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cleanchefmessymom

clean food for my messy life

healthy living

The Ugly Truth About Being Overweight

Being Overweight

being overweight

This could possibly be the most real thing I ever write. I know, I know, I write some pretty raw and authentic things about marriage and parenting. But this… This is a part of my story that most of you don’t know.  This is a piece of the puzzle of me that most of my current friends, acquaintances, readers, and followers would never imagine. And what makes this the most real thing I may ever write is that it is just that- it is real. It isn’t an idea or a concept about how to deal with the current or future issues in my life. It’s my story. It’s written into the book of my life. And no matter what shame or guilt or embarrassment surrounds your story, you cannot erase the truths of your life and your past. You can only change the present and the future. And that’s my story- one of change.  And from that place of change, I want to share with you the ugly truth about being overweight….

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The Dangers Of Health Claims

health claims

My news feed (on practically every social media platform) has been loaded with health claims lately.

I mean, I get it… Everyone has a product they are trying to sell.  Or if it’s not a product, it’s an agenda.  I do it in my own way with food and fitness.  I share my insights, my knowledge, my opinions, and my tips and tricks.  So I guess you could say I am selling an idea.  I also sell actual products with Beautycounter.

For the most part, however, I make sure that my opinions and my products are well researched before I share them.  Don’t get me wrong, I definitely share opinions that are strictly from my personal experience, but those are never opinions that could harm someone if they buy in….

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What It Means To Be Sugar Free

sugar free

I have heard a lot of people talk about eating sugar free lately, and I find it to be entirely intriguing.

There are a lot of misconceptions about sugar and what it really means to eat sugar or to eliminate it from your diet.

Let me just first say I LOVE SUGAR.  No shame, no regrets.  I love sweets.  Cake, cookies, muffins- they are so good.  But I am smart enough to know that they aren’t good for me. That doesn’t mean that I don’t ever eat them, but I certainly don’t eat them all the time.  When I do enjoy them, I try to enjoy them with the best ingredients and least amount of processing possible.  I try to enjoy them still sweet, but with whole and clean sweeteners.

Perhaps one of the most popular terms people are using currently is refined sugar free.…

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Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes

I haven’t ever been that much of a potato lover.  Or, I should say, I haven’t been that much of a white potato lover. I could eat sweet potatoes for every meal and not get bored.

But white potatoes?  Not my thing.  Except, they are becoming my thing.

It all started when I was pregnant with Sadie.  I was one of the lucky ones… I was sick my entire pregnancy- seriously I was still throwing up the day before I had my baby. During my endless sickness, I started to enjoy starchy foods that I had not previously enjoyed.

That’s where potatoes came in.  There were many times during my pregnancy that I was too sick to eat, and my sweet husband would go down a list of things to try and help me come up with an idea of something I could tolerate. At least a handful of times, the only thing on the list that didn’t make me gag was mashed potatoes….

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Tropical Smoothie Bowl

tropical smoothie bowl

Anytime Daniel and I travel, I search every travel and food site for the best smoothie bowls.

I’m sure there’s lots of smoothie bowl places right in my back yard, but let’s be real.  I do not want to pay $9 every time I want one- which is A LOT.  I feel a little bit better about it when it’s in the name of “vacation.”

But what about all the times I just need a yummy bowl at home?

Obviously I have to make my own, but that’s not always the easiest.

Can we just talk for a second about how touchy smoothies and smoothie bowls are?  Am I the only person that has made the exact *same* smoothie with the exact same ratios only to have it turn out completely different?  That’s just plain annoying.

Smoothie bowls can be even more touchy.  You want them to be smooth and creamy, but still thick enough to eat with a spoon- and you need to accomplish that without them being grainy.

I say all of that to say, it is important to always start out with smaller amounts of liquid and work your way up to the recipe amount. You can’t take away liquid, but you can always add more!

Do you want another fun tip?

Layer your bowl with toppings in the middle!  You won’t end up with all your toppings gone with half of your smoothie left!

Oh, one more tip?

Get creative.  As long as the base of your bowl is good, you can really add whatever toppings you want! You can also easily swap out ingredients as long as they are equal substitutes!

For this particular smoothie bowl, I wanted it to be grain free, but you can really use any granola or combination of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits.  If you are looking for a good clean granola, try this one!

Enjoy!

Tropical Smoothie Bowl

Created by on May 24, 2017

Here's what you need:

  • 1/2 pkg frozen acai
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2 c frozen mango
  • 1/2 c frozen pineapple
  • 1/4 c almond milk (coconut works as well) + extra if needed
  • 1/4 c orange juice
  • 2 tbsp. hemp seed
  • 1 tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1/4 c raw cashews
  • 3 tbsp. shredded coconut
  • 1/4 c fresh pineapple chunks
  • honey

Here's what you do:

  1. Combine acai, frozen banana, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, almond milk, and orange juice in a blender or nutribullet. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more milk (one tablespoon at a time) if needed.
  2. Layer half of smoothie in bowl, then top with half of toppings. Layer second half of smoothie, then top with remaining toppings. Drizzle with honey if desired.
  3. Enjoy!

Blueberry Oat Muffins

Blueberry.  Oat.  Muffins.

Three of my favorite things got married and became one.  Something about that is wrong, but let’s just move on.

If am going to eat grains, it is almost always oats. And if I am going to eat baked goods, it’s almost always muffins. And blueberries are like little balls of blue candy full of nutrients.

When my friend Bridgett asked me for a gluten free blueberry muffin recipe, I instantly said yes.  I always look for excuses to make muffins.  And then when my husband comes home and sees more muffins, I’m like, “sorry babe, Bridgett made me do it.”…

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DIY Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Chipotle is life, y’all.

Okay, not really, but I do love Chipotle.  I have at least one friend who is totally frowning on me right now- you know who you are.

But seriously, I love a hot Chipotle burrito bowl.

For those of you that might not be totally sold on it, or for those of you who have already made up your mind that you don’t like Chipotle… Let me explain myself….

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Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Have y’all ever had the broccoli cheddar soup from Panera?

If so, you’ll understand the urgency behind coming up with this recipe. My bank account can’t keep up with my desire for that soup, and my body is uncertain of it’s real nutritional value.  I simply could not take it anymore.  I had to come up with one at home.

The thing about a broccoli cheddar soup is that, well, anything that is loaded full of cheese is not going to be the healthiest thing out there.  But I did want to do my part to lighten it up. I tried to keep this soup as clean as I possibly could.

The first thing I did was obviously make sure the entire soup was gluten free… Because I didn’t want to die over a bowl of soup….

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Creamy Jalapeño Corn Chowder

Jalapeño

The jalapeño is God’s gift to me.

I like them anywhere and everywhere and on any dish that allows for them without messing up the flavor.  Because putting jalapeños on curry would be like putting ketchup on eggs.

But that’s a sensitive subject for some of you, so I won’t get into my opinions on that one….

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Mixed Berry Protein Muffins

Mixed Berry Protein Muffin

Does anyone not love muffins?

How could you not?  They’re little little fluffy nuggets of sweetness and texture with little treasures hidden on the inside.  They’re just so delicious and completely satisfying.

If I am being honest, muffins are probably the one thing I truly struggle to have self control with. Luckily for me, most of the muffins in the shiny cases at cafes are not gluten free, so all I can do is look at them.  But when a gluten free muffin crosses my path- Lord help me….

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