Tone It Up Nutrition Tips

Most of you know that we have our Tone It Up Nutrition Plan and membership. We also included some tips below to stay on track! Nutrition is just as important as exercise- if not more, for disease prevention, weight control, energy and vitality. When you put something in your body, remember you're the only one in control of it. Make it count. We want you to lean toward more raw foods, vegetables, fruits and protein.

For your dinners, make them lighter for the next 6 weeks. Add more greens to your plate! Drink half your body weight in ounces of water.. at least. Ex 150 lbs = 75 ounces throughout the day. Eat what we call, LEAN, CLEAN & GREEN!!! This is for the 6 weeks.. you can do anything for 6 weeks, right?

No heavy white starches (white breads), no large portions of cheeses or fried food. We don't want you to be obsessive. Leave a little wiggle room for your favorite foods. If you want to know how much, or if it's okay to have; Ask us! We never say no.. we just tell you how to make it work. Can I have some cocktails? Yes, you can have the occasional drink. We prefer you to have a glass of red wine a couple times a week, a glass of champagne or a vodka soda with fresh lime or crushed raspberries. Check out some TIU approved cocktails here. If you're on our Nutrition Plan, we include a ton of recipes that we love. Cheers!

Put those fat storing carbohydrates down and pick up the good ones.

The word 'carb' has become scary. Carbs are vital! They're how you burn fat. Carbohydrate must be present to burn fat in your body. Remember in science class? "Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame." It just needs to be the TIU kind of carbs.

Replace processed & packaged carbs with GOOD carbohydrates for fiber, nutrients, balanced blood sugar levels and to tone up! Ex: sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat wraps, brown rice wraps, oatmeal & whole grain cereals.

Load up on veggies, fruit & nuts/seeds instead of chips or crackers! Most crackers are high in fat & butter - even the all natural kinds. Check your labels :) If you ever have any doubt.. tweet a pic or post on facebook.. 'is this TIU approved?' If you can make your way around the grocery store and buy mostly foods that aren't packaged, but natural and fresh, then you're GOLDEN GIRL!

Processed/packaged carbs to avoid.. crackers, chips, white breads, sugary cereals, white pasta & candy.

What about dessert? We love our sweets!! Life is meant to enjoy what you love. Some TIU approved desserts... dark chocolate - in moderation of course. Lately we've been into 'cocoa dusted almonds'. If you're in the mood for ice cream, blend up some frozen bananas or fruit with frozen ice cubes made of almond milk and Greek yogurt. Add a little almond butter or peanut butter! We're always releasing new tricks to eating sweets, so don't worry. You won't be deprived. Check out our chocolate cake and 3 ingredient cookies!

Have you seen our post on hydration? Hydration is KEY in keeping your metabolism high and your body functioning as a fat burning machine. So drink up ladies.

What else should I know about staying 'TIU Approved?'

We want you to say bye-bye to chemicals that cause you to hold onto stubborn fat cells, make you tired and that cause hunger and cellulite. In return you can say hello to abs, a healthy brain, healthy joints, a functioning liver, beautiful skin and a higher metabolism. Ask any of the girls from last year's Bikini Series!
Eating what mother nature made YOU! She knows best.

Where are the harsh chemicals hidden?

Diet coke and most diet sodas, flavored waters (unless natural), Splenda packets when you get your coffee, boxed 'diet' foods, non-organic yogurt (which is loaded with chemicals by the way), sugar-free coffee creamers, some 'protein bars' and powders. You should be able to pronounce all ingredients on the side of your packaging. This is so important to get bikini ready.
You're now asking, well what do I eat!? If you like soda, you can look for an organic kind like 'Blue Sky' or others made with stevia. You can also drink flavored waters that are all natural without the chemical sweeteners. We like bubbly water or Zico coconut water. You can also grab a kombucha! We talk about kombucha a lot. We're big on balancing your pH levels.

Is sugar okay?

YES! Sugar is 100% fine, especially if it's natural. If you want to add a packet of sugar to your coffee.. go for it! We like 'in the raw' sugar. It's better than sugar-free chemicals, so YES. The point of living.. is not distracting yourself with obsessive claims or 'rules' that are impossible to live by. Mother nature did make sugar right? Stay closest to the natural form. If you're keeping up with your workouts, combining your foods with low glycemic index foods and high fiber foods, a little sugar will keep your life sweet and happy :)

How should you hydrate or quench your thirst?

We like adding crushed fresh fruit to our water. Instead of splenda in your coffee, add some almond milk and 1 natural sugar packet. We like vanilla almond milk instead of creamer. Instead of the non-organic yogurts, grab an all natural kind, like 0%-1% Greek yogurt that's loaded with lean protein! We want you to have calories instead of chemicals. Your abs and body will thank us later.

Tone It Up Nutrition Plan TIP: Let your water sit in fresh cut fruit, mint and stevia over night for an all natural refreshing drink.

And speaking of protein... a lot of you ask about protein powders.

Protein should never upset anyone's stomach. If you're eating lean, clean protein, you will not get gassy or bloated. Why do some protein powders cause this? The chemicals that are in them to mask the taste. This is why we developed Tone It Up Protein Powders for this community. It's safe and healthy!! We could go on for hours, but here's a quick rundown. What to avoid.. ingredients that you can't pronounce (if you question it, ask us).. avoid splenda, aspartame & sweet n low.. also watch for high fructose corn syrup. We know this seems like a lot, but when you think about it, it's just 6 weeks to try it out!

Find many more delicious recipes and learn how to fuel your body to stay energized on your Tone It Up Nutrition Plan! Learn more about the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan here ~ We want YOU to be our next Tone It Up Girl Success Story!