Tag Archives: slow-carb diet

9 FOODS TO EAT IN JANUARY

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ORGANIC GARDENING put out a list of 
 
9 BEST FOODS TO EAT IN JANUARY.
Be sure to add these IN SEASON foods into your diet!
Click on each food to find out why these foods rock!
  1. GRAPEFRUIT (eat on DGW day)
  2. BEETS
  3. BRUSSELS SPROUTS
  4. TURKEY
  5. CAULIFLOWER
  6. PUMPKIN SEEDS
  7. AVOCADOS
  8. EGGS
  9. YOGURT (eat on DGW day)
 
Let’s build these foods into our meal plan this week!

EATING AT CHUYS! HEALTHY STYLE!!!

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So naturally the Bensons went to Chuys to celebrate Elvis’ Birthday.
And YES we slow-carbbed it all the way!  This is how we did it…
 
We were eating mexican Tex-Mex food so our nice waitress brought out warm, freshly made chips, fresh salsa and the amazing CREAMY JALAPEÑO sauce.  What a sad moment for the slow-carbers. This guy was happy though… and he dove right in.
 
Taylor has decided to do a modified version of the Slow-Carb Diet.  I’m really proud of her.  She decided to do it because she want to have good eating habits, detox off of the December mentality (you know what I mean) and keep her body strong!  PROUD MAMA!  Anyway, she asked if she could have chips before the food came out. The answer was NO. This was her reaction.

 
After that moment we all can relate to, she said, “Ok, what CAN I eat?” Great question Taylor.
theANSWER…
Order beans to munch on while the others at your table are shoving their face with chips.  You can enjoy the salsa and even ask for a side of guacamole with it.
ourDRINKS
Water and if you miss the soda, order carbonated water and squeeze lemon or lime in it.
Jeremy does this all the time.  I just like plain water.
Did you know that Chuy’s has a Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Menu?  
theMEAL
I ordered fajitas. HOLD the tortillas 🙁
Tortillas, I will see you on Saturday! (cheat day)
Have the rice cut from your order —» they will give you double beans.
I love to have fresh limes to sprinkle over the top of my food. SO GOOD left me SO FULL
and SO HAPPY.
 
At the end of the meal I didn’t even miss the fact that I changed it up a bit!
If you need a kickstart into better eating habits, join us for the Advocare 24 Day Challenge!
Just shoot me an email and we will connect and figure out a plan that is perfect for meeting your goals!

ashley@ashleybensonfitness.com
 

Slow-Carb: Q and A

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FEELING LOW ON ENERGY?  
Eat beans.  They have the right kind of carbs to give you energy.  You should eat beans and/or hummus daily.   Read THIS to compare the nutritional content in different kind of beans.

CAN I EAT LUNCH MEAT? 
Yes.  I recommend BoarsHead.

WHAT CAN I ADD TO MY COFFEE? 
Up to 2 Tbsp of cream.

CAN I HAVE PROTEIN DRINKS?
Yes, but it must be unflavored whey protein isolate.

WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN BARS?
It’s best to stay away from them for the time being.

WHAT KIND OF SALAD DRESSING CAN I HAVE?
Non-creamy, sow-sugar dressing…Oil & vinegar is great.  Hummus makes a great dressing.

IS ALL SALSA GOOD?
Make sure it doesn’t have sugar.

CAN I EAT ANY CHEESE? 
I’m sorry but no… with the exception of cottage cheese.  Hard one for me!

ARE ALL VEGETABLES ALLOWED?  
Everything is good, but stay away from potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams.

CAN I EAT ANY FRUIT?  
No fruit for 6 days and then enjoy as much as you want on the 7th day.  Avocados and tomatoes are allowed everyday (in moderation) 

HOW MUCH SLOW-CARB FOOD CAN I EAT IN A DAY?
There is no limit!  Eat up 🙂

HOW MUCH SHOULD I EXERCISE WHILE ON SCD?
Being on this diet, you are putting a new kind of stress on the body.  Exercise should be moderate for the next few weeks.  Weight loss can actually stall if you push too much.  I recommend exercise 20-40 minutes, 2-3 times per week for the time being.  When the diet is over, we can rev up our workouts!

WHAT IS ALLOWED:
unsweetened cocoa
unsweetened almond milk
vanilla extract
… In the beginning these may seem to not be sweet at all, but your tastes will change and they will become sweet treats!

Remember that the slow-carb diet is a temporary 6 week plan to replace bad habits with good food choices and to redesign the body. 

Have a question?  
Leave a comment and I will do my best to answer!

Read THIS to get started on the Slow-Carb Diet.
Read THIS for the Slow-Carb rules.
Read THIS for a Slow-Carb Shopping List.
Read THIS for an example of a SCD Weekly Meal Plan.
Read THIS to find out if you should take Supplements while on the SCD.
Read THIS for Failure-Proofing Behaviors.
Read THIS for a Slow-Carb 3 Minute Breakfast video.

For a great boost in reaching your goals, consider joining me this summer on a HEALTH & FITNESS RETREAT!  Now booking for the June 2-6 trip.  Read HERE for details. 






SQUASH CHIPS

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This is one of my favorites snacks.  
Y E L L O W   S Q U A S H   and   Z U C C H I N I
 
I’ll show you the basic way I make them.
1.  Slice these babies up thin.
2. Put them in a zip-lock bag, 
drizzle in some EVOO  
and lightly sprinkle them with salt.
3.  Lay them flat on a cookie sheet lined with foil
to save on clean-up time 🙂
I did add a small amount of parmesan cheese on top. 
 4.  Bake.
I baked this batch at 200° for 3 hours.  
They came out great. 
I have also cooked them 350° for 25-30 minutes.
I go this route when “I can’t wait any longer!”
Play around with the seasoning, temp and cooking time…
and SHARE WHAT YOU FIND IS GOOD!

SLOW-CARB MEAL PLAN

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Here is how I’m feeding my family next week.
WEEK 1 Slow-Carb 
 
These are DELICIOUS!  My kids will have them wrapped in unbleached flour tortillas with a little cheese and sour cream, while Jeremy and I – the slow-carbers – will eat it more like a salad.  We will add avocado and fresh cilantro to ours.  SO YUMY, fast and easy!
 
Rachael Ray calls them Brown Rice and Black Bean Burritos.  The kids eat them just like the recipe shows.  Jeremy and I skip the rice and the tortilla and cheese.  I cook with coconut oil instead of EVOO.  These beans are the best and have become a staple in the Benson house.  I make these every week and sometimes we eat them in the morning with eggs!
 
This is a yummy, healthy slow-carb chili recipe.  It can be made in a crock pot – or if I forget to make it in the morning – can cook on the stove for a few hours.  I usually add more bell peppers.
 
Not sure what BAKED FISH I will do yet.  Any ideas?
 
Roasted Asparagus  
All I can say is “More Please!”
 
I have not made this yet, but look forward to trying it.  I will omit the corn chips and mayo, and will probably add a bit more avocado!
 
I eat this almost every day in the summer.  It’s one of my favorite snacks. 
Squash Chips 
Yeah baby!  These make the SCD possible for me!
 
I like to double this to be sure I have leftovers.  I don’t double the corn.  Again,  a small amount of cheese & sour cream for the kids, and avocado, fresh cilantro and lime for the SC peeps.
 

To to cut down on cost, I plan meals that use similar ingredients within the week.  I’ve noticed that we are able to use up the food that we have and throw less out at the end of the week!  For example, WEEK 2 will probably be more Italiany foods and I will not by cilantro and sour cream for that week.  

 

A SLOW-CARB MEAL: Breakfast for Dinner

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Here’s a slow-carb meal that makes everyone in my house happy!
 
BREAKFAST for DINNER

thePREP
1. Saute’ onion and bell pepper 
(and any other veggie you want to throw in there) 
2. In a different skillet, saute’ SPINACH in COCONUT OIL.
3. Add eggs to the onion and peppers.
4. Prepare bacon.  I cooked bacon in the oven
 375 for 20ish minutes.  It was good!
 I add FLAX OIL to the eggs.
 
THIS IS MY KIDS PLATE
VERY GOOD and FILLING!
EVERYONE is HAPPY and HEALTHY 🙂

HEALTHY COOKING SHOPPING LIST

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  This list —» lots of meals.  
TROPICAL TRADITIONS
  • Coconut Oil – the best kind – click HERE to check it out!
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Slow-Carb: Failure-Proofing Behaviors

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In THE 4-HOUR BODY, 
Tim Ferriss describes the 
Four Principles Of Failure-Proofing Behavior

1. Make it conscious…be aware of your behavior in real time.  Not after the fact.  How to do this:

PHOTOGRAPH YOUR FOOD
“…the photographs acted as an instantaneous intervention and forced people to consider their choices before the damage was done.”  Tim Ferriss

2.  Make it a game.  You must measure something along the way!  Keep records of your progress.

3.  Make it competitive! 
 “Embrace peer pressure.  It’s not just for kids”  Tim Ferriss
4.  Make it small and temporary.   
Ask yourself these questions:
  • “Do I really look like that in underwear?”  Put that before picture up to keep you focused!
  • “Do I really eat that?” Take pictures of your food and post them for others to see!
  • “Who can I get to do this with me?”  Find at least one person and invite them to a little friendly competition.  Use your total inches (TI) as a measuring tool. 

“Use competitive drive, guilt, and fear of humiliation to your advantage.”  Tim Ferriss

  • “What is the smallest meaningful change I can make?”   
EVERYDAY SET SMALL OBTAINABLE GOALS

“Taking off the pressure in 4HB means doing experiments that are short in duration and not overly inconvenient.  Don’t look at a diet change or a new exercise as something you need to commit to for six months, much less the rest of your life.  Look at it as a test drive of one to two weeks…..Take the pressure off and do something small…..Rig the game so you can win.”  Tim Ferriss

For a great boost in reaching your goals, consider joining me this summer on a HEALTH & FITNESS RETREAT!  Now booking for the June 2-6 trip.  Read HERE for details.