Gut Health: It's More Important Than You Think!

Did you know that approximately 70% of the body’s immune system resides in the gut? Seriously! Since the immune system is important to suppressing disease, paying attention to the health of your gut is one important key to keeping your body holistically healthy. But what does it really mean when you hear friends, or your doctor, refer to “the gut” or “gut health”? Let’s take a look

What is Gut Health?

First of all, when we say “the gut”, what do we mean? Well, we mean the digestive system components of the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intestine (aka the colon). There are other organs associated with the digestive system, but these are the major players.

The gut is like a playground for all sorts bacteria; some good and some bad. This bacteria, also called microbes, flourish in the digestive tract. We each have a varied grouping of these microbes that make up our own individual bacterial profile (or microbiome). Some of each profile is inherited, while some is a result of a person’s lifestyle choices. Many doctors now believe that the bacterial balance of the gut has a greater impact than previously believed on many diseases; from irritable bowel syndrome to cancer.

The bacteria in the digestive tract need to have a balance of good over bad. Gut bacteria plays an important role in protecting the body from disease and for playing all of the roles that they do and to keep the body healthy. Bacteria is responsible for producing certain vitamins the body needs and for sending important microbial messages to the immune system and the brain.

Some biologists believe that in the future, your bacterial profile will be able to be determined by something as easy as a blood test. If your profile is found to be one that is prone to disease, they predict an individualized probiotic “cocktail” of sorts could be prescribed that can even out some of the bad bacteria that the body produces to promote long-term gut health. Until then, there are some good things that we can do to promote good overall gut health through our dietary choices today.

Why is the Gut so important?

The gut is very central to our bodies and connected to many vital organs. Poor digestive health can compromise the immune system and cause inflammation in the body. It is important to have the right balance to keep a strong immune system, eliminate waste well, and have good digestive functioning. A healthy gut will work well to eliminate dangerous toxins and to metabolize nutrients that are essential.

Several in the medical profession are predicting that we will be hearing much more about restoring the integrity of the gut as therapy for all kinds of diseases in the next 5-10 years.

Symptoms of poor Gut Health

An unhealthy digestive tract can be linked to a variety of health problems as previously mentioned above. Some might be rather obvious, but some will possibly surprise you. What are some good indications that some extra attention should be paid to your gut?

1.  Lethargy- If you are feeling overly lethargic on a somewhat regular basis, you should take a look at what you are eating. Your immune system just might be overrun by bad bacteria causing it to become suppressed.
2. Digestive problems- Stomach discomfort and irregular bowel movements might seem like a rather obvious sign. Acid reflux, burping, and “tooting” is often a byproduct of poor gut health. As bad bacteria accumulates, gases are released that has to come to the surface somewhere...you get the idea…
3. Type 2 Diabetes- A struggling gut is commonly a culprit for difficulty in weight management; trouble with weight management is typically one of the causes of Type 2 Diabetes. Gut bacteria levels can alter the way that we store fat and how we deal with glucose levels in our blood.
4. Skin conditions- This is often a surprising sign. More and more scientists are finding that people that struggle with conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea often can be helped by focusing on healing the gut first.
5. Food sensitivities/constipation and/or diarrhea- all tell-tale signs

And more....

So if you if you suffer from any one of these things, looking into what you can do to heal and restore your gut is one of the first places you should look for relief. But how? Where should a person start?

8 Ways to improve Gut Health

Start this way:

• Remove triggers/avoid toxins- SUGARS! Unhealthy oils! Conventional (grain-fed) dairy and processed foods. Just be aggressive. Remove these typical trigger foods from your diet at least for a time. This should be your first step to healing.
• Replace with healthy foods- Put a good variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet along with some whole grains. Add to that whole, unprocessed foods like meat and fresh fish. Additionally, add in some  bone broth, foods containing omega 3’s, and yogurt. These foods are known to have a healing effect. Finally, add fermented foods such as Kimchi or sauerkraut if you can tolerate it. These foods sometimes need an acquired taste, but they have been found to be excellent foods for restoring good bacteria levels.
• Heal your gut- A high quality probiotic should be taken at least daily while you are trying to heal your gut. What is a “probiotic”? Probiotics are foods that have live bacteria in them. The fermented foods I mentioned previously (kimchi and sauerkraut) are probiotics as are certain yogurts and kefir.
• Add prebiotic foods- Foods such as garlic, tomatoes, asparagus, oatmeal, honey, red wine, legumes, honey, bananas, and artichokes are also very helpful. As opposed to probiotics that introduce live bacteria into your diet, prebiotic foods feed the good bacteria that is already in your gut. Prebiotic foods help the good bacteria that already resides in your system to thrive. Prebiotics can be foods, or in cases where you want to really boost the repair process, there are also supplements that can be taken in pill form.
• Manage your stress- Cortisol, sometimes referred to as “the stress hormone” also plays a part in how your body metabolizes fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Managing your stress levels also help to reduce inflammation which is important to improving digestive health.
• Maintain common sense personal habits- This is just good for everything; add good exercise, good sleep and good humor. And don’t forget to laugh!
• Plan ahead for good eating-meal prepping will be key in making sure you are intentional and consistent as you eat your way to better health. Some of our worst decisions are made when we are tired and hungry. So plan ahead!
• GAPS Diet- Consider the GAPS diet that our friend Carley Smith, a certified GAPS practitioner talks about in our latest interview with her. She also gives some great ideas like carving out one day a week and preparing a salad bar in the fridge with prepared veggies so that the fixings are always readily available.

Let us know in the comments section below how you plan to eat your way to better health and improve your own gut health!

We understand how difficult making life changes can be, especially with dietary changes. When using meal prepping for your temporary or permanent diet, weight loss is easily accomplished. With dieting comes losing fat and water weight, which also means a loss of muscle. You’d certainly feel and look better if you were able to keep more of your muscle as you lose the unwanted weight.

In this post, we’ll explain why keeping muscle mass is important, explain how to possibly keep more of it with three key amino acids, and provide 3 suggestions if you’re new to dieting.

What is Muscle Decay, and Why Does it Matter?

Muscle decay, also known as muscle atrophy, muscle deterioration, muscular wasting, or myopenia, is the decrease in size and loss of muscle tissue. Many things can cause muscle decay, including but not limited to, dieting, aging, inactivity, diseases like cancer or AIDS, illness, malnutrition, forms of arthritis, medications, etc. Muscle decay is typically a symptom of an underlying problem, but it could also be due to general inactivity.

Having a significant amount of muscle is good for a person’s overall health, e.g. bones, blood, brain, joints, spine, organs, less prone to injury, and it allows you to consume more calories without gaining fat as easily, enabling long-term maintenance.

When we lose weight from dieting or making a dietary life change, we tend to naturally lose water, fat, and muscle. Muscles require plenty of calories, water, amino acids, and protein, so when those are reduced so too are the muscles. One common difficulty with weight loss is trying not to lose muscle. By having more muscle mass we certainly look and feel better, and we burn fat at a faster rate than those with less muscle mass.

How to Possibly Reduce Muscle Loss While Dieting

According to extensive global research there may be a way to reduce muscle loss while dieting by consuming mixtures of the following, daily:

• β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (HMB)
• L-Arginine
• L-Glutamine

 In most studies, medical staff provided the test-patients with 3 grams of HMB, 14 grams of L-arginine, and 14 grams of L-glutamine per day, along with a healthy diet.

Consuming this trio of amino acids, with a 3-day per week weight-training regimen, showed ‘significant’ results for the test subjects when compared to placebo groups.

In fact, this specific trinity of amino acids is so revered as potentially reducing muscle decay and other treatments that it is being encouraged by doctors for patients who suffer from muscle decay cause by cancer, HIV/AIDS, aging, and other ailments. It has also been demonstrated to possibly help with natural collagen production, healing wounds, immunity, stress, and various blood-related issues including assisting diabetics.

What is HMB?

As we get older and hit our 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, it is important to stay active and mobile. The body doesn’t always make it easy to do this but luckily there are supplements out there that have been clinically studied to help support, build, and preserve lean muscle tissue.* One of those supplements is HMB.

HMB is a clinically researched, naturally occurring metabolite of the branched-chain amino acid leucine. HMB normally plays a role in the regulation of protein breakdown in the body, helping to preserve lean muscle tissue* HMB therefore can help maintain muscle strength and mass when combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet.* In addition, it can help to enhance recovery from intense exercise.*

NOW® Sports HMB products are carefully screened for purity and potency. They are also certified by Informed-Sport, the world’s leading anti-doping organization, so you can trust the products are pure, safe and effective for every level of athletics.

What is Arginine?

Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), a molecule that helps to open up blood vessels, which increases the flow of blood to muscular tissues.* It also plays an essential role in the maintenance of proper nitrogen balance through its participation in the metabolism of ammonia and excretion of urea.* And we always use the natural “L” form amino acids, because we believe that natural is better.

Many active individuals choose to supplement with the amino acid L-Arginine and there is good reason for that. Arginine is classified as a “conditionally essential” amino acid. In certain stressful situations, such as illness or injury, the body requires higher levels of these amino acids from the diet. Since exercise is basically controlled injury of your muscle tissue, you can see how an arginine supplement can benefit your exercise routine.*

NOW® Sports L-Arginine products are carefully screened for purity and potency and are manufactured with our industry-leading quality assurance procedures. And we always use the natural “L” form amino acids, because we believe that natural is better.

What is Glutamine?

Glutamine is considered a “conditionally essential” amino acid, meaning that when your body is under an inordinate amount of stress, such as during strenuous exercise, it needs more glutamine than it can normally produce internally. Glutamine helps to maintain a positive nitrogen balance, referred to as an anabolic state, which is crucial for any active individual.* It also aids in the production of rapidly growing cells, such as immune system lymphocytes and intestinal cell enterocytes, which can help to off-set some of the stress from physical exertion.* Homeostasis is critical for overall fitness and glutamine helps to regulate the body’s acid-alkaline balance, also known as the body pH.*

Physical exertion sets off a cascade of stress responses in the body that, if left unaddressed, can make it harder for you to recover and achieve the gains you’re working towards. L-Glutamine not only can help to address the many different stressors that arise in physical exertion, but can also help in a variety of other ways.*

NOW® Sports Glutamine supplements are carefully screened for purity and potency and are manufactured according to our industry-leading quality assurance standards. And we always use the natural “L” form amino acids, because we believe that natural is better.

3 Tips and Reminders for Dieting

First: If you’re new to dieting, or you’d like to see better results, give the amino acid combination an honest try. We cannot make any promises, but the research is there to support that a daily combination of HMB, L-Arginine, and L-Glutamine may help you achieve your noble goal of losing fat while keeping more muscle than dieting without them. Of course, you may wish to consult your doctor before starting any new diets or using supplements. Pro tip: mask the flavor or L-Arginine, as it tends to have an off-putting taste, while the other two have no taste when consumed with water.

Second: Try being active at least 3 days per week, and at least 30 minutes each session. Weight lifting has shown more promising long-term results for ridding the body of fat while building lean muscle mass.

Third: Watch what you eat. Whether you are going keto, low carb, vegetarian, macro/micro based diet, etc., be sure to watch what you are consuming as to not throw you off your goals or waste all of your efforts. Meal prepping is the number one way bodybuilders and fitness experts have been able to achieve their goals and maintain them. At Meal Prep on Fleek, we have recipes for most diet plans. 

If you are tired of losing muscle when you lose fat, give this healthy amino acid combination a try, along with your diet change and exercise routine. HMB, L-Arginine, and L-Glutamine are not cure-alls, but they certainly have been shown to help reduce muscle decay.

Be sure to check out our website for more diet and Meal Prepping tips and recipes. We have a community of people ready to help one another achieve and maintain their diet goals. Send us your before and after pictures if you tried this out, we may select your pictures and story to be shared among our followers on social media!  

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Meal prepping can really help with your intermittent fasting goals. Here's how!

As it's most commonly practiced, Intermittent fasting is a method of only eating within certain windows of time. However, there are a few types of intermittent fasting including alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily time-restricted fasting. People normally pick the option they can commit to, with the primary goal of fat loss in mind.

• Nearly 42 percent of Americans suffer from obesity.
• Anyone that wants to lose weight and improve their health can possibly benefit, while meal prepping can make it even easier.
• In this post, we’ll explain why intermittent fasting is important, explain how to intermittent fast with meal prepping, and provide 3 suggestions if you’re new to intermittent fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting, and Why Does it Matter?

Intermittent fasting is a diet plan that considers windows of time for eating, whether that be taking every other day off from eating, eating 5 days per week while taking two days spread out through the week to fast, occasionally fasting, or only eating within certain hours every day. We will even be as bold as to say that not everyone can or should use intermittent fasting. Some people can easily make it a day without eating, but most people prefer having an established daily window of time dedicated to eating.

The most popular hour ratios for intermittent fasting are as follows:

16:8 method, which is 16 hours of not eating and an 8-hour window that allows for limited eating.

20:4 method, which is 20 hours of not eating, and a 4-hour window for eating.

Should you try Intermittent Fasting?

People typically either use intermittent fasting to lose fat, control their blood sugar levels, feel rejuvenated, or as a spiritual or religious act. It is quite normal for those within a religious group to fast, and then donate the money they would have spent on those meals to a charity that feeds those in need.  

According to personal trainer (and meal prepper!) Airon Mallars, “I intermittent fast every day. I’d say the best time for fasting is before bed, it’s easiest, too. Have your last meal at 8pm and don’t eat until late morning or around 12 noon." He likes this idea especially for beginners, just because you’re sleeping while you’re doing it. "You don’t have to worry about getting hungry while you’re asleep!” he says.

He says a reduction in excess fat typically indicates a correlated reduction in the risk of cancer, diabetes, joint pain, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, immobility, better sleep, and more. Maintaining a healthy weight can also make us feel better, and provide inspiration to others as a positive externality. Intermittent fasting is an easy way to accomplish this weight loss, while meal prepping makes intermittent fasting even easier!

How to Intermittent Fast with Meal Prepping

Knowing your personal energy levels, blood sugar, and capability of accomplishing your goals is important for your success with intermittent fasting. Some people cannot do an every-other-day fast, or a 20:4 fast, but they might be able to do a 16:8, or another variation. If someone is active, working out a lot, using a lot of cognitive thinking in their daily life, etc., they especially may need to find a balance that works best.

Once you have the hours figured out, you’ll want to balance your diet with the proper amount of macros and nutrients your body needs. Meal prepping while intermittent fasting makes the latter process easier: you give yourself the peace of mind that you are getting the right foods when it’s time to break the fast.

When you understand how much energy you need per day to reach your goal, your meal prep planning and the Meal Prep on Fleek meal prep macros calculator will become invaluable.

Prepping your meals ahead of time allows you to eat easily without stopping to prep, when you are ready to break your fast. Cooking when you are hungry can be frustrating and torturous at times. Meal prepping while intermittent fasting can also help save additional money you’d normally be spending on those skipped meals, and it can save more time throughout the week. Using meal prep to your advantage can help deter spontaneous destructive eating choices or habits. It can also create a greater sense of personal responsibility while pursuing your goals.

3 Tips and Reminders for Intermittent Fasting

1. Plan. Know your BMI, your goals, and calculate your macros. This requires you to step on a scale, plug in your basic information, and look into which meal prep recipes will work with your newly created plan to help hold yourself accountable.
2. Patience. Patience is key to this body transformation process. When you beat yourself up because you ate something you weren’t supposed to or splurged during the holidays, you discourage yourself. Handle yourself with care, understanding, and love; you'll naturally encourage your growth, stick to your goals, and signal to others that they can do it, too. All without judgment. Incremental success and delayed gratification are necessary components for any long-term success. Trust the process.
3. Persist. Imagine yourself embodying these changes to ensure the results you worked so hard to achieve can actually stay. Think past the time frame required for weight loss. Perhaps the plan changes from losing fat to maintaining, or muscle gaining, but stick with it. Too many people go on diets and go through destructive cycles, which inevitably means their weight bounces back up to what it was—or worse. Shoot for the stars to reach the moon.

You've Got This!

Once you are ready to start your body transformation through intermittent fasting with meal prepping, be sure to check our recipes that are dedicated to your goal plans. Dieting does not have to cause suffering! It can be a legitimate step in the right direction of a healthier lifestyle that has you looking and feeling great, and living longer!

If you haven’t already noticed, there is a massive problem with food waste these days (specifically fresh produce)! 100 years ago, not so much of a problem, but today we have “voluntary USDA standards” for beautiful uniform fruits and vegetables, and like most people, we eat with our eyes first. I think you’ll agree that what is being displayed on the shelves of your local grocery store is not the misshapen muskmelon or the crooked carrot, but the perfectly round apples or blemish free bell peppers. So, how can you (and us) play a part in decreasing food waste? Well...

Meal Prepping Aids in Reducing Food Waste

We’ve taken it upon ourselves to better understand and help solve the problem of food waste in America (and around the world); how to meal prep (like Snoop Dogg) with more of the plant and how to save money doing it. More than that, we posted some delicious recipe ideas that you can use today to meal prep with a conservationist’s mindset while satisfying your hunger for fresh, yummy food.

Is wasted produce such a problem?

Yes! It is a staggering problem. According to farmers, depending on variable weather conditions, it is usually the case that between 20-50% of their annual harvest winds up in landfills every year! And when this produce rots in landfills it emits methane gas which is not beneficial to the environment. In fact, quite the opposite.

We have a culture that demands uniformity-even in the fruits and veggies that we buy. But this beauty contest is costly for growers. Every wasted morsel costs the farmer in seed, space and resources, so every piece of produce that doesn’t make the cut and is thrown away hurts growers in the pocket book. And, you guessed it, it eventually hurts you, the consumer, because the cost trickles down to you.

To better understand the food waste problem and how to help solve it, we partnered with Ugly Produce is Beautiful℠ (UPIB) to raise more awareness and present solutions!

Who is Ugly Produce is Beautiful?

The goals of the Ugly Produce Is Beautiful℠ Educational Campaign are multifaceted.
We want to be the catalyst of the change at all levels of the supply chain, the only change that will be sustainable and create a true revolution. This movement born in Europe is also in need of an umbrella organization that dispenses information about the ugly produce problem. The issue is complex as it touches upon and interlaces with many important social, political, economic, health, and environmental issues, already on an active discussion table. ​ Read more their goals here: http://www.uglyproduceisbeautiful.com/goals.html

What is ugly produce and why should we want it?

Ugly produce is the “wallflower” at the local greengrocer. It is the root vegetable that hits a stone while growing deep in the ground so it’s growth is forced to be diverted to the left or right. It is the strawberry plants that grow too close together that end up fusing together making a double or super strawberry. They all taste exactly the same as their beautiful cousins, but look like they belong on the Island of Misfit Produce.

We should want to eat ugly fruits and vegetables because we know that what grows in nature, a large percentage of time, is not the waxed, glamorous stuff you see on store shelves, but the uniquely misshapen or weather-scarred that doesn’t make the cut. Perfect produce is not the norm. We should want to use unattractive produce because we don’t want to waste, and we do want to save money. Additionally, we can use parts of the plant that are completely edible and usable instead of throwing them away. And is you hear news about the Clean 15 or Dirty Dozen, read about what real dietitians have to say about these scare tactics here: https://mealpreponfleek.com/dietitians-react-to-the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-fifteen-produce-list/

Where can you find ugly produce?

Farmer’s markets are a good place to start to find these discounted treasures. Farmer’s that can’t sell to the stores but want their hard work rewarded instead of going in the trash, will find a way to sell their peculiar at farmers markets because they are exempt from the USDA beauty standards, but tasty good food at these markets at a fraction of the cost. We’ll bet that if you look, you might find one close by. If not real close, it’s might be worth a trip out to the country to try one.

Some who have taken up the crusade of promoting fruits and veggies, known as seconds in the industry, have encouraged stores to buy the produce anyway and sell it to consumers at a markdown price. And you can join them by encouraging the local store where you shop to not reject the misfits, but to put them on display at a slashed price.

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Join us in this awareness campaign for Food Waste and Ugly Produce by sharing this post on social media, emailing it to a friend, or simply making one of these recipes: http://www.uglyproduceisbeautiful.com/recipes.html

21 dark chocolate recipes that are sweeter than your boyfriend. Or girlfriend. Because life deserves to be more than a little sweet sometimes.

You probably know that dark chocolate is actually healthy for you, right! Dark chocolate is made from the seed of the cacao tree and is an incredible source of antioxidants. Did you hear that it can help you lose weight, too? Crazy! Makes us want to eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. At least a little bit of it. Oh, wait. You can!

We have put together these 21 sweet dark chocolate recipes for that specific reason; dark chocolate at all meals. You might not want them all in one day, but maybe one a day for three weeks? It's up to you. They're also ideal for sharing because honestly, who doesn't like chocolate? 

Pro Tip: Although not as healthy as dark chocolate, milk chocolate can easily be subbed in any of the following recipes if that is what your heart desires! It is an easy 1:1 swap. So, go ahead and get cooking. We will be sure to swing by in a couple of hours to enjoy some of these dark chocolate recipes with you!

 

BREAKFAST

Double Chocolate Coconut Almond Granola 

Coconut and chocolate are made for each other, and almond adds some protein. Sweet!

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats

Overnights just got a whole lot sweeter with dark chocolate chips and tart raspberries.

Baked Banana Donuts With Dark Chocolate Glaze

Ok, so donuts are admittedly not the best breakfast food as far as nutrition, but these are baked instead of fried and have a nice coating of dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Breakfast Bake

Chocolate and breakfast bake? Yes please!

Blackberry, Orange & Dark Chocolate Muffins

Have you ever experienced the particular bliss that is orange and chocolate? Please make these muffins and tell us what you think! 

Double Chocolate Scones 

Scones get some serious chocolate treatment. Serve them with coffee or as an afternoon snack. With or without coffee.

Strawberry Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes 

Strawberries and chocolate are definitely made for each other, too. In fact, we don't think there's a fruit that isn't made a little better by adding some dark chocolate.

 

Dark Chocolate Dipped Almond Butter Oat Bars

This might technically look like a homemade breakfast bar with oats, but you can eat this any time of day. We won't tell. Sweeter than your boyfriend, indeed!

SNACK

Mint Chocolate Energy Bites

Protein, mint chocolate, and almonds. It's so hard to resist these. They kind of taste like ice cream!

Homemade Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Bars

It's no accident that these bars look like a famous brand's version. You can make them at home for a fraction of the cost. And add as much dark chocolate as you want.

Vegan Samoa Dark Chocolate Popcorn

Popcorn gets a decade upgrade for snacktime. And it's vegan. Score!

Simple S'mores Trail Mix

S'mores and trail mix may not be words you're used to seeing together. Pack this for a hike with your sweetie. 

Easy Sweet & Salty Snack

Chocolate, popcorn, dried berries. You can make this as sweet or savory as you want.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Popsicles

You'll love popping the sleeves off these homemade popsicles. So rewarding on a hot day.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola 

Tart cherries are so good with dark chocolate. This is hard to resist!

DESSERT

One Bowl Triple Chocolate Cupcakes 

Whenever we see the words "triple chocolate" we kind of stop reading. Make these for guests and they'll want more.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Apricots 

Is it dessert? Or a healthy sweet snack? Doesn't matter, it's really easy to make and tastes great.

Vegan Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake

Here we are with the tripe chocolate. Again. Vegan, this time. So good. Make it and share it!

 

Dirty Chai Flourless Dark Chocolate Brownies

Flourless means gluten-free. And dirty chai just means spicy flavors with chocolate. 

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Bars 

Cheesecake bars are so much less intimidating to make, and plus, they're pre-portioned! And of course, they're chocolate, too.

Hazelnut & Cardamom Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread is a delight and super easy to make. Hazelnut and cardamom make it a little classy and floral. 

Double Dark Chocolate M&M Cookies 

This is your go-to cookie jar cookie from now on, and a great way to put M&M's to use!

Social media has become an essential part of our daily lives. While it helps us stay connected with our friends and family, it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. According to a study, people spend an average of 145 minutes per day on social media, which can negatively impact their mental health.

A social media diet is a way to improve your digital wellbeing by cleaning up your social media feed to prioritize quality content. In this blog post, we will provide you with practical steps to clean up your social media feed and achieve a healthier relationship with social media.

Step 1: Assess your current social media usage:

The first step to cleaning up your social media feed is to assess your current social media usage. Take a digital wellbeing quiz to understand your current relationship with social media. Analyze your social media usage to identify how much time you spend on each platform and which accounts you engage with the most.

1. Before you start cleaning up your social media feed, it's important to assess what content is harmful to your online presence. Some examples of harmful content include:

• Posts that are offensive or discriminatory
• Negative comments or interactions
• Posts that share false information or spread rumors
• Posts that are overly political or controversial
• Accounts that don't align with your values or interests

Once you've identified the harmful content in your social media feed, you can start cleaning it up.

Step 2: Cleaning up your feed

Maintaining a Clean Social Media Feed is just the first step towards a productive online experience. Here are some strategies for staying consistent with a social media diet:

Here are some tips for removing harmful content and people from your social media feed:

• Unfollow or unfriend accounts that post harmful content or have a negative impact on your mental health
• Use the mute feature to hide posts from accounts that you don't want to unfollow or unfriend
• Report offensive content to the social media platform
• Delete any posts or comments that you've made that could be harmful to your online presence
• Use privacy settings to control who can see your posts and interactions
• Regularly review your social media feed to ensure that it remains clean and positive

Step 3: Maintaining a Clean Social Media Feed

• Schedule specific times for checking and engaging with social media, and stick to those times
• Use tools such as website blockers or social media time limits to help reduce excessive social media use
• Surround yourself with positive influences on social media by following accounts that align with your values and interests
• Be mindful of your own social media behavior and the impact it can have on others

Because food impacts all areas of the mind and body, we pulled together some of our favorite meal prep and active lifestyle Instagram accounts to follow...

Step 4: Set Yourself Up for Success

Jim Rohn used to say, “You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with.” The reason this is true has to do with the types of information you're consuming and the habits you're responding to. If your friends are way smarter than you, and you're humble enough to listen and learn, your median intelligence will rise because you're a part of topics and conversations that you would never have been exposed to. Now you have a new baseline...

The same is true for social media. We're community oriented people and we need to train ourselves to look for the community that we want to be in, and start consuming more of that information.

Here are 10 Meal Prep and Lifestyle Instagram accounts you should follow ASAP:

1. Meal Prep Mondays
2. ShredHappens
3. Haley Hendel
4. LeanSquad
5. Easy Meal Prep Recipes
6. PrettyonTrack
7. Meowmeix
8. Ed Mylett
9. Britscookin
10. Jazzleaf_

And of course, you're probably already following Meal Prep on Fleek..... right?! 🙂

Finally, a social media diet is essential for maintaining a positive online presence and strong personal brand. By regularly assessing and cleaning up your social media feed, setting boundaries for social media use, and being mindful of your own behavior, you can foster a productive mindset that will help you grow.

Remember, your social media feed is a reflection of who you are - make sure it's a reflection you're proud of!

Gluten-free breading is not hard to make and you can it in so many ways.

Regular breadcrumbs and panko are standard go-tos when it comes to breaded meat and fish, or as a binder in meatballs. But what happens when you need a gluten-free breading option?

Bet you didn't know how close you were to a solution. Sure, there are plenty of pre-made gluten-free breading options at your most progressive local supermarket, but you probably already have one of the easiest gluten-free breading solutions right in your pantry.

Rice cakes.

So when purchased breadcrumbs aren’t an option, head to the pantry and grab a few rice cakes to make your own gluten-free breading mix. You might not have considered using these crisp and airy snack cakes this way before, but they work better than you would expect. Use whichever ones you have available, but ideally, try to avoid the sweeter options. Plain and lightly salted work best, but it can of course depend on how you're planning to use them.

On its own, breading is a pretty simple mix, but it really does have the potential to have a big impact on your meal. Whether you’re baking or frying, the breading mix creates an outer crust that delivers an extra layer of flavor with the added bonus of a wonderful crunch.

How to Make Gluten-Free Breading

Before you get to breading, use a food processor, blender, or even a rolling pin to process the cakes into a coarse powder. Consider what you’re breading as you decide how coarse or fine to go. Fish and seafood do well with a finer crumb, but pounded pork chops or chicken can handle a coarser crumb.

Add any desired seasoning to the breadcrumb to flavor them to taste, and then use the crumbs as you would any breading mix. As the breaded meat or fish cooks, the rice cake breading browns and takes on a light and even crispier texture.

 

Other Ways to Make Gluten-Free Breading

If you're not a fan of rice cakes, can't eat them, or prefer something a little more "ready made," here are a couple of items you might want to consider keeping on hand.

Whether you are a macro tracker or a calorie counter, both can be key when you are trying to lose weight. And with the New Year just a few weeks away, we know a lot of you will be looking to get back on track after the holidays and shed a few pounds. But, just because you are cutting back on your calories doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor!

These 40 Meal Prep Recipes Under 400 Calories are full of delicious and healthy ingredients. You will be enjoying foods that you crave in an easy, fast, cost-effective and low-calorie way!

From pancakes to peanut butter bars to pizza (chicken); there is something for everyone -- and every craving! So, check out the recipes below, grab your shopping list and add any items you are missing and start cooking! Before you know it, you will be feeling back to your body confident, strong, energized self!

Jump to these Low Calorie Recipe Ideas:

• Low Calorie Breakfast Recipes
• Low Calorie Snack Recipes
• Ideas for Low Calorie Lunches and Dinners

Breakfast Meal Prep

Butternut Squash, Cranberry & Sausage Skillet

339 calories per serving

High Protein Breakfast Egg Muffins

195 calories per serving

Turmeric Scrambled Eggs & Sausage

302 calories per serving

Low Carb Sun Dried Tomato Egg Cups

186 calories per serving

Yes, You CAN Meal Prep Pancakes

372 calories per serving

Sausage Lover's Hashbrown Casserole

261 calories per serving

Steak, Egg White & Salsa Verde Breakfast Burrito 

302 calories per serving

Broccoli Riced Red Pepper Egg Muffins

39 calories per muffin or 156 per serving

Banana Oat Breakfast Bars

187 calories per serving

Double Chocolate Zucchini Donuts

98 calories per serving

Snack Meal Prep Ideas

Chocolate Mint Energy Bites

101 calories per serving

Cocoa Hazelnut Energy Bites

149 calories per serving

Protein Peanut Butter Energy Bites

117 calories per serving

Keto Bacon Sausage Meatballs

119 calories per serving

Gluten Free Fall Granola

282 calories per serving

Cake Batter Oatmeal Bars

366 calories per serving

Cinnamon Apple Banana Snack Bread

312 calories per serving

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

100 calories per serving

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies

113 calories per serving

Secretly Healthy Zucchini Brownies

87 calories per serving

Lunch and Dinner

Coconut Sugar Sriracha Shrimp

287 calories per serving

Pizza Chicken Meal Prep

307 calories per serving

One Pan Fajita Salmon

309 calories per serving

Coconut Meatballs With Mint Cauliflower Rice

237 calories per serving

Spicy Mustard Thyme Chicken & Coconut Brussels Sprouts

132 calories per serving

Tuna Quinoa Salad Endive Wraps

279 calories per serving

One Pan Baked Cod & Veggies

263 calories per serving

Whole30 Baked Buffalo Chicken

265 calories per serving

Low Carb Crockpot Beef Ragu

358 calories per serving

Vegan Butternut Squash Meal Prep

385 calories per serving

Garlic & Thyme Chicken Meal Prep

326 calories per serving

Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin Meal Prep

227 calories per serving

Sheet Pan Chipotle Eye Round Roast Meal Prep 

362 calories per serving

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

398 calories per serving

Easy Crockpot Butter Chicken

353 calories per serving

Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers

160 calories per serving

Turkey Veggie Meatballs With Spaghetti Squash

243 calories per serving

Meal Prep Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli

235 calories per serving

Chicken Noodle-less Soup

120 calories per serving

Columbian Style Zucchini Relleno 

214 calories per serving

The Ultimate Guide to Making Egg Cups is what you need so you never run out of breakfast, lunch, or dinner ideas. Because let's face it—eggs are the best!

Egg cups are here to stay as a trend in the healthy breakfast meal prep world. They have become super popular because they are simple to make and handy to take with you in the morning. You can enjoy them cold or reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave. You can make them savory, sweet, vegetarian, and/or gluten free. Anything you can put in a frittata or an omelet, you can put in an egg cup!  Oh, and did we mention they are inexpensive, even given the seemingly non-stop rise of grocery costs? 

So, how do you make egg cups? It's actually quite simple!

Step 1

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or coat it with oil.

Step 2

Whisk together your eggs (and milk, if using).

Step 3

Mix in your favorite items

• bacon
• ham
• spinach
• sun-dried tomatoes
• berries
• broccoli
• kale
• peppers
• mushrooms

Step 4

Evenly divide the egg mixture among your muffin tins and bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 18-25 minutes, depending on the size of your cups.

Now that you know the foundation of making egg cups, let's take a look at some insanely delicious ways you can make them. Creativity counts here, people!

Low Carb Sun Dried Tomato Egg Cups

Having a stocked pantry or fridge with things like sun-dried tomatoes means tasty egg cups are possible at any given moment.

 

 

A post shared by ???? Meal Prep On Fleek (@mealpreponfleek) on Oct 26, 2016 at 5:00am PDT

Kale Egg Cups

Kale loves eggs. So does spinach.

Sausage Pizza Egg Cups 

Here's where the love of sausage pizza meets the love of eggs. Amazing mashup!

Asparagus & Mushroom Egg Cups 

Something about this just feels like spring, you know? It's that asparagus . . . 

Bacon & Egg Cups 

Bacon and eggs are hard to beat, especially when the eggs cook surrounded by bacon. 

Sweet Potato Hash Egg Cups 

Our love of sweet potatoes knows no bounds. This one gives you a gooey egg, to boot!

Southwestern Egg Cups 

This ultimate egg cup prep shows that eggs are truly a blank slate when it comes to flavors. 

Spinach & Feta Egg Cups 

Classic Greek flavors right in these egg cups. So good.

Paleo Egg Cups

Isn't this the cutest thing, the way the bacon curls up like this? Paleo and ready to go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Pepperoni Pizza Egg Cups 

More pizza-inspired egg cups, this time with pepperoni. So good.

Chickpea Flour Vegan Omelette Muffins 

This is kind of genius. Check it out!

Black Forest Ham, Egg & Cheese Cups 

It's a little like green eggs and ham—maybe just greens, eggs, and ham? 

Quinoa Egg Muffins 

There's a whole lotta protein going on here in these egg muffins with quinoa!

Egg Whites With Kale, Roasted Red Peppers & Feta

Consider this your Greek omelet in miniature, portable form. 

 Berry Egg Muffins 

Don't knock it until you've tried it! 

Maple Sweet Potato, Bacon & Almond Egg Cups 

This one is unique, but we think you'll like it, as it lends a little nutty sweetness to breakfast in a surprising way.

Western Omelette Egg Muffins

Taco Egg Muffins

You knew this was coming. How can this be the ultimate guide to egg cups without involving taco flavors?

Cauliflower Breakfast Muffins

Cauliflower really gets around these days, doesn't it? So great in these breakfast muffins.

Chicken Pot Pie Egg Muffins 

Bet you didn't see this one coming? Chicken pot pie flavors in breakfast? We love these. 

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Whenever you need it, we've got gift ideas for your friends who are super into fitness!

We get it. Food has a real place in your heart, but you also like to get out and get your fitness on! That’s not a bad thing. In fact, that’s what makes you a normal human being, just like your crazy friends trying to make their way through life. If you need some gift ideas that will be sure to please the recipient, then this list is for you.

Let's be real, we're all on a budget. So to make this easier, we broke this post down by costs: Under $30, $31-50, $51-75, and $75+ so you could easily find ideas in your budget range. If you think anything should be added to this list, let us know in the comments below.

The links in this post are affiliates, which means if you click them we may get a very small commission. Thank you for your support!

2019 Holiday Gift Ideas:

Note: Pricing may vary 

Gift Ideas Under $15:

Who doesn't need new meal prep containers? Perfect for the friend who keeps ogling yours, or for a family member that's inspired by your meal prep journey. 

Meal Prep Containers - From 10.99
Exercise Bands - $11.99 

These are a great way to up the ante on simple isometric exercises. A little resistance makes the muscles work a little harder and helps to develop strength. 

Rejuvenate Candles - $11.99 

There's never a bad time to light a candle!

Ankle Weights - $14.99 

Add this to the category of strength building and resistance building. Another gift idea for your friends!

Gift Ideas Between $15-30:

Gift a gift that keeps on giving; a membership to our meal prep master course. A great primer for the friend who's looking to get serious about meal prep. 

Meal Prep Master Course Membership ($19/mo)

Uplifting Aroma Therapy Essential Oils Set - $16.06

This gift idea for your friend brings awesome options for uplifting aromatherapy. Try diffusing one after a workout! 

Fresh juicer - $17.99

Drink juice on its own or add to water for a refreshing citrus twist.

Ashwaganda - $17.99 

This herb is referred to as an adaptogen, which means that it helps your body adapt to the stresses of modern life. It's a must have!

Posture Correction brace - $18.99 

Leggings with Cell phone pocket - $20.99

For the friend who lives in leggings. This is a gift that you can't have too many of!

Foam Roller - $21.99 

A foam roller is a key add to your post-workout repertoire. They're so helpful to get soreness moved through your body.

Spiralizer - $23.97 

If your friend is following a keto diet, they might need a spiralizer to make some zoodles. 

Amazon's Highest Reviewed Bluetooth Headphones - $26.99

Perfect for playing some tunes during a workout. 

Gift Ideas Between $30-$50:

Vital Proteins - $31 

Collagen peptides? Yes please, and it's especially a good gift idea for the friend who makes smoothies every day.

Swell Bottle - $33.75

Who can't use another water bottle? 

Keto eBook and Course Membership

Granted, we're a bit biased, but we think this gift for your friend or family member who's going keto will make their life so much easier! 

MeUndies - Women's Packs From $45

Gift Ideas over $50:

Instant Pot - $99.95

Meal prep just got FASTER and more efficient. You'd be surprised how much you can do with this handy appliance. 

FitBit Charge 3 - $139.99

6 Month Audiobook (Audible) Subscription - $90