Category Archives: Clean Eating

PGH FRESH

Clean Eating, Nutrition,

Too busy for meal prep? Look to Pittsburgh Fresh.


A few weeks ago, we wrote about the many benefits of prepping your meals for the week. Nothing makes sticking to a healthy diet easier than being prepared! However, I’m sure quite a few of you wrote off that advice: “I’m waaay too busy to spend 3 hours cooking every weekend!” I get that, and I’m not here to shame you. Over the past few months, I found my schedule quickly filling up: more hours at work, attempts at a social life, studying for new certifications, plus trying to keep my house in order. I can’t even imagine how hard that would be if there were kids in the mix! Something had to give, and that something was starting to look like my weekly meal prep. Luckily, a local meal delivery company contacted me on social media, and I decided to give them a try. I am so, so happy I did!


Pittsburgh Fresh, (https://pghfresh.com/) based out of Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood, is a meal delivery company committed to providing their customers with food that is both healthy and truly delicious. They deliver meals to a number of locations in and around the city, and will even deliver directly to your home on Sundays! I got a chance to talk to Ling Wollenschlaeger, Pittsburgh Fresh Founder and Head Chef, about how the company got started, her feelings on healthy food and living, and her favorite place to eat in Pittsburgh.


Q: What inspired you to start Pittsburgh Fresh?
A: I wanted to help busy families and professionals maintain healthy eating habits and make eating healthy easy!!


Q: What is your healthy eating philosophy?
A: I try to eat everything fresh and avoid processed food.


Q: What is your favorite Pittsburgh Fresh meal so far?
A: Definitely the chicken bruschetta with spaghetti squash primavera.


Q: What services besides meal delivery does Pittsburgh Fresh offer?
A: We offer catering (corporate, weddings, etc.), as well as some grab & go items that you can pick up at Faster Pittsburgh in the Southpointe Town Center.


Q: Where else do you like to eat in Pittsburgh?
A: Easily the Strip District. It’s a place with a melting pot of great food.


Q: What’s your favorite way to work out?
A: I like to stay busy and active throughout the day and try new workouts: spinning, yoga, CrossFit, hiking, group exercises, and always having fun!!!


We are so excited about Pittsburgh Fresh and we want all of our members at Union Fitness to have a chance to try them out! On Tuesday, February 28, Pittsburgh Fresh will be in the gym doing a free dinner tasting after our 5:30-6:30pm #powerful class. Come in and give the barbell and some really tasty post-workout food a try! We’ll see you there.

Dolce Diet

Clean Eating, Diet, ,

Dolce Diet

 

Week 1:

 

Change is hard.  Adjusting to something new, whether it’s a new schedule, new workout routine or a new nutrition plan, has many unique challenges. Today I’m about halfway through my first week of the Dolce Diet and if I’m being completely honest, it’s haaaard.  To put it simply, I’m riding the struggle bus—I’m tired, irritable and outright haaaaangry! Just ask my coworkers, they’ll tell you. (Sorry Linds & Casey!!)

As a weightlifter, I’m used to eating CARBS.  I’m talking white rice, whole grain breads, tons of veggies, and yeah, the occasional Rice Krispie treat or ten. I’ve also been known to take down a whole pizza in one sitting, like every Friday night to be exact. In the Dolce Diet, aside from the morning oatmeal, there are minimal carbs. Definitely not as many as I’m used to— so cue the Carb Cravings and the Carb Crash.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Carb Cravings (lucky you!), I’ll try to explain it to you.  Imagine your favorite carb, be it pizza or Rice Krispie treats.  Then imagine that every single person you see morphs into that favorite carb.  Literally just slices of pizza walking around everywhere! You can smell the gooey dough. You can almost taste that salty first bite of cheese. Everything is so real and your brain is telling you to “EAT PIZZA NOW.” That drool inducing phenomenon is what I call the dreaded Carb Cravings. The Carb Crash on the other hand is when you’re knocked back into reality and realize, “Nooooo, they are just people. You can’t eat them. That’d be weird and most definitely highly frowned upon.” The crash is harsh.

So how do I deal? Deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.  Savor the food I do eat. Focus on the good, nourishing aspects of my food. Focus on the change. Focus on the end goal but enjoy the process. Focus on my health.

I’ve also realized that I need to heed my own advice.  I often tell my clients to find a balance between the edge of old habits and the challenges of the new, slowly making progress step by step.  I tell them to learn to be comfortably uncomfortable because that’s where we see the greatest changes. I’ve never told anyone it was easy though. Change is hard but I’m not giving up.

My Meals:

 

  • Breakfast for the week: Steel cut oatmeal with chia seeds, hemp seeds, raisins, almond butter and frozen blueberries.
  • Lunches for the week: Egg scramble with turkey bacon, spinach, peppers and tomatoes cooked in avocado oil.
  • Dinners for the week: Wild Salmon with spinach, kale, peppers, and asparagus cooked in coconut oil.