Sugar, Sugar

I woke up yesterday with a tickle in the back of my throat, and congested ears (yes, ears can become congested.) I don't seem to be able to shake this bug that wants to nest in me ( I can't blame this bug, cause I have a pretty awesome-sauce body haha) and so I've taken to extreme measures: no more refined sugar. Did you know that sugar feeds bacteria? I love chocolate, ice cream, and all things sweet. And with Easter only a week behind us, I have indulged way too much  in the odd sugar confection. Yesterday was my first day back on the clean eating bandwagon, and while the first day is a little rough, it was a good reminder of how gooooood it feels! Clean eating refers to enjoying foods in their whole and unprocessed state. Basically its getting back to the basics - feeding your body REAL whole foods. Check out Tosca Reno's books like this one:

Tosca Reno is a pretty awesome example of how eating clean can truly change your life. She only made the clean eating commitment at 40 years old, lost oodles of weight, and became a fitness model and competitor! She also revamped her life, getting out of a bad marriage, marrying Robert Kennedy (of Robert Kennedy Publishing), and starting a career in fitness and nutrition writing. Check out her monthly columns in Oxygen Magazine for more inspiration straight from Tosca.

Another good source of clean eating inspiration and recipes, is a magazine appropriately named Clean Eating. My favorite cookbook is their Best of Clean Eating  - seriously delicious and not an ounce of deprivation.

With my body feeling less sluggish this morning I thought I'd power through my workout, despite my congestion. I didn't. Here's the recap:

Weights

warm up: 25 full kettle bell swings

workout: 2 sets of 15 reps

1) kettle bell wood chop (low to high)

2) squat (kettle bell held at chest height)

3) bicep curls (one arm at a time with dumbbell)

4) triceps overhead extensions (with kettle bell)

5) chest press on ball (one arm at a time, with kettle bell)

6)crunch (kettle bell held on chest)

7) shoulder press (one arm at a time with dumbbell)

dumbbell:10lbs   kettle bell:16.5lbs

Total time: 25 minutes

Treadmill

Incline: 1-2%

No warm up or cool down (hopped on right after weights so I was already warm, and Eli woke up,s o I was cut short)

Total Distance: 2.12 miles

Total time: 23:28 minutes

I was dragging on the treadmill today. My ears had me off balance, and the congestion in my chest has not lifted so the total effect had me on the verge of puking. Not fun. I workout to be lifted up, not to be knocked to my knees by the porcelain throne. The boys and I are going to go for a walk outside, so that will make up my distance deficit in a more enjoyable way. I need to shake this bug!

Do you eat clean? What positive side effects do you enjoy from eating wholesome, nutritious and delicious foods?