10 Foods I Just Can't Live Without

Maybe it's because we are headed into the weekend,  I've got food on the brain.  Here is a list of my top ten food/beverage choices that I just can't live without:

1. Coffee - I have a deep love affair with rich, dark roasts. My wonderful-zero-calorie-cup- of-deliciousness. Added bonus: nothing - and I mean nothing - dampens my hunger like coffee. My go-to drug of choice.

2. Nut Butters - almond and peanut. They don't say "it's like buttah for nothin!" This fat is good for you but calorically dense, so if you haven't yet weighed or measured what 1 TBSP equals, you will probably be shocked at how little it really is.

3. Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread - heartiest, chewiest, naturally sprouted bread with low glycemic index, so that you never crash and burn after eating it.Makes awesome French Toast.  www.foodforlife.com

4. Greek Yogurt - more protein, less sugar, creamier and just plain old YUM. If you are still eating regular yogurt, make the change today!!

5. Frank's Red Hot Sauce -- my number 1 go-to condiment.  Me, a ziplock of grilled chicken doused in this stuff = happiness. Zests up the plainest of food and it's carb-free!

6. Balsamic Vinegar -- sweet and robust, I use nothing but this on my salads.  After all, I've got to save my fat calories for my beloved nut butter

7. Gallon Jug of Water -- I actually mean the jugs themselves. Only way I'll drink a full gallon every day. Other bottles, no matter how cute or eco-friendly don't work for me. Plus, isn't it required bodybuilder equipment at the gym?

8. Canned Pumpkin - pumpkin is delicious, low carb and versatile. I love it mixed in with egg whites, protein pancakes, muffins.

9. Huge green salads - I eat one every day, year round. In prep, it helps A LOT with hunger -- a whole bag of ready to eat lettuce w/ tomato, cucumber, red onion and a few black Calamata olives -- the whole thing about fifteen carbs, delicious and densely nutritious.

10. Chocolate Rice Cakes -- rice cakes are a staple for a lot of competitor friends but the chocolate version is worth the extra few carbs to me! I usually have 1 TBSP nut butter on a chocolate rice cake with a cup of coffee as dessert!  FAVORITE part of my day. Or is the Ezekiel bread my favorite? So hard to choose!!

I eat these foods year round - in preparation for a body building show and in the off-season. In fact, I'm deep into my off-season now and a co-worker just walked by and said "You still eating those salads? I thought you'd be onto fried chicken every day by now."  Clean eating is a lifestyle choice for me and not just something I do for 12 weeks. My body and my mind are clearer, stronger and I am able to bring my A-game when I eat clean.

To put this into perceptive, I can remember just about 3 years, when I had an ongoing battle in my head to FORCE myself to eat salad. I'd forever bargain with myself, kinda like this:   "OK, if you have a salad today, you can have a panini tomorrow."

Now, I crave salad and miss it if I don't have one for a couple of days.

As for paninis, they've fallen by the wayside along with Starbucks' pumpkin muffins, big bowls of white flour ravioli and pizza three nights a week. (A bit of foreshadowing to my next post -- "10 Foods/Things I Just Can't Believe I Live Without" )

Change is possible. And you'll even grow to like it.   I'm a testament to this.  With time and practice. One panini at a time.