Food is so connected to the human experience—it absolutely needs to be a joyous thing.   –Tess Masters

I have lost 20 pounds in the past 55 days!!! And I have our amazing guest to thank. I feel the best I have felt in my 40s! This is a must-listen if you want to get healthy now, which might just be the most important goal we can all have in 2020... 

In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Tess Masters, the Blender Girl, about clean eating—and why it matters. Getting to a better place with our own eating can feel kind of daunting. It’s something we know we “should” do, but getting really clear on our own why and the real benefits can certainly help us make a real change. 

Tess and I talk about those benefits. Additional energy is a big one. I know I felt the change and Tess reports how much the people she works with comment on sleeping better, having more energy with their kids or partners or for the things they love to do, not feeling exhausted. Beyond energy, their digestion is better, their gut health is better. Plus your skin glows, your hair is more lustrous, you feel good in your body and often that shows up as more confidence and a sense that you can achieve your goals. 

Given all that, why don’t people make the change? It’s not easy, but it helps to start from a place of abundance. So often when we shift to healthy eating we focus on what we can’t have. What if instead celebrate what you can have? Tess helps people find foods that satisfy their cravings in a way that truly nourishes them.

We talk about: 

• Getting over the beginning hump and how your body wants to stick with these changes that feel good if you can stick out the beginning
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• How a 90-day focus gives you time to let go of previous habits or practices that aren’t serving you and shifting to new ones
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• How “falling off the wagon” can actually be helpful because it reminds your body how the things you used to eat or drink made you feel
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• Using your choices as data points about yourself, how you respond to food, your emotional trigger points, etc. 
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• Adapting foods you love to be healthier (and getting more comfortable in the kitchen)
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• Tracking your food, sleep, and movement
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BIO

Tess Masters is a lifestyle personality and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend. She is also the creator of The Decadent Detox™ cleanses and Skinny60™ weight loss program. You can find hundreds of easy recipes at theblendergirl.com.

Tess and her delicious healthy food have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, and many others.

In high demand as a spokesperson, presenter, and recipe developer, Tess has collaborated with KitchenAid, Vitamix, Williams-Sonoma, Four Seasons, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Silk, So Delicious, Driscoll’s, Earthbound Farm, Vegetarian Times, and many others.

She lives in Los Angeles.

LINKS

• Join me in the Skinny60 »
• Download 20 Skinny60 Recipes »
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• Theblendergirl.com
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• An earlier conversation with Tess on the Plan Simple Podcast
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Doable Changes from this episode:

• NOTICE HOW YOU FEEL. Start noticing how different foods make you feel. Write it down. Do you feel tired or bloated after eating something? Do you feel regret or comfort? What do you crave? Start paying attention and noticing. This is all data that can help you shift to healthier eating.
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• CHANGE THE COMPOSITION OF YOUR PLATE. Use the 80–20 rule. That means 80% of your plate should be non starchy vegetables and 20% of your plate should be a mix of starch and animal or plant protein. If that feels like a huge switch (maybe your plate is currently reversed), try shifting close, like 50–50. Try experimenting with different vegetables to fit that part of your plate.
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• FOCUS ON HYDRATION. Drink more water-based beverages throughout the day. Pack a water bottle when you go out. Bring a container of water to your desk. Track how much you are drinking. If you want to snack, try having a drink first. Think about ways to make water more appealing—a glass you love, adding fruit or herbs. And don’t forget about high-water content foods—include them with each meal. 
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