Get Healthy Clean and Lean

Improve your health one day... one step... one bite at a time!

How-To

How to Make Boxed Pancake Mix Healthier With 2 Simple Additions

By

Shhhh…

Don’t tell my kids (ESPECIALLY my youngest, pickiest) but I’ve been doing something sneaky with their pancakes in order to make them a lil’ healthier.

And the best part… I did it using only TWO additional ingredients!

I used to ONLY make homemade pancakes but here lately, I must’ve lost my touch because the last time I made ’em… yuck.

So nowadays, when we have our weekend family breakfast, I only do the store bought, prepackaged pancake mix with a slightly healthier twist. [Read more…] about How to Make Boxed Pancake Mix Healthier With 2 Simple Additions

How To Make Iaso Tea Taste Better

By

Inside: If you’re looking for ways to make Iaso Tea taste better, here are some tips and ideas to give your detox tea a little more “oomph”. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

First of all, I’d like to start by saying, I didn’t find Iaso Tea to taste that bad. In fact, it really just tastes like water with a slight hint of herbal tea flavor.

Now, the only time I have had Iaso Tea taste “bad” is when I made it stronger, which made it taste bitter. Other than that, it should taste like REALLY watered down tea.

Now, having said that, I realize a LOT of folks out there don’t like tea, no matter what AND…

Some people don’t like to drink water… can’t stand the stuff and will take soda pop, juice, or pretty much anything else over water ANY day.

So, if that’s the case with you, check out the following…

How to make Iaso Tea Taste better:

1. Flavor it with tea you DO like

Some people don’t like the taste of just “regular” tea but they like flavored teas such as ginger or peppermint.  Try to keep it as natural as possible.

For example:  I love ginger tea, and my kids love peppermint tea… so when trying to get THEM to drink it, I’d warm some up (they don’t like cold/iced tea) and add a peppermint tea bag.  And for myself, if I wanted some flavor I’d add a ginger tea bag.

So if YOU like a particular flavor of tea, add a bag of it to a cup of Iaso Tea!

2. Infuse it with fruit

Have you ever seen (or tried) infused water where strawberries, blueberries, slices of lemon, orange, or lime, etc. are added to it?

Well, you could do the same with your Iaso Tea.  Since it basically tastes like water anyway, adding the fruit can add some flavor.


3. Make Lemonade-Iced Tea

Kind of along the lines of suggestion #2, you can add lemon juice and slices of lemon, along with some raw honey to make it both tart and sweet.

If you choose to go with honey as your sweetener, keep in mind that raw honey is best! Try not to get that smooth, pretty, golden one sold in the condiment aisle of most stores… go for as natural and minimally-processed as possible for BEST health benefits.

And if honey’s not your cup of tea (pun DEFINITELY intended), you can try other natural sweeteners such as agave nectar, stevia, xylitol or even evaporated cane juice (unbleached sugar) instead!  And the final suggestion is to…


4. Be Sure To Follow Package Directions

Now if you’re finding your tea to be strong and bitter, be sure that you’re making it according to the instruction on the packet and not using less water than recommended or trying to make it like you would regular tea bags (one bag per cup) because this tea is formulated to be heavily diluted with water.

Now there are some TLC Reps who DELIBERATELY make it stronger so that it will work “better” or “faster” and in that case, it’s going to taste bitter and strong and while you can add the aforementioned things to it, it may or may not make it taste better.

A Few Things To Remember

Now having said all of that, I want you to keep a few things in mind…

  • First, Iaso is a DETOX tea.  It is a detoxifier… it’s purpose is to draw toxins out of your system and carry them out through your bowels.  Therefore, you’ll want to be careful of what you add to it because, it’s going to draw out any impurities and put them right into YOUR body. That’s one of the reasons I don’t suggest storing it in plastic, especially those gallon jugs that water comes in.  A large glass jar or pitcher is best.
  • Second, you’ll want to either use organic fruit or at the very least, if using conventional fruit, do a vinegar soak to get as much of the wax and pesticides off as you can before adding to your tea.  Either that or take the skin off – can’t do that with berries, though, so be sure to soak and rinse those.
  • Third, be as minimal as possible with adding stuff because what you DON’T want to do is to weaken its strength and ability to do its job of cleaning you out effectively.

So that’s it… ways to make Iaso Tea taste better!

I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful!  If you did, please share the love by liking and sharing it!

More Resources For You:

So, How Does That Iaso Tea Taste? A Picky Girl’s Review

Iaso Tea Benefits List From “That Picky Girl”

5 Tasty, Healthy Drinks Other Than Water

Why Did I Stop Losing Weight? How To Get Over A Weight Loss Plateau

By

Why Did I Stop Losing Weight - How To Get Over A Weight Loss Plateau

Let me guess…

You’re on a certain eating plan (whether temporarily or permanently) and up until this point, you were WINNING because you were losing… weight, that is.

The pounds were dropping off like leaves from a tree in autumn.

Then all of a sudden…

*SCUUUURRRREEEEEEEECH*

[Read more…] about Why Did I Stop Losing Weight? How To Get Over A Weight Loss Plateau

How to Eat Healthier When You’re Picky

By

Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge when you’re a picky eater, but it doesn’t have to be.

In the mid 2000’s, my diet consisted of mostly of uncooked plant-based foods. And while I grew to like things I didn’t before, my food choices were very limited because I was finicky.

When I began eating a cooked food and animal products again, I still wanted to keep things healthy, for the most part.

I’m guessing that you’re in a similar boat, right?

Prefer to watch/listen to the video? Click “Play” on the video below.
Video NOT as detailed as the article!

So, how do you eat healthy when you’re picky?

The first thing you’ll want to do is…

1. Identify What Foods You Like

Make a list.

And from that list, pick out the healthy items and write those into a separate category.

Really think about this now.  Don’t limit your healthy choices to just fruits and veggies.

Think about other foods such as:

chicken, fish, turkey
beans & legumes
eggs
yogurt
oatmeal
nuts or nut butters

Stuff like that.

Once you have your complete list of healthy foods you like, decide if they are truly healthy.

What I mean is… if you eat oatmeal, for example; do you buy plain old fashioned oats, or the instant kind in the box of little packets in various flavors?

If it’s the latter, then try finding ways to make it healthier such as buying the old fashioned kind and putting your own sweetener – preferably something like raw honey, real maple syrup, or even unrefined evaporated cane juice [sugar] as opposed to white sugar – and other healthy add-ins like apples, cinnamon, real butter, etc.

So, look over your healthy items and decide if you can make ’em a little bit healthier.

2. Identify What Healthy Foods You Dislike

Now I want you to look over the foods you don’t like and think about WHY you don’t like them.

The reason for doing this is to see if there is something that can be done differently that would cause you to like them.

For example: I used to hate broccoli.

I tried it boiled, I tried it raw, and neither appealed to me.

Boiled was too mushy, and raw was too tough and hard to digest; and I just didn’t like the flavor of it, even with ranch dressing.

However, later down the road I tried it again; this time sautéed in butter with sea salt, garlic, a little soy sauce, and ginger.  Also, it wasn’t cooked as long so it wasn’t too soft and still had a nice “bite” to it.

I LOVED it!

I also tried it roasted on a baking sheet in the oven, with similar seasonings, and I LOVED that as well.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of first impressions, based on how it was prepared; so try the foods again, prepared differently.

Another thing you can do, if doable, is to try something you don’t like IN something you do like.

For example: I find that bell peppers in an omelet, on a pizza, or in chili are much more appealing to me than eating them alone, as a side dish, or stuffed.

You may find yourself the feeling the same with one or more of the foods YOU don’t like if you try it mixed in with something you like.

3. Don’t be scared… Try something new!

I know, I know. It can be scary venturing out and trying new foods, ESPECIALLY if you have preconceived notions about them.

One year, we had our annual family camping trip and my brother-in-law and his girlfriend roasted oysters over the fire pit.

Needless to say, I was reluctant as hell to try them (slimy, gross, disgusting OYSTERS?? *bleh*)

But I DID try one and guess what?

It wasn’t slimy!  At least, not the way she prepared them. They were actually pretty good.

Now, I haven’t added them to my not-so-vast list of foods I regularly eat (and probably won’t) but I can say I’ve tried them and “sorta, kinda” liked them.

So, be willing to at least give (healthy) foods you “think” you don’t like a try… you just never know!

As a picky eater, be sure to cover your butt

One of the main issues I ran into when my family and I were raw fooders was, because we were super-picky eaters, we suffered nutritional deficiencies that COULD have been avoided, had we known better.

“Oh you don’t need supplementation, you can get it from the fresh, raw foods you’re eating.“, they said.

HA! Yeah right.

When you’re eating a very LIMITED variety of fruits, veggies, etc, you simply cannot rely on food alone. Some argue you shouldn’t rely on food alone anyway due to soil being depleted.

But all-in-all, just know that if you’re super picky, you definitely need a good multi-vitamin supplement to fill in any gaps, due to your limited choices of healthy foods, especially if you’re not eating enough vegetables!

Here is the one I use: My personal pick for daily dietary supplement

I hope these tips on how to eat healthier when you’re picky have been helpful to you.  If so, please share this article with others who can also benefit from the information.

More Health-Related Resources For Picky Eaters:

How To Eat Vegetables When You Hate Them

How To Drink More Water Even If You Hate It

The Picky People’s Guide to Taking Liquid Vitamins

How to Eat Vegetables When You Hate Them

By

Inside: How on earth can you eat vegetables when you HATE them? This article will give you some surefire ways to get ’em in, even if you think you can’t!

Vegetables… YUCK!

Most times kids are the ones who feel that way, but some adults feel that way too. I know, I used to be one of ’em and I assume you are too.

I hated (most) vegetables as a kid and well into my adult years.

Yeah, I ate corn, the occasional carrot, and “salad” made with iceberg lettuce and French dressing – but not much else.

But I’ve grown to love quite a few vegetables I used to hate, although there are still some I won’t eat – squash being one of them; but I definitely eat more veggies than I used to.

I’d like to help you do the same. [Read more…] about How to Eat Vegetables When You Hate Them