and make plans together, hash it out and let the fun begin. You can do a lot of things together and it doesn’t always need to be fattening or booze centered. The fact that you are all together just means you can have fun and laugh about nothing, that is indeed a wonderful way to release some of your stress.

These are just some of my favorite things to do when I feel as though the stress has reached an all time high, feel free to mix and pick your favorite ones, in fact I’m sure a lot of you have your own ideas. It’s awesome that there are some rather cheap methods of taking care of your stress. Healthy living deals with a lot of things and stress management is an essential part of healthy living, make sure you don’t ignore it too long. The saying goes: “A watched pot doesn’t boil.” For me I like to say: “A watched stress level doesn’t boil over.”

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

8 Health Hacks To Improve Your Life

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Wellness | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

I am glad that you are reading this article, it means that you are starting a new life or are down the path of health, you are probably doing some workout sessions already, maybe a diet or even better perhaps you are clean eating already. That’s all great and as someone who desperately wants more people to get on the healthy bandwagon, I want to help out as much as I can by providing you with loads of information. Today I want to share with you 8 hacks that can vastly improve your life.

Getting your daily water consumption – While I have no problem whatsoever getting enough water in my system on a daily basis, I understand there are a lot of people who do have this problem. Well let’s try a potential solution for that problem, shall we? Get a normal water container, preferably one that is good enough for the entire day. All you need to do is place marks on it for when you should reach a certain level, say it is 8 AM, you should have finished up to a certain point on your glass. It’s as simple as that. You can even make it a fun challenge for yourself, if you like to be competitive with yourself especially during workout sessions, this will make the water intake breeze by.

TV being your workout guru – A lot of people like to binge watch and eventually miss up their gym time, hard to blame them as there are a ton of great shows nowadays. Seeing as it’s a detriment to not only your diet but your workout as well, an idea popped into my head. Why not make a game out of it? There are recurring occurrences in a lot of shows, if it’s a sitcom and there is a catch phrase, every time they say it on the show you need to do something such as 20 push-ups. If there is a laugh track played, you do 10 jumping jacks. Keep making it into a unique game for yourself and challenge your workout with this mini game paired with your favorite show. Now just make sure not to snack on unhealthy food while watching so you don’t blow your diet either.

Make TV your workout guru

While it’s very tempting to laze around on the couch while watching tv, make your life healthier by adding a workout routine to it.

Gym reading – The start of getting your routine down is tough, especially with the gym. You can miss out some premium workout sessions if you keep skipping gym. The incentive of being healthy and fitter is sometimes lacking for some people, so let’s bring up the ante a little. Download your favorite ebook and let listen to the 1st chapter. From there, stop while you are at the edge of your seat. Now promise yourself to only listen to it when you are at the gym, now you have something to look forward to go when you go to the gym.

Clean eating on the goClean eating is pretty tough or so a lot of people think so, however if you are really invested in it, it’s not that hard. There are a lot of hacks that work well with daily lives and they are pretty easy to make. They are so easy to make in fact that I have another article specifically for this topic. In this article I have some friendly hacks that help your diet and keep clean eating fun and easy for you. I highly suggest taking the time to read it.

Caffeine king – A cup of coffee is something that is a non-negotiable item for a lot of people and that is actually alright. However if you want to get your coffee and manage to burn fat more, it’s time to stop adding other stuff into it. The sugar or cream is what brings calories into a relatively low or no calorie drink, and quite frankly you don’t need it. If you must drink coffee I highly suggest trying to consume it in its natural state: black. Of course another option is green tea, which has a ton of antioxidants and is really good for you too, aside from the fact that it is part of the clean eating diet and has a detoxifying effect on the body as well, it’s pretty good with pretty much any meal. Personally I like a nice cup of tea after a grueling workout and when I am just cooling down.

Join the club – I realize there are times that the couch is just too alluring and you make up excuses to avoid your workout session, while that is alright once in awhile but if it is done too often, let’s just say it can lead to some unfortunate events. I realized that it is best to find people with like interests in order to spur you on. Like to run? I am pretty sure there is a running club around your area, with people who know the best places to go and are pretty heavy enthusiasts of running, they will cheer you on and help make sure you finish your workout. Like cross fit? Well let me tell you there are a ton of clubs for that! Clean eating? Well not really sure there are clubs for that but at least there are blogs, *cough, cough, that work very well. When you need people with similar interests, the sky is the limit and it’s easy to find them, the only challenge is that you need to find out what you really enjoy doing for your workout regiment.

Pedometer champion – A pedometer is a powerful tool that can help pretty much any workout or even a non-workout in fact. All you need to do is check your daily walk count and keep upping it or at the very least have a minimum walk count on a daily basis. Imagine if you take an average of 10,000 steps a day, which should be the basic steps in a day, at least in my opinion, you should see an effect by a few months down. This eliminates the need to go to a gym or to do traditional workout sessions in fact, so if you aren’t really into the usual methods of working out, this might be perfect for you. Pair it off with the right diet and you will be fitter than the day before, believe me on that.

Wall climbing activity

Challenge yourself and up your activities by trying something new like wall climbing. Or simply break your lazy boring days by adding a running routine into your habit.

Up your activities – It’s a lot of fun to go out with friends, a lot of the times you end up in the movies with some buttery popcorn or over indulgent sweets, maybe you can do an afternoon run. Instead of hitting a bar with them, why not go to the gym? A dinner date with that special someone? Why not a nice quiet dinner at home, where you can practice the clean eating diet and spend some more time together? An intimate walk down the beach, why not go rock climbing up a mountain without a harness? Ok… the last one was a bad idea but you get the general idea, there are a ton of activities you can do with more people that will make it much more fun than doing it alone, and workout sessions with a ton of friends makes the time go by. All you need to do is think of better activities and find friends who would enjoy doing all that with you.

As you can see these simple hacks will greatly change your diet and workout plans but if you do it right, it shouldn’t be impossible to do all of them. Test them out and see what best fits into your personal preference and run with it. You can enjoy the world a whole lot more when you are healthy, fit and active, trust me on that.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Top 5 Vegan Restaurants in Austin Texas

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

There are a lot of challenges to becoming a vegan, while it is easier for a lot of people, it can be quite a challenge for a number more. One of the largest concerns is finding a restaurant that caters to the special diet that comes with being a vegan, I won’t lie to you there, it is a bit of a challenge. I am however happy to share with you some of the best reviewed vegan restaurants in Austin, Texas. There are a few that have some oh some tasty meals in each restaurant. Please note that the reviews are not mine directly and I am basing this off of various sites such as Yelp in order to remain unbiased and fair to the top scored restaurants in the Austin area.

True Food Kitchen

True Food Kitchen, Austin TX

A glimpse of the restaurant’s fascade.
Photo credit: Facebook

With a 5 star rating after 54 reviews, this restaurant is difficult to pass up, I began reading the reviews in earnest and see what was all the hype about. As I browsed through their website, they share that they advocate giving the body proper nutrition while serving up a memorable meal and I was just amazed. What an amazing promise from the get-go, who wouldn’t want to get the proper nutrients in them while having a wonderful meal that will be memorable and delicious? I am a big fan of both delicious and healthy, what more could I ask for? Apparently not a lot for this vegan restaurant.

As I browsed through their menu, the fresh juices caught my eye, nothing says healthy than a freshly squeezed glass of sea buckthorn, cranberry, pomegranate paired with honey and black tea or as they call in True Food Kitchen: Medicine Man. For the price conscious, the prices range from 4 – 26 dollars per entrée or refresher, a fairly reasonable price that is within the acceptable prices for most people.

Going through the reviews it seems that the Edamame Dumplings is a popular choice. It is a daikon radish, dashi and white truffle oil dumpling that seems to have a lot of people hopping in their seats with joy. I am also reading a lot of great raves about their kale guacamole that is just very creamy. My mouth is watering as I write this.

While the restaurant is not only vegan, it has other healthy options for vegetarians and gluten-free diets. This vegan restaurant and more, sounds to be healthy and a great place to be. There are other branches in a number of other states and I strongly advise you to check out their website for more details.

Bistro Vonish

Bistro Vonish, Austin TX

Basil Pistou on the Watermelon Caprese
Photo credit: www.bistrovonish.com

A food truck came to my attention once again on yelp, as one vegan restaurant that has a 5 star rating with 56 reviews, there must be something about it that just gives people a reason to say: “Wow.”

As a healthy vegan restaurant, a food truck seems like an unlikely source as one that produces high quality food but as I went through their reviews, I am convinced that this place is a must try. As I first browsed their website, it is stated where they will be in Austin and invites you to visit their Facebook page for more details. Within their sample menu, they have beverages that range from 3 – 5 dollars and their food is ranged from 7 – 12 which is fairly priced.

The reviews raved about their French toast, which is surprising as I can’t seem to see it on their sample menu, it must be a special order for some days and it must be amazing from what I’ve read. The kolaches are both healthy and delicious in this vegan restaurant, the comments coming from different reviews and the croquettes are supposed to be something magical.

Maoz Vegetarian

Maoz Vegetarian, Austin, TX

A scrumptuous display of healthy goodness!
Photo taken from Maoz’ Facebook

While this is the first restaurant in my count down that is not 5 stars but 4 and a half, it has 281 reviews and in my book that is a solid score.

As I browsed their website it was apparent that the best seller was indeed a falafel sandwich. I’m happy to share that they have quite an extensive vegan option in this vegan restaurant and boy do they sound delicious and healthy.

I continued to the reviews to see what people enjoyed the most in this vegan restaurant and the resounding winner is the falafel and salad bar, which is unlimited and healthy. This is my kind of vegan restaurant after all. I have also read of high praises for the vegan shawarma and vegan BBQ option, however I am getting conflicting reviews for the Belgian fries but rest assured it is either good or great, as I haven’t found a bad review for it but rather just an alright review, so I’ll let you decide on that.

This vegan restaurant is also vegetarian as stated in their name and has some killer broccoli from the sounds of it, a must try and a long standing restaurant with prices that roughly range for the food at $ 3.75 – 9.75 which I think is very reasonable for a vegan restaurant.

Caspian Grill

Caspian Grill - Austin, TX

The restaurant’s interior dining area.
Photo credit: Trent N. via Yelp.com

Another top notcher in the Yelp restaurant listings, a strong 4 and half stars but with 179 reviews, there must be something short of spectacular in the vegan restaurant. I say vegan restaurant but it is predominantly a Persian/Iranian restaurant however it does have quite a few vegan options on the list.

Using the Persian treatment of food as a medicine of sorts, Caspian Grill shares on their website that the food served is under the concept of Food as Medicine or FAM. I’m happy to say that there is a vegan section that is ready for us and I can assume that is why it is also classified as a vegan restaurant.

Reading the reviews, a lot of people seem to enjoy the chicken kabob but for vegetarians the rave of food comes from mirza ghasemi which is a roasted eggplant & herbs that is served on pita and yes there is a vegan option for this healthy dish. For vegans however the dish that is both delicious and healthy is the vegan kabob, which is a soy kabob. I am particularly looking at the vegan biryani which just sounds delectable.

This vegan restaurant, which is predominantly a Persian restaurant seems to have quite a few followers and from the reviews it is a little difficult to find but once you do, it is worth it. Let’s give it a try!

Sweet Ritual

Sweet Ritual - Austin, TX

Pistachio Rose: toasted pistachio butter base, with rose water and cardamom.
Photo taken from Sweet Ritual’s Facebook

How fitting that the last entry be another 4 and a half star with 247 reviews, is also a get this, vegan restaurant that serves vegan ice cream! How are you not jumping up and down for joy?

From the get-go I was really excited to check out this website, it is ice cream and it’s vegan, how is this not amazing? This vegan restaurant specializes in artisan vegan ice cream that comes in a variety of flavors while staying true to being vegan.

Reading the reviews there are a lot of crowd favorites so I can’t really say which ones are the most popular, but I’ll be honest I heard peanut butter and I am all ears. Can’t wait to try it myself!

These are just some of the vegan restaurants in Austin and there are a ton more all over the country, I am happy to say that healthy is in nowadays. For those of you who are not yet vegan but are interested, you might want to check out my other article on how to start being vegan.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Clean Eating On The Go, Meals Made Easier For The Busy You

Posted on by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Congratulations ladies and gentlemen, you have taken a step towards a healthier you by choosing the clean eating option. However you are currently worried that your diet plans will be endangered considering that you are extremely busy on a daily basis and who can blame you? A vegan needs to go where a vegan needs to go after all, and with these tips for quick clean eating meals on the go, your diet plans are all secured.

Cinnamon spiced banana roll – This simple snack or even breakfast is pretty easy to make. Just get whole wheat tortilla and put a banana with a touch of cinnamon on top, you can add all natural nut butter in between too or maybe if you need something a little heavier, a whole wheat bread that you’ve flattened out would work too, although this takes a bit more effort, personally it seems quite a bit more substantial to me. This is delicious, easily stored and agrees with clean eating and pretty much any vegan diet plans out there.

Hummus dip – Well hummus is pretty awesome and can be made into a dip for pretty much any raw vegetable, this is a clean eating snack for the books. Hummus goes so well with a ton of veggies and really just elevates it, in my humble opinion. I’d place the vegan delight into a reusable container and wash up some vegetables, cut them up into snack size and place them into a container and voila, a great meal which is easily accessible, delicious and really good for your clean eating habit.

Muesli junior – This is a simple and awesome clean eating snack that will just keep you full and healthy. Grab a container and place some oats, some nuts of your choice and finally some dried fruit, of course none of the sweetened stuff alright? Mix it up, grab a spoon and there you have it, a wonderful meal that is perfect for your diet plans. Easy, quick and painless to make wouldn’t you agree? Oh and be weary of the amount of nuts you place in, you might blow your calorie count due to over indulging the nuts which is very easy to do.

Mason jars are a hug hit for on-the go food, great for muesli, fresh fruits, chopped veggies or parfait.

Mason jars are a hug hit for on-the go food, great for muesli, fresh fruits, chopped veggies or parfait.

Popcorn – Yes popcorn, that delicious snack can be made into a clean eating snack that will agree with your diet plans. Of course the microwaveable is out of the question, we all know that was pretty much off the list from the beginning. Get stovetop cooked popcorn, use some olive oil or other vegan accepted oils to cook it up. There are a ton of butter swaps out there that will accept with your clean eating habits, in fact I wrote a whole article for vegan swaps which might be of interest: Vegan Swaps. Enjoy your popcorn without the guilt, what more could you ask for?

Apple chips – I know sometimes you are looking for some chips to snack on, it happens to a lot of people and honestly is a big challenge for a number more of people, I am happy to share a good alternative for you. Apple chips. It is simple to do in fact, all you need to do is get an apple, remove the core and cut it as thinly as you can. Now line it up in a baking sheet and bake it up. Sprinkle some cinnamon to spike up the taste if you want before baking, but as clean eating snacks go, this is a great option to munch on instead of overly preserved and chemically enhanced chips.

Berry parfait – This is a simple clean eating option for parfaits and let me tell you, it is delicious. Want to know a secret too? It’s super simple to make and is meets the criteria of a number of diet plans. Take a handful of berries, raspberries, blueberries, whatever tickles your fancy, place it into a nice cup. Place a dollop of unsweetened yogurt and as the piece de resistance: crumble some granola on top of it. Delicious, healthy and very easy to make, it’s perfect for people who want a quick snack on the go. If you aren’t drooling yet, I’m not entirely sure I know what else to share with you.

Smoothies – These versatile treats are great for clean eating on the go as they are easy, quick, filling and just down right delicious. You can pretty much take any fruits you like and put it in a blender, add some yogurt and a milk substitute that works for vegan diets, and switch it on. There you have it, a delicious snack or dessert that is full of nutrients and all natural goodness. Did you know there are even personal sized blenders, that work as quickly as pressing a button and going out the door, it’s pretty amazing. Just be weary you don’t blow your diet plans by overdoing this snack as it is so simple to do that you can tend to keep making more and more smoothies.

Oven baked sweet potato tots – There is nothing quite as enjoyable as potato tots is there? And with this clean eating on the go recipe, you’ll have this snack at your disposable throughout the day. All you need is some sweet potatoes, bake them and then peel them after cooling. Mash them up and mix them with some bread crumbs, maybe some spices to your liking, some curry and cayenne spices are some of my personal favorites, yum. Roll it into the dry mix and bake again for a few more minutes and there you have it: a delicious vegan friendly clean eating meal that is sure to you and your diet plans happy.

Chia pudding – Chia seed, perhaps one of the current super foods known in the market today and is a great add on for a clean eating recipe that is just simply scrumptious. All you need is some chia seeds, place it into a container, add some plain yogurt, almond milk or other vegan swap milk substitutes, mix it together and top off with some of your favorite fruits. It’s that simple and oh so yummy, I don’t think you’ll need much more except a big spoon and a napkin to wipe that grin off your face after consuming the delicious treat.

Chia pudding is always a satisfying treat! Bring them anywhere in a cute mason jar like this.

Chia pudding is always a satisfying treat! Bring them anywhere in a cute mason jar like this.

Instant oats – For the busy you, who is especially clamoring to get out of the house the first thing in the morning, this is exactly what you need. The night before, place some oats with some milk swap in a container, shake well with cover of course, place in your refrigerator overnight. This is where this clean eating snack gets good, simply pull it out of the refrigerator and add whatever toppings you want such as strawberries, mangos or nuts, mix it up and enjoy. I don’t think it could get any simpler than that in my opinion and it’s fun, easy and a great way to start each morning or even snack on in the middle of the afternoon.

These are just some of the recipes I have on me, they are simple clean eating options that pretty much works for anyone’s diet plans out there. Best part is they are all vegan friendly and are super healthy for you. Keep looking around for recipes that work for you or tweak the ones you find, for sure you will enjoy them as a lot of them are easy to make. Enjoy your clean eating on the go.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!