An in-depth look at my "Clean Shopping Machine" tactics

If you missed last months blog which highlighted all my super money saver shopping secrets, have no fear! Read it here! After posting that detailed manifesto, I received numerous requests for MORE. More details to be exact. Folks want to know not just HOW I shop, but WHAT I buy when I shop. So, I'm sharing all of my receipts from July with you so you can see exactly that!  

Disclaimer: You may notice that there isn't any fruit on any of these receipts. That's because none of my farmers markets receipts are shown here as they do not exist. I don't eat a lot of fruit but I do shop at my local farmers market every week and I always go just before closing (like I stated in my June blog) to score mega deals on organic produce! This is the only place I buy my fruit. I spend about $5 every trip. 

 Grocery Outlet: This is where I buy my uncured bacon and pastured chicken. They don't always have the same products in stock but I find that they have never been out of these items so I can count on them. You can find them all over the West Coast and they are growing and expanding at light speed! 

El Cerrito Natural: My FAVE place to shop. They have unbeatable prices on organic, local, produce! The prices you see here are REGULAR prices, not even sale prices! When they have sales, I go ape shit! 

I usually shop here 2-3 times per month. This time they had a special on local, sustainable, pastured ground beef (I mean, that is a STEAL of a deal!!!) so I hella stocked up! 

Safeway: I visit maybe once a month just to peruse the butcher station for deals on meat. I hella scored with this organic, pastured chicken breast deal!

Costco! The ultimate clean eaters shopping Mecca! Only $96 of this receipt is actual food. I typically spend around $100 per visit on food and I go twice per month: once in the 1st week and once in 2nd or 3rd week. They have a good selection of sustainable/humanely caught seafood, amazing prices on cage-free, organic eggs, and unbeatable prices on nuts. I also pick up deli meat from True Story. 

I always get my avocados, onions, and organic carrots at Costco too! They don't have a great variety of organic produce but a lot of what they do have is safe to buy conventionally grown anyways (see photo below). Every other month I pick up canned tuna and sardines as well. Their new jerky selection is AMAZING!!!

Click here for a larger version of this image. The onions, avocados, and mushrooms I sometimes buy at Costco are all on the Clean 15 list! I also know exactly where they come from and the practices and policies of each farm. I always do my research!

BEASTIN' & FEASTIN' Days 23-28: Vacation Time...Again!

This month has been pretty hectic. I've been busy for personal/life reasons AND my business has been picking up as well...I CANNOT complain about that! :) I spent the majority of last week and the week prior to it kinda freaking out about my first Whole Foods demo. I also came to realize that the anxiety it was causing me was probably not helping the situation with my injured shoulder. Not to mention, I hurt my back at the gym last Wednesday doing deadlifts. Now, I honestly have no idea how this happened. I am very familiar with deadlifts, this was far from my first time doing them. But never has my lower back hurt afterwards. My back was sore for 4 days. I could not bend over without pain. I'm going to have a little chat with one of the coaches at the box today because between my shoulder and my back...something is going on and I can't figure it out on my own. 

Breakfast Tuesday morning: Chicken sausage, 4-kale salad (Russian, purple, green, and Tuscan) with red onions and shredded carrots, avocado, tomato, and honeyloupe with raw, 12-month aged sharp cheddar cheese. Everything local and organic of course! 

Dinner Tuesday night: Spicy rockfish stir-fry

But, I am VERY proud of myself because I took even more time off from the gym and focused on myself and my healing. I got a 2 hour massage on Wednesday which I so desperately needed. I also decided I would incorporate massage therapy back into my life regularly so I'm signing up for bi-weekly massages with my new practitioner. Her name is Dominique and she is heaven sent! I had a gift card to Massage Envy from almost 4 years ago that I never used and I decided it was time. I didn't bother using it for this long because I had heard and read a lot of negative things about this business. However, I was SHOCKED beyond belief at how completely different my experience was. The place was impeccably clean, peacefully quiet, dimly lit when appropriate, fresh smelling, and the staff were professional, respectful, and kind. Dominique clearly knew her stuff and when I told her about my shoulder and back she nailed it by delivering a full body massage while spending 30 minutes alone on my right shoulder and 40 on my back. It was the BEST!

I should have known better. I always encourage people to try things themselves before passing judgment.

Post workout: I was caught off guard with a schedule mixup but I still searched for the cleanest possible snack to hold me over (and one that was $2 or less since that's all I had with me). I don't eat bars, powders, or supplements of any kind but this hit the spot! Three ingredients: almonds, whey protein isolate (highly preferred), and raw honey.
Sustainably produced, minimally processed, and non-GMO.

Testing out the newest addition to my kitchen: the spiral slicer! 

Dinner Wednesday night in preparation for my demo! Zucchini pasta with beef and veggie tomato sauce.

Then came Thursday and I was so amped for my demo at Whole Foods. I am forever grateful for the opportunity and excited for future demos to come! Once it started I was a lot less nervous. And when it was over I wanted to throw a huge party! My professional photographer partner (yeah...I'm super lucky!) Miki filmed and photographed the entire thing so I can play it back and learn how to do an even better job next time!

Thursday morning breakfast tacos! Probably my new favorite. Romaine lettuce with mashed avocado, chicken apple sausage, tomato, and leeks with bacon sautéed in butter. Baked sweet potato on the side.

Dinner Thursday night: arugula, raw cheese, oven roasted beets. Simple and delicious! 

At my demo, prepping before folks arrived.

There was a camera above my work station so people in the back could watch what I was doing! 

Sharing my story.

The finished dish: zucchini pasta with turkey tomato sauce and avocado. EVERYONE scraped their plates clean! 

Friday morning we spent a few hours packing and prepping for a 3 day camping trip. We headed out to Forestville to camp with some friends at one of our favorite sites, Mirabel Campgrounds. Although it was MUCH busier and louder than we have ever experienced it was still nice to be out in the trees, on the river, and laughing with friends without a care in the world. I need more of that in my life!

Ground beef for burgers, marinated chicken breasts, bacon, eggs, homemade mixed raw nuts and seeds, carrot sticks, zucchini for grilling, avocado, bacon fat, greens, ground turkey pasta sauce, leftover dinner, and garden fresh tomatoes.

Friday: homemade breakfast sausage with uncured Canadian bacon, an over easy egg, water sautéed purple kale and red onions, and garden fresh tomatoes and fruit.

Friday night: bacon wrapped chicken breast and we used the leftover in a salad the next day for lunch with arugula, avocado, and tomatoes. 

Found some wild berries near the river. They we SOOOOO sweet!! Holy ____! 

BEASTIN' & FEASTIN' Days 17-22: Vacation Time!

Words can't express how relaxed I feel. I had an emotional and painful (my shoulder has been KILLIN' me!) past week so I decided to take a mini-vacay. I went home to Carmel to visit my family and it was exactly what I needed. With all those emotions came bad food choices. But I don't dwell on them, it happens. The most difficult thing about where my body is at now is that I CAN eat carelessly and it wouldn't affect me like it would have years ago. Also, my appetite is monstrous. I mean seriously monstrous. Anyways, I'm not immune to some of the physical effects (see photo below) and that's enough to keep me in check. I get asked on an almost daily basis what I do or use to get my skin to look so clear. People often tell me I'm glowing. It's my diet. I don't use skin care products like that.

Normally, I have immaculately clear and radiant skin...but stress (and gluten/sugars) do THIS to me!

So what have I learned this week? Nothing new. I have a tendency to regress to old habits when I'm stressed or anxious. But that's something I have known for a long, long time. And what's been going on that's different? I've been anxious about my Whole Foods demo coming up this Thursday. I hurt my shoulder (doing snatches) and was stubborn about allowing myself time to recover. I'm saddened by the racial injustice in our country.

And how do I PLAN on getting my shit back together again? I'm letting go of the anxiety about this Thursday. I have done this (cooking demonstrations/tastings/workshops/presentations) several times before and although a little stage fright is normal, I'm not going to let it derail me. Everything is going exactly how I want it to in terms of my business. I love what I do, I love my clients, and I love what the future has in store for me. I know there is only one ME in this lifetime and no one else has what I have to offer the way I plan to offer it. Period. And that goes for you too! We are all unique and have a wonderful gift to share with the world. I'm happy that I have discovered my gift and am confident enough in myself to allow it to lead me on my path towards personal success, career wellbeing, and financial freedom! Also, I just enrolled at my community college to start a yoga program (thanks for the idea mama!) to work collaboratively with my vigorous and demanding training regime. I know I HAVE to be easier on my body. I feel it and I'm not going to ignore or deny it any longer. And the racial injustice part? Well, that's a tough one. Part of me is longing to move to another country and live off the land somewhere remote while another part of me wants to fight. What I'm most passionate about is food and nutrition education so that's where I will keep my focus. As long as I remain a good person and spread my gift and love to others, I feel great about my role in our current existence. I don't believe in fighting violence with violence. I want peace in my life and peace for others but I know it's something we all have to work for, together.

P.S. It's been 4 days since I've been to the gym, and I am 100% OK with that! :)

My typical morning while on vacay...my mama suggested I do some light yoga/stretching and I have to say I'm glad I did. I certainly feel a difference and even took an extra day off from the gym to allow my shoulder to rest even more.

Dinner! Rosemary braised lamb over cauliflower rice with steamed carrots and a side salad of arugula with roasted beets and toasted pecans

Lunch at Sol Food in San Rafael. Pollo al Horno!

Homemade seaweed salad (never done it before and didn't even have a clue what I was doing!) with grilled salmon over sautéed veggies and kelp noodles

Vacation lunch: Mixed greens, tomato, avocado, red onion, smoked turkey breast and easy dressing mixing balsamic vinegar with spicy mustard.

Vacation brunch

I dined out for ONE meal while on vacay, and this was it! Lamb kebabs over salad. SO GOOD!

Breakfast: Mustard grilled pork chops with homemade spicy apple preserves, homemade fermented cabbage, and mushrooms sautéed in butter. 

Dinner back at home yesterday: Grilled steak and onions, cauliflower rice cooked in bacon fat, steamed broccolini, and raw arugula with oven-roasted beets and fresh, raw cheese curds.

Carmel State Beach, one of my favorite spots/views back home! Beautiful

BEASTIN' & FEASTIN' Days 15-16: Finally got my MRI scheduled!

Dealing with being uninsured has been such a...journey. I feel for parents who struggle to make sure their children have reliable health care that doesn't cost them half their paycheck. It's been 4 months and 2 weeks since my seizures. YAY! No auras, no episodes, and no medication. I'm thrilled about that. I definitely still have a little anxiety every now and then but not nearly as much as the first few weeks after my experience. So I was supposed to have an MRI scheduled as a final test/rule out the possibility of brain damage or illness but I couldn't schedule it until I was insured. Fast forward 4 months, a million phone calls, a thousand emails, a thousand in-person visits, and a few faxes and here I am, finally insured! My MRI is in early August and I had my first follow-up with my neurologist today. It feels like a disturbance in my life right now, and I'll be grateful when I can celebrate a couple of years seizure free and won't have to have doctors, tests, restrictions, and medication in my life.

I wish everyone could have access to healthcare, especially people who actually need it.

My first time using kelp noodles. This dish came out WAY better than I expected. I had no idea what the hell I was doing but the sauce came out so deliciously and the flavors were on point! 

Breakfast yesterday. I am seriously obsessed with kale. I eat it EVERY day!! 

Pre-workout lettuce wraps. So simple, yet so delicious! 

Breakfast today. All organic and local ingredients means dressing would be an insult. This was SO damn tasty!! 

At the doctor's office today.

BEASTIN' & FEASTIN' Days 11-14: R-E-L-A-X

I just finished a really great book about self-fulfillment and the power of the SELF. It's called Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltz and I HIGHLY recommend it. Anyways, all throughout the book I felt like I could have been the author. He talked about concepts that I am very familiar with and methods that I use everyday; tools I often pass on to my own clients. It was an empowering read and left me feeling good about everything I've been doing to better myself and my life. It gave me reassurance that I'm going about it in an efficient, positive, and healthy way. One topic Maltz highlighted that is one thing I continue to struggle with is RELAXATION  Crazy, right?! Who can't relax? Well according to him, most of us! It's actually extremely difficult for us to completely shut down and be present in a quiet, neutral, calm space. We think about the day, we think about yesterday, we think about tomorrow, we dwell on mistakes, we worry about money, etc. Now I don't actually worry or dwell but I do think A LOT about what I could be doing (like, mental planning) or what I need to do. My morning routine includes reading one chapter from which ever book I'm reading. Sounds simple but it's difficult for me because my mind wanders and I have to actively WORK to bring it back! But, practice makes perfect! 

I spent a lot of time by myself this weekend, I so needed that! It's very helpful and definitely something I need to make sure I continue to do. I LOVE being outside! 

Physically, relaxation is difficult for me too! I am kind of obsessed with exercising. I LIVE in BEAST mode and I can't say I'm mad about that. I take days off, but find myself yearning on those days. I feel like I just HAVE to do something. And I do, but I need to do something different. I'm thinking yoga, massage therapy (again, I was doing this for awhile but it ain't cheap), or Tai Chi. I gotta change my pace up and make down time a larger priority. So, I am! :)

Ok, on to the feastin'! 

Beet greens and bacon...bacon cures ALL!

Smokin' em!

No powder protein smoothie...30g total! Recipe will be featured in my Ebook!  

Chicken garam masala...from scratch! 

Another protein smoothie, this one 22g.

Paleo stuffed bell peppers with cauliflower rice and lean, grass-fed, ground beef. SO AMAZING, I ate FOUR! :)
Recipe going in the Ebook as well.

BEASTIN' & FEASTIN' Days 9-10: Pain brings change!

I've been in a perpetual state of soreness for over 2 weeks now. I totally missed having a mentor/coach/trainer in my life, and I can't believe I went that long without one. I met my first trainer in 2009 and I loved how hard he pushed me. I loved that he didn't allow me to make excuses for slacking off and he always made sure the workouts were challenging, but fun. Which isn't difficult to do with me because I consider any challenge to be fun! I learned so much about myself then. And I trusted and looked up to my trainer. So much, that I wanted to have that same role in other peoples lives. So, I became a trainer as well! I LOVED it! It was the most rewarding thing in the world to me. I love playing such a large part in the transformation of a life. I know how difficult it is and having a positive role model is so important!

I worked with him for about 6 months and then I ventured off on my own. I hit several plateaus but was always able to overcome them by applying everything I had learned. It was HARD work. I never quit. But when I hit my final plateau, I tried everything to get over it but nearly shot me down. Nothing worked, my body was totally complacent. The mental struggle was tougher than the physical. I have overcome a LOT of internal pain, so to be cast back into that dark place was not an option.  I was 180lb, 28% body fat, and constantly bloated. Not where I wanted to be, and far from where I knew I could be. It was then that I started digging deeper into my diet. I had been fooled the whole time thinking that whole wheat bread, Greek yogurt, and tofu were good for me. Just because that was the latest craze. I trusted it. And everything I read about it made sense. Brown rice over white rice, smart balance over butter, juicing, low calorie intake, etc. But my body needed something else so I tried a 30-Day Paleo challenge. Voila. Here I am 15 months later at 22% body fat and 160lb. Never in my life did I imagine I could look and feel this amazing! The way I eat now is a match made in heaven for my body. No joke. I love meat. I love fat. I LOVE vegetables. That's it and that's all I need.

On to the latest change, adding CrossFit to my life. In previous blogs I talked about why I didn't want to be about that life. And now, I can't imagine life without it. I am officially obsessed. I look forward to it everyday!! It feels like my body was made for it. And joining Hercules CrossFit was probably the best decision I have made all year. I love the coaches, I love the culture, I love my new friends. I love healthy competition and this is such a great place for that. People are happy there. So you can't help but be happy too! It's hard as hell and I'm hurtin' in ways I've never hurt before but my body is grateful for it and I'm grateful for my body. I heard someone in class today come back from a run and say "I hate running, it hurts!" My response? "Be grateful you CAN run, and be grateful you can FEEL the pain!"

My body is battered and bruised...everywhere! But she's also happy! 

Ginger sesame rockfish over cauliflower rice....SO GOOD!

My mother would appreciate that I now eat the core of the pineapple. It's my favorite part! Hello fiber!

Been eatin' so good lately! Bacon wrapped chicken thighs with grilled veggies and homemade cilantro mayo. MMM!!

Cauliflower rice is so easy and versatile! I love it with veggies and spicy chicken sausage under two runny eggs! 

Post-WOD. My baby was grilling and I couldn't wait...I was RAVENOUS! 

I love meat, and I'm not apologizing for it!