It's Time to Overhaul Your Home Base

Yikes, have you peeked in your pantry lately?  I did and man it's not looking so good.

I need a kickin' in the booty baby....it's time get the crud out before it settles on the back of my thighs, bumm and God knows where else. If you are not sure what I mean by crud, well, uhhmm ..it's sugar and processed goo.  If you have not figured it out yet, sugar and processed foods are NOT our friends, certainly not our back-side's friends.  Those little puckers (no that is not a typo) are my nemesis.

Ok, so let's get this taken care of. In with the happy healthy foods, out with the crud. Time to clear the pantry. What goes? What stays?  Let's work on the stay list. If you don't see it here and it comes in a box, toss it. If it has a bunch of ingredients you cannot pronounce, toss it. If it has a long shelf life, definately get rid of it. 

Keepers

Whole Oats
Quinoa
Lentils
Whole Grain Pasta
Brown Rice
Sweet Potatoes, White or Red Potatoes
Pumpkin, Squash,
Barley
REAL Shredded Wheat
Ezekiel Bread, Sprouted Grain Breads
Wheat Tortillas
Couscous
Cream of Wheat
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Mixed Greens / Spinach / Romaine / Mache
Mixed Nuts (except peanuts)
Natural Peanut Butter or better yet, Cashew or Almond Butters
Canned or Bagged Beans such as red, black, lima
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vinegar
Green Tea
Whey Protein powder
Fish Oil
Hemp Oil
Coconut Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil
Green Foods
Extra Lean Ground Beef / Turkey
Chicken / Turkey Breasts
1% Cottage Cheese
Egg Whites
Whole Eggs
Tuna
Tilapia
Haddock
Cod
Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster
Organic (non processed) Yogurt

have I missed anything??? Yes...water filters, drink plenty of filtered H2O ~1 gal/day

What Goes?
I am going to mention some NO-go's. Please avoid the following:
Potato Chips
Fruit or Granola Bars
Cookies, low fat or regular
Crackers
Regular Peanut Butter
most Cheeses
Chocolates and Candy ( this is what is lurking in my pantry!)
Soda Pop
Instant anything, like cake mixes, potatoes, oatmeal
Bread Crumbs, Croutons
Alcohol!
Margarine
Mayo
Fruit Juices
Baked Goods -yes even homemade :(
Frozen Dinners
Bagels, Breads not listed above


This is by far not a complete list, but a great start. If you have any specific questions let me know.  What we need to remember is moderation is key, with moderation being defined at staying focused and eating healthy 90% of the time.  If you fall off the good wagon one day, get back on the next.  Avoid taking your cheats two days in a row.  Food in your possession will eventually get eaten so remove all foods not on your keeper list, and do that soon. Keep healthy foods in plain sight. Learn what foods are; carb, protein, or fat. In a previous blog I spoke about eating protein with every meal and snack. That should become your number one priority along with the importance of having a truly safe home base.  Overhaul it if it's not!

Be Well