Tuesday, October 11, 2011

MOCHAMAD ZAENAL MUZAQQI

Fat Burning Meals you and your family will love

This week my sister is visiting me in South Carolina from New Jersey. I absolutely love it when my family comes to visit and we always have an absolutely incredible time. The other great benefit about these family visits is that, without fail, everyone always goes home lighter.

What do I mean?

Inevitably, when friends or family spend a whole week eating with me they quickly learn how delicious healthy eating really is (and how easy it is too!) I promise I do not starve my guests. Actually, it's quite the opposite. They always feel like they've "eaten TOO much", but somehow managed to lose weight over the course of the week.

So what exactly do I eat all day? People ask me this question all the time because with the demands of being a mom, working full time and being pregnant (5 months now), they just can't believe how I'm still able to keep up with a healthy lifestyle.

Here's exactly what I ate yesterday and how I was able to keep my eating plan delicious and simple even with the demands of a busy day.

6am Wake up – Have to wake up before my son (18 months) to get a little time to myself in the morning. I check my emails and sip on some Green Tea with a bit of stevia.

6:30am – Flax seed and Athletic Greens shake.

Athletic Greens has become an absolute staple in my eating plan. It's made from a variety of organic fruits and vegetables with added probiotics and digestive enzymes…it's like "nutrition insurance" in a jar. Not only does this stuff taste great, it's quite satisfying and energizing, especially first thing in the morning.

Try Athletic Greens Here

I put 1 Tbsp of fresh flax seeds in my Magic Bullet (you can also use a coffee grinder). I grind up the seeds to make flax powder. I then add 1 Tbsp Athletic Greens, water, ice and a touch of stevia and blend. Yummy morning shake!

7:30am. By this time my son is awake and ready for "FOOD, EAT, FOOD, EAT"…that's exactly what I hear until I get his breakfast on the table. We both have 2 soft boiled eggs, sautéed spinach, and fresh blueberries and strawberries (yes, my 18 month old son eats exactly what I eat). The eggs were quick and easy to cook and the spinach was left over from dinner the night before.

I pack some raw nuts (Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts and almonds), 1 apple, and a bag of baby carrots for my snacks and my lunch (see below).

9am – My son goes to grandma's and I'm off to work.

9:30am – 10:30am – As I work I snack on my raw nuts, baby carrots and ½ of the apple. I have the same snack in the afternoon. I don't always do this, but sometimes it's just easier.

12:30pm – Lunch. I actually made my lunch the night before while I cleaned up after dinner. I've got some Chilean Sea Bass (broiled in the oven), over a pretty big salad (greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, peppers) with 1 sweet potato. I use apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil as my dressing along with some salt and pepper.

Packing my lunch in the evening while I clean up after dinner has become such habit and routine for me, I don't even think about it. I have definitely found that creating a "system" for packing and prepping your food will make following a healthy eating plan much, much easier. Find a "system" that works well for you and your family.

3:30 – Afternoon snack is the same as morning snack. Again, I don't always do this and many times I will have 1 slice of Ezekiel Bread with 2 Tbsp of almond butter and 1 Tbsp of apple butter (my favorite snack!)

5:30pm – I head home. We put some skirt steaks in to marinate and my hubby got the grill going (it was 80 degrees and sunny, a phenomenal day in the south!) We also grilled eggplant and zucchini that I marinated in balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and Italian spices. I made some brown rice to go along with the meal.

9pm – before bed – Almond butter and apple sauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top. I love this snack because it is a bit sweet and filling and really helps to curb any sweet cravings that may start in the evening.

There you have it…nothing complicated and nothing bland and boring. I love my clean, healthy food and love how it makes me feel all day. I always choose foods I enjoy and never "make" myself eat something just because I think it's supposed to be good for me (although it is important to be open minded and adventurous).

Stay tuned for a couple new, delicious recipes I just made for my family and got rave reviews!