Daily Living

Cooler:

This is the easiest part of building your new healthy lifestyle. When I first began carrying a daily cooler, the traditional hard-case Igloo was my only option. Now there are tons, including coolers that look like purses!

Take that cooler with you everywhere! From the office to doctor's appointments, to shopping to the gym, to wherever! Never be caught unprepared again! (but hey, life happens - check out my fast-food-cheat-sheet for tips on this!)

Be sure to also purchase the freezer packs that keep your food cold during the day! 

Shop Now: Sachi Fashion Insulated Lunch Bag, Black with White Dots

Visit the Today's Cooler page to view examples of what's in my cooler.

Crockpot Liners:

Where have these been all my life?? Seriously - these will save you so much time! Just open a liner, settle it into your crockpot, and when you're all done, pull it out and toss it! Crockpot is clean!  I buy these in bulk on Amazon, but you can find them in your grocery stores or local WalMart or Target, too. Located near the foil and saran wrap products.

Shop Now: Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners

Steamer Bags:

These little bags are a godsend! Truly! If you can think of it, you can probably cook it in a Ziploc Zip n Steam Bag! Personally, I use the Ziploc bags for everything - even my omelets.

The steamer bags make food preparation a snap! On Sunday, I chop up all my veggies, load them into their bags, add Mrs. Dash, seal, and toss in the fridge. I just grab however many bags I need, when I need them! This is soooo much faster than fast food! Give it a try! 

Shop Now:  Ziploc Zip'N Steam Cooking Bags, Medium, 10-Count(Pack of 3)

Ziploc Website & Recipes
 

George Foreman Grill:

I would be lost without my Foreman Grill. Every Sunday, when I do my food prep, this is what I use to grill my meat. From Buffalo to Beef to Chicken to Pork... whatever I'm preparing, this Grill can do it. The interchangeable plates are wonderful (the waffle plates are awesome!) and it's super easy to clean. It takes up only a small space on my counter, leaving me free to continue chopping veggies or make wraps... I love it! 

Shop Now:  George Foreman GRP4 Next Grilleration 5-Burger Grill with Removable Plates

Magic Bullet:

This is an essential kitchen tool! I love mine, and use mine, so much that I'm currently on my 4th! Great for whipping up protein shakes, grinding flax seeds, or any other of a million uses!

Shop Now:   Magic Bullet Express Deluxe 26-piece Mixer & Blender (25-piece with Bonus Ice Shaver Blade)

Food Processor:

This gem of a tool will save you soooo much time chopping, dicing, slicing, blending, etc! For years I used a little cheapy one from WalMart, but recently upgraded to the Ninja - and I'm hooked! Not job too big or small for this machine! LOVE IT!! Plus when my Bullet dies next (lol), this Ninja system includes a bullet-style attachment! 

Shop Now: Ninja Mega Kitchen System

Ice Cream Maker:

Ok, so this isn't an essential, but it is a whole lot of fun! While I can (and have) made my protein ice cream using the ziploc method - this is so very much easier! 

Shop Now: Cuisinart Frozen Dessert Maker (RED) - Frozen Yogurt, Ice-Cream & Sourbet

Slow Cooker:

This I'm addicted to my slow cooker(s). In fact, as of this writing, I have 11 of them. And yes, I use them. All of them. They're an essential part of my One-Day Food Prep and a serious time saver! 

Shop Now:  Crock Pot SCR450-PT 4-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker, Black Demask Pattern

Recipes / Books

The Start Here Diet

by Tosca Reno

At age 40, Tosca Reno made a lifestyle change and today at 50+, she is a best selling author and speaker. In this book, she goes back to basics and the steps she took to transition from fat to slim. It's a fabulous resource, whether you're just starting in your journey, or you're well on the way. I encourage you to check it out! 

Shop Now: The Start Here Diet: Three Simple Steps That Helped Me Transition from Fat to Slim . . . for Life

The Eat Clean Diet Recharged

by Tosca Reno

At age 40, Tosca Reno made a lifestyle change and today at 50+, she is a best selling author and speaker. Her plan is based on the bodybuilder's lifestyle of eating small meals often comprised of healthy whole foods. Check it out!

Available at most bookstores or online.
www.ToscaReno.com

NOTE: If you've got a family, the Eat Clean Diet for Kids and Families is awesome!!

Also... The Eat Clean Diet website offers a fabulous community, The Kitchen Table. Register (free) and start connecting!

The Eat Clean Diet FOR MEN (2009)

by Robert Kennedy &Tosca Reno:

No more excuses! This book is packed full of MANLY recipes and information written just for men.

Available at most bookstores or online.
www.ToscaReno.com
www.EatCleanDiet.com

Clean Eating Magazine

A truly terrific resource!

Get great new recipes that actually taste good and are good for you!

Check out the website here.
 

Devin Alexander

This amazing chef has put out several terrific cookbooks. We've yet to try a recipe we haven't liked, and it's easy to tweak them for a clean-eating lifestyle! I highly recommend!

Visit her website.

Oxygen Magazine

A truly terrific resource! Find workouts, the latest research, motivation, recipes and so much more!  

Shop Now: Oxygen

In The Gym

iPod or mp3 player

Must.Have.Music. To get through my cardio & strength training sessions, I have to have music pumpin'. I have created many, many workout playlists. I change 'em up and keep 'em fresh. Want to see some? View my playlists here.
 

Heart Rate Monitor:

If you're looking to monitor your calories burned during exercise, along with your heart rate, then picking up a good heart-rate-monitor is essential. I love mine, a Polar F7. It prevents signal "bleed", meaning that when there are 30 people on the cardio machines, the monitor is only registering me. Also, it keeps a running total during the week, so on Monday I get a "report" showing me how many times I exercised, where my heart-rate averaged, and how many total calories I burned while exercising in the previous week.

Also, health-wise, it really helps me to keep control of my asthma. I've learned that when my heart-rate is in a certain range, I'm more prone to an asthma attack and the monitor lets me know when I'm approaching that range, so I can back off, breathe deep, and avoid an attack.

Shop Now: Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor

Most Comfortable Cardio / Cross Training Shoes EVER! 

New Balance 877 for Women.  I am addicted to these shoes! I have 2 pair!! They're so light and comfortable that you forget you're wearing them! I love these particularly when I'm doing longer cardio sessions - heaven on the feet!

Shop Now: New Balance Women's Wx877 Cardio Cross Training Shoe,Black/Pink

Nutrition Tracking

FitDay.com Online Tracking: FREE!!! Yep, that's right! This is a fabulous tool available to you right now... no strings! FREE!! Just register, login and begin tracking your nutrition! The system is very easy to use, though you may have to create "custom food" to be sure all your calories and such are tracking correctly. For instance, the way I make my oatmeal isn't listed in their system, so I've had to itemize out the ingredients as custom. Then I just select them and add them to my food log.

FREE!!! Yep, that's right! This is another fabulous tool available to you right. Just register, login and begin tracking your nutrition! The system is very easy to use, though you may have to create "custom food" to be sure all your calories and such are tracking correctly. For instance, the way I make my oatmeal isn't listed in their system, so I've had to itemize out the ingredients as custom. Then I just select them and add them to my food log.

View their website

Chocolate!!!

There's absolutely no reason to give up chocolate! Godiva dark chocolate pearls are PERFECT! Just a few calories each (literally), and 3 or 4 pearls satisfies my sweet tooth! I get my chocolate fix without sabotaging myself! Give 'em a try!

You can order them direct from Godiva, Amazon, or find them in many bookstores and department stores. 

Shop Now: Godiva Dark Chocolate Pearls, 1.5-ounces (Pack of 6)