I am going to be 40 in seven weeks. I am on a mission for the next seven weeks to eat as clean as I can. What does “eating clean” mean you ask? Well, eating clean basically means to eat natural foods. I just came back from grocery shopping and stocked up on clean foods including, fruits, veggies, sweet potatoes, lean meats, eggs, beans, oatmeal, brown rice and barley. I love how I feel when I eat clean. My skin clears up, I have a ton of energy and YES, I always lose some bodyfat. It can be challenging to eat clean though. If you are truly going to eat this way, you MUST eliminate processed foods. Here are some tips to get started on your mission to eat clean:

• Clean out your fridge and pantries. Get rid of those Little Debbie Cakes that have been in there for a month. Only keep foods that will rot or spoil or get stale in less than a week (canned beans, veggies and dry grains are okay to keep).
• Go grocery shopping and stick MOSTLY to the perimeter of the store where you find your freshest foods (produce, meats and dairy). Frozen veggies are fine. I live on many frozen fruits and veggies.
• Read labels. Only buy foods that have a few ingredients. According to Michael Pollan (food expert and author of Food Rules), we should eat foods that have less than 5 ingredients. He gives some GREAT tips and I highly encourage you to purchase his book(s).
• Plan your meals and cook at home. The less we eat out, the more control we have over eating clean!

]Here is a fantastic recipe for Turkey Burgers that I stumbled on a few weeks ago as I changed over from the pre-made turkey burgers to making them myself:

• one package of 93% all-natural lean ground turkey
• fresh mushrooms (sauteed) or a can of mushrooms (check ingredients, make sure they are all-natural)
• 1/8 cup of all natural shredded cheddar cheese
• salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder or grill seasoning

Mix all together and make into 3-4 patties. Poke a hole in the middle of each burger with your thumb so the burger doesn’t puff up on the grill. Grill on low-medium for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Serve with a big, fat salad and a side of brown rice. Be careful of serving on a bun. Most burger buns (even whole wheat) are processed. One 4 oz burger has approximately 185 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 24 grams of protein. DELISH!