Meal Mentor

Planning Your New Year, New You Resolutions?

If you're reading this, I know you're devoted and excited about planning your 2015 resolutions.

High-five to you!!!

If you're looking to lose weight or start a plant-based diet, I can't recommend the meal plans enough! Having a plan in place makes it so easy to stay on track, be consistent and reach those goals!

Here are a few other things tools in my skinny tool belt:

That's It Fruit Bars

I always have one or two in my purse plus another in my car. They're a great little snack when I'm hungry between meals or I find myself somewhere with limited healthy options.

Glass water bottle

Toting this water bottle around with me reminds me to drink and stay hydrated. Plus it keeps me from mindless munching or grabbing a high-calorie drink.

I also put soups and smoothies in this thermos for on-the-go. Here's another cool travel soup countainer with built-in spoon.

Mindless Eating

I faithfully read this every year on New Year's Day. (I'm also a big fan of re-reading The Pleasure Trap).

Travel Yoga mat

2014 was the year of yoga--I'm now practicing once a day and it has done wonders for my productivity, stress, anxiety management, and bod! It's not uncommon for me to bust out a down dog or warrior 2 in the office!

Chop sticks

After spending a month in Asia, I fell in love with using chop sticks. It really helped me slow down and appreciate my food. (As a chronic overeater, using chop sticks has been amazing for me). Click here for beginner sticks.

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Why Diet is Key to Weight Loss Success

A member emailed:

"I started eating a plant-based diet almost a year ago after watching Forks Over Knives. When I started, I lost weight and felt great, but now I'm starting to gain! Over this past year, I have gotten tired of salad, peanut butter and beans. I don't have a lot of time to cook, so when I'm busy I don't eat. Then I come home and eat 4 rice cakes with a little peanut butter and all fruit preserves. I really never get hungry for dinner so I just eat some peanuts and go to bed. I also exercise 3 times a week, it used to be more, but work and kids make it hard for me. I have a friend that eats mostly paleo and I'm tempted to try it. She had success eating this way with losing weight. Any advice?"

I'm sorry to hear this has happened, but can tell you it's the peanut butter. Added fats, especially oils, but also nuts and nut butters will pack on the pounds, even if you're not overeating calories. I've had many clients who, even when they scrupulously counted their calories, continued to gain or did not lose weight while eating avocado and peanut butter. Some clients find they can have a little without problem, but fat is a common culprit. As is hidden oils.

You can see the list of other culprits here: How the Plant-Based Diet Made Me an Overeater {REVISITED with more honesty}

I actually don't recommend exercise during attempts at weight-loss as it can slow you down and create too many variables, so don't worry about not being able to exercise. It's more important to eat right :)

Paleo will destroy your health, it's so harmful for the body. People sometimes lose weight on diets like that because they force their body to get sick in ketosis. People also lose weight starving themselves--not that that's healthy! At best you could say paleo is a vanity diet, but that's all it is.

People who eat a high-protein diet have 4x the risk of death from cancer and diabetes and double the risk of death from any other cause, reports a recent UCLA study.

And you've seen Forks Over Knives, so you know how animal foods feed cancer and damages the heart.

Even too much plant protein is taxing on the body.

If you want to lose weight, you have to cut the fat out and the convenience foods--remember that a can of beans and rice from the freezer is easy, as is a bag of frozen veggies. A great book is The Starch Solution.

I also cannot recommend the meal plans enough! You take 2 hours to prep all the meals for the week, then you can reheat all week long. If it's just two of you, then leftovers = lunch and you can do a simple breakfast like oatmeal, or one of our other suggestions. The meal plans also more than pay for themselves :) and eating paleo ain't cheap!

Good luck!

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4 Ways to Kick Your Sugar Habit

One of the most common questions I get asked by members is why they can't resist sweets or no matter how hard they try, they always end up having a brownie or cookies after dinner.

Many of us aren't aware how addictive sugar is and that many of us are hooked. (You can read more about food addictions in the Guide.)

Here are 4 simple ways you can cut sugar from your diet.

Eliminate Added Sugars Sugar has many names: agave nectar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glycerol, honey, pure maple syrup, glucose, sucrose, just to name a few. For a natural sweetener, try using unsweetened applesauce, bananas or dates and be sure to buy plant-based milks that are unsweetened.

Eat Fresh Fruit When that sugar craving hits, rather than reaching for a piece of chocolate, opt for fresh fruit instead. Frozen fruit also makes a great dessert!

Use Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are deliciously sweet (and filling!). Roasting them in the oven makes them even sweeter. A "treat" I love is a cooked sweet potato with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Corn and carrots are also sweet tasting vegetables, so nibble on baby carrots and try having corn on the cob as a snack or treat.

Keep Healthy Choices Within Reach. This is why I always can't recommend the meal plans enough! You prepare all your food for the week in a few hours and then reheat or grab-n-go all week long. You won't be tempted to steer off the healthy path and down the fast food or convenience lane when a wholesome meal is already waiting for you. Keep plenty of healthy meals — and healthy snacks — on hand!

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How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain - 4 Tips

The holiday season is upon us, which means temptations are lurking around every corner in the form of extra and unwanted calories

That being said, it is possible to enjoy the holidays while staying (and eating!) healthy.

Here are 4 tips to follow to keep those extra pounds off this holiday season:

Eat Before You Eat Being hungry before a holiday party or meal is never a good idea because it will cause you to over eat. Try eating a healthy snack ahead of time like veggies or fruit to keep from loading up on extra calories.

Take the Focus Off Food Holiday gatherings and events may be centered around food, but it's not the only thing. It's also about family and friends and enjoying each other's company. Remember to take the conversation away from the snack or buffet table so you don't mindlessly eat while chatting.

Be Mindful of Emotional Overeating The holidays can be stressful for everyone, but comforting yourself with holiday treats or worse, alcohol, isn't the solution. Instead, take a look at the issue and find a healthy way to resolve it.

Stick to the Meal Plans Each year we have a special holiday meal plans. Whether you're celebrating or not, they're perfect for anyone looking to stay healthy during the holidays!

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Meal Plans for Couples

A meal plan member emailed:

"I've been using the meal plans for a month and I'm still having a lot of trouble with the length of time it's taking me to cook. I double the individual plan for my husband and myself and can't get out of the kitchen in 2-3 hours. For me, it's closer to 5 hours. Any advice on how I can reduce my prep and cook time?"

For couples, we recommend using the family meal plan. It's much easier that way because it serves 4, so you take leftovers for lunch the next day. I think you'll find that it's much easier and quicker than doubling the individual plan.

You can also shave some time by buying pre-prepped items like already diced onion or minced garlic and frozen vegetables. I'm also a huge fan of making big batches of grains in advance and freezing 1 cup portions. See this post and video for more help.

For more tips on how to reduce your time in the kitchen, see these posts:

How to Cook All Your Meals for the Week in 2-3 Hours

Cooking One Day A Week

Need Help Preparing the Meal Plans?

4 Easy Tips for Faster Meal Prep

Hope that helps!

Get the current meal plan now.

What to Eat After Donating Blood

A meal plan member emailed:

"Do you have any advice for what to eat after donating blood? Every other time I've donated I was given V8 juice and a sugar cookie. I've been following the meal plans strictly for the last couple of weeks. Is this one time that it's okay to cheat or is there a plant-based alternative?"

I definitely wouldn't drink V8 or eat a cookie after giving blood--yikes! The Red Cross should be ashamed if that's what they're giving out!!! (but WTG for donating!)

The best thing would be to eat iron-rich foods like spinach, raisins (easily portable in your purse), or beans, and some fresh fruit, especially oranges, which can help boost iron absorption. (Though avoid orange juice if you can. The whole fruit is far superior). Bananas are great too!

Drink extra water and avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours. Also be sure to include a wide range of greens that day. Some people find nuts or peanut butter helpful after donating as well.

Hope that helps!

Get the current meal plan now.