How to Make Your Food Bride Fit

Getting Bride Fit requires shifts in your everyday habits like what you eat for breakfast.   Most brides think that in order to get ‘wedding dress ready’ they need to give up food that’s yummy, eat celery sticks all day and spend countless hours at the gym on boring cardio equipment.   It may be best to give up the bagels and donuts but eating delicious food and workouts in as little as 8 minutes are part of a Bride Fit program!

How do you make your food Bride Fit?

You can make any meal Bride Fit by using the highest quality ingredients available.   When I say the highest quality ingredients I mean local and organic produce, grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and eggs.   Eliminate or greatly reduce the processed food such as cereals, bagels, cookies and crackers, which will leave room to eat the food that nourishes and satiates you.   Eating mostly vegetables, some good fat (avocado, coconut oil, olives, pastured butter), and some protein (meat, fish, eggs, legumes), is a good guide for meals.   What about comfort foods?   I believe you can reinvent any favorite comfort food.   Here are some examples of my favorites:

  • Spaghetti & Meatballs. Swap the traditional spaghetti made with semolina flour pasta, which is void of nutrients, for spaghetti squash, or alternative pasta like organic red lentil pasta.   Spaghetti squash is very low calories, about 30 calories in one cup, in addition to low carbs, only 5 ½ net carbs.   If you really desire the pasta try Tolerant red lentil products; they cook, eat and taste just like semolina pasta but provides high protein, high fiber, and is gluten free.   Tolerant is a brand that can be purchased at Costco.   Make the meatball’s Bride Fit by using grass-fed ground beef, organic seasonings, and pastured eggs.   I use gluten-free breadcrumbs that I purchase from a local organic eatery, make my own or use gluten-free oats.   Making your own sauce with organic crushed tomatoes, organic tomato paste, garlic, onions and seasoning to taste is great but if you don’t have the time or desire, there are some good jarred sauces available.   Read the ingredients and make sure there is zero canola oil; the only oil that should be in there is olive oil.   I would also suggest you buy organic sauce since conventional tomato’s are high in pesticides.   As I mentioned above always, always, always read the ingredients!
  • Turkey Chili. I’ve been working on perfecting my chili so I’ll share what I did in the last batch that turned out amazing!   I bought dry organic beans that I soaked overnight and cooked for at least an hour.   If you choose to make your own beans, follow the package directions.   I used kidney, black and garbanzo beans, about 1 ½ cups each, once they were cooked, in my batch.   I prefer to soak and make my own as opposed to opening up a can because by soaking the sugar called oligosaccharide is removed.   Removal of this sugar is desirable since we lack the enzyme to digest it, when it arrives in the lower intestinal track it ferments, creating a buildup of gas.   The gas isn’t absorbed into the intestine, so the body expels it, causing unpleasant smells!   If you plan ahead and make a big batch of beans, simply freeze the extra in freezer zip-lock which will save you time and effort for your next one or two dishes with beans.   Next I pour two 28-ounce cans of organic crushed tomatoes, two 28-ounce cans of organic diced tomatoes, and one jar of a spicy marinara sauce in my large crockpot.   Please note you may use less depending on the size of your crockpot or stockpot.   Making large batches works well if you have a large family, hosting a party and creating fast and easy future dinners or lunches by freezing leftovers, but if you want to make a smaller batch, cut the ingredients in half.   I then brown 3 pounds of organic ground turkey, don’t cook all the way since it will continue to cook in the sauce.   I prefer a mix of white and dark meat because the dark has more flavor.   While browning the meat season with chili powder and then add the meat to your sauce and beans.   I use the meat juice in the pan and sauté 1 or 2 chopped onions and 2 large diced peppers for a few minutes, and then add that to the batch.   I would recommend seasoning to yours and your partners taste with chili powder, cumin, Himalayan sea salt, white or black pepper, and if you want more heat add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.   Keep in mind when making a large batch, add seasoning then mix up and add a little more.   I’m guilty of occasionally not adding enough to large batch.   I like to eat with some tortilla chips, just count out one portion to avoid overeating!

 

Always keeping in mind that the quality of what you eat matters in your health and in releasing fat and creating a sculpted ‘wedding dress ready’ body.   Portions matter of course but if you’re eating real food, it’s less likely you will overeat.   My on-line program for Exceptional Brides will give the steps to get ‘wedding dress ready’ and the secrets to living happily and healthily ever after with your fiancé.  Leave a comment on how you make your favorite meal Bride Fit.   Have a healthy week!

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Sheila is a health coach and creator of 12 WEEKS TO A FIT BRIDE.    She works with BRIDES in the area’s of fitness, nutrition & lifestyle to create a life of “happily & healthily ever after.”

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Written by Sheila Piehler
Medical Writer & Editor

Sheila is a health coach and creator of 12 WEEKS TO A FIT BRIDE.    She works with BRIDES in the area’s of fitness, nutrition & lifestyle to create a life of “happily & healthily ever after.”

View all post by Sheila Piehler