If there's one thing I hear over and over it's the phrase "It's so hard to eat healthy without spending a ton of money." And I get it, the thought of eating organic and sustainable can be considered a little pricey when you're comparing organic broccoli at around $3.95 a bunch to regular broccoli at about $2.99. But let's think about it for a moment:

• MEAT IS EXPENSIVE (even if you don't purchase grass-fed or organic) and is one of the leading cause of chronic inflammation which is the undercurrent of all diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and more.
• It's better to eat a clean diet BEFORE you get sick and the doctor changes your diet telling you you in fact need to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, get your blood sugars down, control your diabetes with prescriptions (and so on).
• Diet Coke is the Devil - okay, so is gluten. And these things will increase your cravings, spike your blood sugars and create all kinds of havoc on the body. Oh, and they are highly addictive, just like heroin. 
• What we're eating is what we're teaching our KIDS to eat - We're creating addictions in their tiny bodies that may last a lifetime and perhaps may create longtime illness and disease. I know, that sounds unfair, right?

But these are truths that we need to face. These are the facts and are just a few of the things I will be talking about at this weekends event "Eating Healthy on a Budget" with my good friends at The Nature Gallery Yoga Studio. (click the link above to find out more)

I am deeply passionate about eating healthy and helping others in their journey to a healthier lifestyle and I love sharing knowledge when I'm able. And these items are just a few things I will be covering in this Sunday's upcoming talk and food demonstration along with:

• What happens to your body when you drink a diet coke, in 20 minutes? In 40 minutes?
• What foods cause chronic inflammation?
• How to reverse high blood pressure / diabetes and more with the foods we eat
• How to transition to a cleaner way of eating without dying
• How to eat cleaner / healthier on what you're currently spending on junk

I've even put together a week's worth of healthy meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with the ingredient list to show you that yes, it actually can be done on a budget. 

There is limited space and seats are filling up quickly so don't wait until the last minute, go ahead and reserve your spot today HERE and let's have some fun while learning to eat clean. Oh, and I'll be showing you how to prepare a dish and passing out some healthy grub too. 

If you have questions, go ahead and place them in the comments below or hit me up online. I'm happy to answer. 

Hope to see you there!
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Now before you poo poo this dish because it has tofu, take a moment, relax, do your deep breathing exercise and settle in for something you'll thank me for! Trust me, this dish is super delicious.

I know when you think of tofu you think of mush or something a lot of you would never eat in a million years. But since I've been eating (mostly) vegetarian the past couple of years I've started incorporating tofu into my "meatless" dishes here and there and I have really come to enjoy it. It's very versatile and can really take on different textures and flavors.

While in Chicago visiting friends last month we took a trip (okay a few trips) to Whole Foods where we spent a good hour or so gathering goodies to prepare and decided to have lunch while there. We had heard they had a few vegan options and wanted to give them a go. We came upon their version of General Tso Tofu and sat and munched on it and it was super yummy. Of course I thought, "I have to find a way to make this when I return to my kitchen" and I quickly went to work. It took a couple of recipes and adjustments to get the tofu crispy like I like but in the end it came out way better than I had anticipated. ​

The trick to getting a crispy tofu is marinating it first. Here is the entire process:

I hope you all did more than survive the holidays! I hope that you had so much down time and peace and tranquility not only with yourselves but with family and friends, and that your'e ready to take 2018 by the gonads and make it great!

So here we are now at the New Year and making all of our resolutions, especially as it concerns our diet. It's back to the grind after eating anything and everything. Time to refocus and make conscious decisions of what we're going to partake of (so to speak). 

I admit it, I did have moments where I came off of my clean eating regimen and ate sugar, meats and processed foods but I did try to limit them and when eating them tried to eat as clean as possible. I didn't want to have to start over from last year (if you know what I mean). But if you went all out, no worries. Back on track!

So, where to begin? First of all try not to feel overwhelmed. Nothing happens overnight. Making small changes amount to big ones. But here are a few ways you can slowly ease in:

• Drink warm water with lemon (first thing in the morning) - They (whoever they are) say that when begin our day sipping on this concoction it alkalizes the body, cranks up your metabolism, and curbs cravings. Plus, we need the water to stay hydrated. Are you drinking enough water, btw?
• Opt for a smoothie in place of a meal or in addition - I adore adding smoothies and juices to my daily diet, adding either a protein drink in between meals for that extra umph, or taking my leftover veggies and mixing them up with raw honey, berries and super foods from the local farm. They not only give you the extra vitamins and minerals your body craves but there is so much nutritional value in the super foods (such as the powdered moringa that I use) which also helps with inflammation. 
• Time to get back off the processed foods - Go to more of a plant-based diet (if only for awhile) - I know that it's not reasonable for me to expect that everyone will get off of meat. But I would suggest cutting back and going to more of an organic/sustainable plant-based protein diet if even for a few weeks. Cut back on your meat intake and see how you feel. And then, eat clean meats. Trust me, you're going to feel amazing! (Opt for the darker, green, leafy veggies)
• Cut back on the gluten! - You've heard me say this before but wheat is not our friend. Even if you aren't allergic to gluten or have sensitives to it.  Wheat and the way that it is processed here in the states is a huge contributor to inflammation and allergies. There are so many things that are now gluten-free that we really have no excuse. It's an adjustment, but just try it! Your belly will thank you.
• Come off of dairy - See how you feel. Are you no longer having that runny nose? Are you starting to feel better in your gut? It just may be that the dairy you are eating is causing you to feel poorly and you may be experiencing some sort of intolerance. If the thought of coming off dairy makes you want to curse me, try moving to an organic dairy choice instead. Or perhaps nut-based milks just to see how you're feeling during this trial period.

Another great thing would be to keep a food journal during this time. Write down what you are eating when, and how it made you feel. Then, you can go back over the journal to track your progress and see where you are or where you need to improve. Most importantly, you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

All of these things will help you to start to detox and you'll begin to notice you just may lose a few pounds, be sleeping better at night, and perhaps having no more digestive issues. And hey, who knows? You just may want to continue this journey of eating clean.