Now that we’ve learned the importance of eating every two – three hours in Element 08, let’s focus on WHAT you should be eating at home.

A healthy meal or OPTAVIA Fueling optimizes your nutrition and creates a healthy weight. OPTAVIA Fuelings are also scientifically proven, and designed to help your body enter a gentle and efficient fat burning state, while also supporting your digestive health. They are a safe and healthy bet when focusing on what you should eat during this time at home.

There are also added benefits of choosing OPTAVIA Fuelings:

• They are low in fat and nutritious, providing essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates.
• There are more than 60 convenient and nutritionally interchangeable options.
• In addition to a healthy lean and green meal, they help create a mild fat-burning state.
• They are easy to prepare at home.
• They can be used long-term as a healthy snack even after weight loss phase as you transition to weight maintenance.

Fuelings are also integral to one of our most popular programs, Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan®, designed to help Coaches and Clients lose weight in a safe and easy way. This Plan has three components:

1. Choose five Fuelings to eat during the day.
2. Prepare one lean and green meal each day.
3. Use your Habits of Health Clock to schedule your Fuelings and lean and green meal every two to three hours.

Your lean and green meal can be consumed any time of day, usually as lunch or dinner, and includes a lean piece of meat, poultry or fish, along with a green vegetable or salad. It ensures you are incorporating healthy fats, which are important for digestion.

Connect with me, your OPTAVIA Coach, for other lean and green recipes and don’t forget to check out this week’s brunch recipe on our OPTAVIA Pinterest page – another great resource for NEW lean & green recipes developed with the help of our partners at The Culinary Institute of America!

Whether you are looking to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, eating the right amount of food is just as important as what you eat.

The terms “portion size” and “serving size” are often used interchangeably, but are actually quite different. Portion size refers to the amount you eat in one sitting, while serving size is the recommended amount of food you should eat.

While we spend this extended period at home, many of us may find it more difficult to control portion sizes. Leverage these tips to keep your portions in check at home:

• Drink water. Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger. Have a glass of water before your meal to help you feel fuller and prevent overeating.
• Fill your plate with green veggies. Fill up your plate with green vegetables so if you do eat a little extra, you are eating vegetables that are low in calories and rich in nutrients.
• Eat slowly. Eating quickly can prevent your brain from processing that you are full. Take your time when eating a meal. Savor each bite so your body is able to recognize those important hunger and fullness cues! 

Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about other ways to keep your portion sizes in tact during your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time^®.

My Life Mission

“I was diagnosed with stage 3 HER-2 Positive breast cancer when my youngest daughter was six months old. I quickly began chemo and my days of exercising were over for a while. It became a day to day fight for survival.”

Nicole had gained some weight from the steroids during her treatment, fluctuating between 183 and 193 pounds. When she finished chemo, she had a double mastectomy and 11 lymph nodes removed, followed by radiation.

“After radiation, I began exercising and eating a balanced diet. But, no matter how hard I tried, I could not lose weight. I supplemented different products in with my diet routine. All with no luck.”

Nicole experienced another major setback when she needed emergency surgery due to complications with the radiation therapy. She ended up back in the hospital with an infection after the surgery and had an allergic reaction to the medicine. This triggered swelling in her arm and hand and she could no longer wear her wedding ring.

“In December, Justin, my mom’s boss, invited me to a health meeting. I didn't know it was about OPTAVIA. I thought the conversation was about healthy habits.”

After listening to multiple testimonials, Nicole was ready to give OPTAVIA a try, so she decided to sign up with Justin as her Coach.

“I began the Program on January 2, 2018. I immediately lost 10 pounds^* and my face was slimming down. No more puffy cheeks! I was starting to recognize myself and I was able to wear my wedding ring again! This was huge for me.”

Nicole continued to see results and lost a total of 23 pounds^* and two pant sizes!

After Nicole’s cancer journey, she wanted to make it her mission to help others and give back. Justin encouraged her that being an OPTAVIA Coach was another way of doing that.

“This is my life mission. Being a Coach will help to keep me accountable so that I live a long life. I want to see my girls graduate and get married. I want to grow old with my husband. OPTAVIA has been a saving grace to me! I have met the greatest people and I am a part of something AMAZING.”