Early Morning Conversation

My latest challenge that I have for myself is to be a 5am riser, daily.  This week, I promised myself a soft launch (my marketing lingo) into embracing this new day part.  I'll admit, today was the first day that I actually did it. Next week I'm going to push myself on this one...no sissy excuses allowed.  One thing at at a time though, right?

Upon rising, I drank my two liters of water and began my breakfast prep.  Mr., who is a frequent 5amer was already awake and into his routine as well...which isn't exactly aligned with mine - he gets right up and at it (in terms of work).  My morning routine - no matter what time I rise - is all about my body, and getting the proper fuel.  Six egg whites and 1/2 cup of oats later, I get myself in the shower feeling like I'm way ahead of the game with the early start.  See, this is why I want to be a morning bird...feeling so accomplished, so early? I'll take that!

Today was a rare day that Mr. & I rode into the office together...leaving the house a little after 7am.  On the commute, I mentioned that I was feeling ravenous.  He looks like me, and even in the dark I can see the confusion on his face, as he says, "You just ate a massive breakfast!"  In the words of my mother-in-law (as she so often says), I thought to myself, did you just meet me?  First of all massive?  Nah, that was one of my first of five to six small meals of the day...secondly, I don't need a clock to tell me that it was more than two hours ago!

I didn't say any of that though...as clearly he has to already know those things...this isn't exactly a new gig for me.  Instead, I just looked at him, smiled and said, "I know, weird, right?"

The joys of being a clean eater.  Eat often. Adhere to the quantities that others define as "massive" and get this, you'll still lose!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat

PS.  It's My Favorite Thing Friday today!!  Stay tuned

Egg Whites & Oats Pancake

Starting your day off with a clean, high protein breakfast lays the perfect foundation for desiring clean foods throughout the rest of your day.  Don't let fancy marketing claims fool you; I can assure you that a Nutri-Grain bar isn't by any stretch the ideal fuel your body demands.

I often begin my day with a bowl of oats and four to five egg whites.  Like with any routine, switching things up a bit is often necessary to keep "easy-outs" at bay. Recently, I was reminded by my extremely fit sister-in-law, Jenny Hansen, to turn to one of my favorite recipes, Egg Whites & Oats Pancakes, when a little change in the breakfast theme is necessary. It's the perfect fix for making you feel like you are eating something entirely different, even though you are using the same exact ingredients!

Ingredients (Makes One Pancake)
Five Egg Whites
1/2 Cup of Oats
1/2 Teaspoon Quality Ground Cinnamon
1 to 2 Teaspoons Raw Agave (or Natural Stevia) - OR leave this ingredient out all together as I did today :)

Directions

• Beat five (or whatever your heart desires) egg whites using a blender and/or hand held mixer until fluffy texture is reached (roughly 30 to 45 seconds). 
• Add remaining ingredients and stir together.
• Spray a small frying pan with a natural medium to high heat oil and place on stove on medium heat.
• Pour "pancake batter" into small frying pan
• Cook on medium heat until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom.
• Flip, cook other side.
• Enjoy!  While I enjoyed this plain today, you could top with berries! Mmm so good!

Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom
Pancake in above pic is almost ready to flip...

And, flip!

Perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes! 
Looks like a "real" pancake but oh so much better!

The texture and taste - while simple - is phenomenal!
The ultimate fuel to start your day right!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat

Rev Up Your Engines Veggie Omelet

Egg whites and veggies is an easy "go-to" breakfast or anytime of day for that matter.  It's the perfect combination of protein and complex carbohydrates - that ideal mix to rev up your engine and get the day started right!  When pulling this together I also added a healthy fat to mix by using organic coconut oil to saute the veggies thus coating the pan for the egg whites as well!

I have discovered that there's a lot of "haters" out there when it comes to the use of coconut oil.  Over the years, I've done my homework on the topic and can proudly say that I'm a big fan of organic coconut oil!  Yes, coconut oil is 90% saturated fat but what they don't tell you is organic coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) which can improve your health in so many ways!  It is highly nutritious and also contains superior disease fighting fatty acid called lauric acid.  Not to mention, it's rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins.  Do your homework, I bet you too will love what you discover!

The best kind is organic unrefined virgin coconut oil.
This will assure you that your product is certified organic and will not
contain added chemicals or genetically modified additives. 
When it comes to using it in your kitchen, remember a little goes a long way!

Fresh organic spinach with red and yellow peppers
sauteed with organic coconut oil. 
You could of course use whatever veggies to your liking!

It only needs a few minutes -
then set it aside to whip up the eggs.

Beat four eggs in a small bowl. Add lots of ground pepper.
Pour in hot pan and let sit until one side is cooked, flip. 

Throw on the veggies and fold over for the perfect
"Rev Up Your Engines"omelet!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat

Over Oatmeal, Today Anyway

For the past few days, I have not been feeling the love for my Gloried Oats.  So, it's time to start mixing up my morning routine a bit.  Today, I made four egg whites loaded with spinach and fresh garlic with a touch of olive oil.  I paired this with half of an Ezekiel 4.9® 

Sprouted Grain English Muffin.  

When it comes to bread, pasta, and cereal, Ezekiel 4.9®, made by Food For Life Baking Co., is by far my favorite brand.  All Food For Life bakery products are made from the finest natural ingredients to provide optimum nutrition and maximum taste.  The idea to develop sprouted grain bread and pasta was inspired by Scripture. The verse, as you may have already guessed, is Ezekiel 4:9:

"Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it."

Yep, the ingredients are really that simple; a crunchy, healthy, protein-balanced slice of organic goodness. Not quite as perfect as my Glorified Oats, but certainly a suitable trade for the day.

Four egg whites, loaded with fresh spinach, garlic and a touch of olive oil.

Balanced with a half of a Ezekiel 4.9® Sprouted Grain English Muffin. Indeed delish!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride!

Mrs. Skinny Fat

My Breakfast Staple: Glorified Oats & Egg Whites

It wasn't until recently that I connected the dots of how important it is to combine the complex carb with the lean protein (in this case, rolled oats and egg whites).  Mind you, I have read dozens of books and magazines that listed it as a bullet point time and time again -- but I think I just subconsciously ignored it because maybe it seemed like "more work" to me to not only think about clean foods but also combining the right foods.  

I use to just eat the oatmeal or just the eggs for breakfast but never together...that is until the dots finally connected. It was my chiropractor (you never know who is going to inspire you!) who finally drilled it in my brain when he asked me how much protein I was getting a day.  I didn't have a clue how to answer.  Then he said, "You are already doing the work...eating clean, working out - now you need to rely on science to take you to the next level.  What if you could double your success by just combining the right foods?"  It was a total "Ah HA" moment for me!  By combining lean protein and complex carbs at each meal, it helps you slow down the carb-to-fat conversion in your body - in other words, it keeps you feeling full and satisfied between meals.  But also for me, it helps ensure I am getting enough protein throughout the day when I am intentionally making it a part of every meal.   

Now I tend to rely on my oats and egg whites for breakfast the majority of the time.  What I love about both is - in my opinion - you can't mess them up!  I will make a large pot of oatmeal at the beginning of the week so it's ready to go each morning by simply heating it up (sometimes I even like it cold!).  I just take rolled oats (buy it in bulk at the health food store), add water (sometimes I will do half water and half soy milk), add some ground cinnamon, handful of organic raisins,  handful of slivered raw almonds, throw in the chia seeds and wheat germ, cook it on the stove top for 3 to 5  minutes depending on how much I am making and I am good to go for the week.  Sometimes instead of raisins I will do chopped apples...or  I might leave out the fruit while cooking and instead add it on top before serving - such as a handful of fresh berries or half of a peach.  I also now love the combination of the oats and egg whites mixed together...is that weird? 

Pot of Glorified Oatmeal Made & Ready for the Week

The Secret to Successful Clean Eating is Making Sure You Combine
Your Oatmeal (Complex Carb) with the Egg Whites (Lean Protein).