Hello, spring! Many of us use this time to return to routines and reel in some of the not so awesome habits that may have started over the last few months. Which makes springtime the perfect time to (re)start some healthy eating habits. We called on a few experts in our community to share their tips on how to make the clean eating transition.

Galen Yanofsky | Certified Personal Trainer:

“By focusing on consuming whole and unprocessed foods, I fuel my body to perform, and function at its optimal level. When I made the transition, I experienced huge increases in energy, unprecedented weight loss, improved athletic ability, even fewer mood swings. I know…it sounds too good to be true, but the moment I cut out all the crap, I started to feel better. And that feeling only compounded the longer I stuck with it. I get it, eating processed food is easy, but it’s also loaded with unnecessary calories, tons of salt, sugar, and is slowly killing you (truth hurts…). Luckily, Territory makes it easy!”

Galen is from Burlington, Vermont and is a Veteran of the U.S. Navy and now based in Washington D.C. He works as both a Cyber Security Engineer and Certified Personal Trainer because he is equally passionate about tech and living a healthy lifestyle. His exercise of choice is functional fitness and weightlifting. He also loves to run and cycle. He commutes by bicycle practically everywhere. Find Galen on Instagram and via Galen’s blog. 

Nicole and John Reed |  Baydog Crossfit:

“Eating clean/whole foods is not only healthy and easy, but it’s inexpensive too.  I know that sounds too good to be true, but here are the facts:

Anything packaged, processed or with a label is far from its original “whole” state and loses nutrient density along the way!

Whole foods can be prepared so many ways … baked, broiled, “crock-potted”, over an open fire, you name it! Add spices of your preference and voilà!

Territory Foods can save you TIME and MONEY. We are big fans of packing your lunch for your day at work rather than hitting the vending machine or school/work cafe. Dollar for dollar and minute to minute you will save in the long run! With that extra time and money, stop by your local farmers market and freeze some veggies and fruits to have all year round to compliment any meal.”

John and Nicole Reed own Baydog CrossFit in Severna Park, MD. They pride ourselves on “community, camaraderie, and commitment” to all of the dimensions of wellness to help their gym members become healthier everyday. Additionally they are college professors for a Health and Exercise Science department. You can find Baydog Crossfit on Instagram here. 

Lore Rose-Thompson |  Fitness professional:

“I like to think of food as fuel, so whether I am teaching back-to-back classes or working on one of my own fitness goals, how I fuel is extremely important. Think of it this way to make clean eating easier: Aim for unprocessed foods with as few ingredients as possible. No one has to read the ingredient list on a tomato! When you make the change into eating more unprocessed foods, you’ll definitely notice the change in your energy level and maybe even your mood!”

Lori Rose-Thompson has been a fitness professional for over 15 years. She loves group fitness, and teaches a wide variety of group exercise formats, including indoor cycling, yoga, and HIIT training. She holds a master’s degree in education, as well as certifications in Personal Training, Health Coaching, and Group Exercise Instruction. Lori believes that healthy living is a journey, not an endpoint. She uses a personalized and holistic approach to wellness based on the client’s goals. She helps clients to achieve greater health and fitness through changes in nutrition and exercise that are both practical and sustainable. Find Lori on Facebook here and on Instagram here. 

Erika Theisan |  CrossFit coach and competitive CrossFit athlete:

“Eating whole food sources and avoiding overly processed foods is easily the greatest medicine out there for overall health and longevity. Choosing to look at food labels and ingredients, and being aware of what foods you are consuming, is choosing to take control of your health and body. Every food choice is an opportunity to direct, shape, and remake our health, body composition, performance, and well-being.

By eating more whole food sources you are increasing the amount of nutrients, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your body gets. This benefits digestion, immune system, balancing hormones, increasing energy, decreasing stress and inflammation, and overall, a better functioning and healthier body. Simultaneously, you are decreasing the consumption of unnecessary sugars, preservatives, additives, and chemicals, which are associated with adverse health effects. Start with just one meal a day. Be mindful and purposeful in choosing to eat a meal full of whole food sources to give your body the nutrients it needs to function it’s best!”

Erika Theisen, also known as Squeezy, is a paleo meal prep blogger, CrossFit coach, certified nutrition coach, and a competitive CrossFit athlete. She is extremely passionate about nutrition and living an active lifestyle, and helping as many people as she can along the way. You can check out her blog to learn more and her Instagram here. 

Exploring eating healthier? We’re here to help.

Explore our menu here. At Territory, we concentrate on providing a simple foundation for clean eating. That foundation basically boils down to “eat more veggies, get good protein, include healthy fats, and try to trim your intake of processed carbohydrates/gluten, dairy and sugar.” Happy clean eating!