Here, at Clean Cuisine, we have become friends with one of our readers, Angie Osborne. We are excited to share her clean eating journey and success story in the interview below.
Angie initially decided to change her diet in order to lose weight. Angie’s weight loss efforts began back in 2009 but we are happy to say she stumbled on our Clean Cuisine website and anti-inflammatory approach to nutrition in 2011. Angie was not initially looking for an anti-inflammatory diet to follow because, like many people, she was not aware of the connection between reducing inflammation and weight loss. But the connection between weight loss and an anti-inflammatory diet, as Angie discovered, is huge. Not only is weight loss the number one “side benefit” of following an anti-inflammatory diet, the more weight you lose the less inflamed you become (that’s because body fat triggers an internal inflammatory cascade.) Learning about how to take an anti-inflammatory approach instead of a “weight loss” approach to nutrition has not only enabled Angie to reach her weight loss goals, but has changed her life. Her story in the interview below is sure to resonate with anyone who has struggled with weight loss…
ANGIE OSBORNE’S Real Life Story & the
weight loss benefits of Clean Cuisine’s
anti-inflammatory diet
Clean Cuisine: We know you started your journey a couple of years before finding Clean Cuisine and Ivy. But, can you tell us what sparked your interest in getting healthy and what you think you did NOT do right, at first?
Angie: In June of 2008 I had my second child and over a year later I had yet to lose the “baby weight“. I was sick of being
overweight. I didn’t have tons to lose, but I could tell it was bringing me down with constant fatigue, anxiety, and moodiness. I had to make a change or I was never going to get the weight off. I was sick of headaches, stomach cramping, and IBS as well. I was ready for a new me. With the mission to lose weight I did what I thought was right, eat a low fat diet, count calories, and exercise. Boy was I misled somewhere in my lifetime! Almost a year had passed and I wasn’t making much progress. I felt completely defeated in my weight loss mission. I gained no energy with my new changes. Looking back on my weight loss mission, that’s all it was, a weight loss mission. I was missing the bigger picture of overall health.
Clean Cuisine: How hard was it for you to make changes to your diet? Where did you start and did you make the changes for your family at the same time?
Angie: In April of 2010 I lost a dear friend to breast cancer at the age of 34 and it changed my life forever. From that moment on I was committed to making a change for better overall health, for myself and my family. I got a complete physical done and received the news my cholesterol was moderately high and I would need medications. I refused to take the medications and decided to take another approach to overall health and weight loss. I was fortunate enough that a friend told me about eating clean at the right moment in my life. I went out and bought a book on the subject and began studying. I felt inspired. I felt hopeful this could be the “right” way to get healthy and I learned a lot.
To me it wasn’t so much hard as it was time consuming. I was dedicated to learning the ropes of eating clean and trusting in the end I would feel better. My family knew this was important to me and was ready and willing to take this journey with me. What a blessing! Except my husband wasn’t willing to give up the Diet Coke…yet!
I decided to go all in and rid my kitchen of unclean foods. I read every single label before it went into my shopping cart to make certain it was “clean”. I learned a lot along the way and made changes accordingly. I tried to keep focused on the little achievements and give them the recognition they deserved.
Clean Cuisine: Since you had already started eating clean when you found the Clean Cuisine website, what do you think you learned most about nutrition from Ivy and Andy?
Angie: In 2011 I found CleanCuisine.com as I searched for ways to better my eating clean journey. I read Ivy’s story and it really hit home, especially because my mom has an inflammatory disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and that is a road I do not want to go down. I was very interested in the anti-inflammatory way of life Ivy, Andy, and Blake lived. Finding Clean Cuisine and my friendship with Ivy has been such a blessing in my life.
Through Clean Cuisine I have learned about the importance of drinking green tea daily, eating plenty of phytonutrient rich foods, and getting enough greens! I also learned about the importance of probiotics for overall health, which has been a huge help for my IBS symptoms. Clean Cuisine also taught me a lot about meatless sources of protein and their benefits to reducing inflammation. I realized the important role that essential fats play in my overall health and how to make sure I get the right amount each day.
Clean Cuisine: Your before/after photos are amazing and it looks like you clearly must have been incorporating exercise into your lifestyle changes. How much of a role did fitness play in your lifestyle makeover program?
Angie: For a couple of years I took Zumba classes but decided to stop those classes because it was too hard on my joints jumping and dancing on a concrete floor. I purchased Ivy’s Full Fitness Fusion DVD and have been doing it (not near as much as I should on summer break with the kids!) I will get back into a routine of “dates with Ivy” now that summer is almost over. I enjoy yoga and stretching most of all. It’s amazing how much better you feel just by simply stretching.
Clean Cuisine: What are your new favorite “clean” meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
Angie: I usually have a green smoothie with coconut water, fruit, spinach, and chia seeds for breakfast or a slice of Ezekiel toast with all natural nut butter with a side of fruit and a cup of coffee. I am often on the go at lunchtime so I have to plan ahead. I always leave the house with a big glass of iced green Matcha tea. I rarely eat meat or dairy for breakfast or lunch. As for lunch, I take hummus, veggies, roasted nuts, and easy to travel fruit, like a banana or apple, for when I’m on the go. If I’m home for lunch I usually eat leftovers. I try to always have healthy “sweet” treats around to grab and go like Energy Bites made with oatmeal, flaxseed, honey, and dark chocolate. I always have some sort of clean snack handy!
For dinner my new found favorite clean food is fish! I used to hate fish and now I really enjoy grilling or baking it (Mahi-Mahi and Grouper are my two latest favorites). I enjoy finding creative way to “sneak” veggies into everyday cooking too.
Clean Cuisine: What has been the biggest benefit of Clean Cuisine’s anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle makeover to you and your family?
Angie: There are so many things in my life that have benefited from my choice to eat clean. I would say the overall biggest benefits are feeling younger, healthier and more empowered. I have constant energy all day long and feel much younger than I did when I started this journey 5 years ago. My children are rarely sick since changing our diet and they no longer complain of stomach aches from constipation. My skin looks and feels younger. My headaches are gone! I have battled anxiety all my life and since going clean I have reduced my medication to half the dose I was taking! For the first time in my adult life my cholesterol levels are finally in the ‘normal’ range. I can’t say enough great things about what eating clean has done for my family. I’m happy to report my husband did get on board, in his own time, and has even kicked the Diet Coke habit! Eating clean isn’t a sprint, it’s a journey to a better you. Putting in all the time and effort upfront has done so much good in our lives that I don’t ever want to go back to the old way of life. In fact, I have been so inspired by this new way of eating and living that I started a blog, CLEAN FREAK – Ideas, Recipes, & Tips for Clean Eating!
Clean Cuisine: Thank you so much, Angie! After hearing your story, I am sure many readers will be inspired to make changes in their diet and to continue to follow your journey on your blog too. We are so super proud of you!!
For more information on Clean Cuisine and the 8-week anti-inflammatory nutrition program click HERE.
