Tag: clean eating

Banana Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal Recipe

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, nutrition, recipeLeave a comment

Looking for something delicious to have for breakfast to really help you power through your day? Breakfast is so important, and it’s easy to make this nutritious meal no matter how busy your mornings are!

Ingredients:IMG_4434-0

  • 1/2 c old fashioned oatmeal
  • 3/4 c water (depending on the consistency you desire for oatmeal)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
  • 1/2 ripened banana
  • 1/2 scoop Vanilla protein powder (depending on desired consistency.
  • 1 tsp your choice of sweetener if needed (agave, syrup…make it healthy!)
  1. In a microwave safe bowl, add oatmeal, then top with banana and cinnamon. Pour water over the bowl, and microwave for approximately 2 minutes, or until oatmeal is soft. Stir, add more liquid and add protein powder (can use milk or water if needed to achieve desired consistency). Taste and if desired, add sweetener.
  2. Pair with some Canadian bacon for a well rounded breakfast! Enjoy!

Happy eating!

Warmly,

Dani

My problem with cheat days

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, health, nutrition, wellnessLeave a comment

I love cheat days. LOVE them! They can be essential for success with any healthy lifestyle, because they allow you to indulge and enjoy your favorite foods that might not be so healthy. By not completely depriving yourself, you’re motivated to stay on track overall and it does help reset your metabolism and raise leptin levels. But, I’ve found myself to have quite a problem with cheat days! Here’s why.

junk foodI’m not used to rich foods, or processed foods. They aren’t a normal part of my diet, although I definitely do enjoy them. I’m only human! Over the last year I have really cleaned up my diet, still allowing for the cheat meal or cheat day on a normal basis. Because I’m not as used to processed foods anymore, it really messes up my digestive system. My body just doesn’t know what to do with the stuff anymore, I guess? What’s interesting is I don’t have any digestive issues, and they are quite rare. Over the last year (since I’ve started to clean up my diet), I’ve noticed that whenever I have a full blown cheat day, or even cheat meal, I feel TERRIBLE. A few times, I wasn’t even able to keep the food down at all. I felt much better after ridding my system of the food, thankfully.

What’s interesting to me is; what on earth is in these ‘foods’ that my body is rejecting? That’s really something to think about. Kind of scary, right? These processed foods really aren’t actually foods our bodies are supposed to be ingesting. Have you ever gone on a sugar detox, or maybe a clean eating regimen? If you have, you probably found yourself not wanting or needing those processed foods after a few days. Your body becomes addicted to these processed foods, and isn’t really ever satisfied with the foods because it’s not getting the proper nutrients it needs to function at its best. Is it worth eating, only to feel terrible for the rest of the day? Or even worse, let my body reject it a few hours later?

All day last Sunday, watching both of the football games, most of what I ate was processed; Cheetos and Doritos were amongst some of these foods. At the end of the day, I felt so sick, exhausted and sluggish. I literally felt my body crave something healthy. Crazy, right?! I think I’m going to have to go with more of a cheat meal, rather than a cheat day. I would assume it’s just a system overload issue. Does anyone else have these problems with cheat days? If you are interested in eating clean, don’t hesitate to ask me questions you may have!

Happy clean eating!

Warmly,

Dani