The Basics of Clean Eating

What it means to "Eat Clean" 

So, clean eating. We've all heard of it, but do we know what it really is? What does it mean to "eat clean"? Its simple, really- very similar to the paleo diet, clean eating focuses on whole natural foods to fuel our bodies. It is being mindful of the process from farm to plate that it takes in the production of our food. It is limiting processed ingredients and looking for whole natural ingredients instead. It is not simply focused on balancing our macronutrients but looks at nurient density and quality over quantity and examining the added ingredients on the nutrition labels. Essential- clean eating is keeping it simple. Clean eating is a great tool to use to improve your overall diet quality no matter WHAT your goals are. You can use clean eating to help you build muscle or shed fat. Or both. 

So now that we know what clean eating is, what are the rules??? Here are the do's and don'ts of clean eating... Hope this helps guide you!

What to do:

• Eat more- eat six small meals each day. And I do feel the need to clarify that "meals" and "snacks" can be used interchangeably here. 
• Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising.
• Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbs at each meal
• Eat sufficient (two to three servings) healthy fats every day.
• Pack your lunch. Daily. 
• Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
• Adhere to proper portion sizes.

What to Avoid:

• Avoid white flour and sugar..
• Avoid foods with long ingredient lists that you cannot pronounce.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Avoid saturated and trans fats..(research is pending on saturated fats being the "bad guys" but I still find it helpful to avoid at this point. Others may differ in opinion but that's ok too!)
• Avoid sugar loaded beverages, including colas and juices.
• Avoid  alcohol.
• Avoid empty calories.
• Avoid mindless eating.
• Avoid Large portions or eating when no longer hungry. 

Now that we know the do's and don'ts- how do we put this into a plan??? 

Its important to keep balance to your day. Here are a good set of general guidelines as far as how many of each food group you need each day. If you want me to customize a meal plan for you, I would love to do that FOR FREE- just visit my site and sign up for a free account and send me a message and I'll get one sent out to you ASAP. 

Fruit and Vegetables:
If you are serious about weight loss, limit fruit to 2 servings a day and stick to non-starchy veggies (pretty much avoid peas, corn and potatoes)  A portion is:

• 1 cupped handful or a piece of fruit such as berries, grapefruit, melon, apples and mangoes.
• 2 cupped handfuls of vegetables including broth based/vegetable puree soups.

Complex Carbohydrates from whole grains and starchy carbohydrates: 
2-4 portions each day.  A portion is 1/2 cup or 1 slice of whole grain bread/ 1 6" whole grain tortilla.

Lean Protein
4-6 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 cup or handful of dairy products such as low fat soy, almond, hemp, rice, or skim milk, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt cheese or plain fat free sugar free yogurt.
• 1 scant handful of raw, unsalted nuts (also a healthy fat)
• 2 tablespoons of all natural nut butters such as almond or peanut butter (also a healthy fat).
• 1 palm sized portion of lean meats
• good quality, sugar- and chemical- free protein powder (hemp, soy or whey).

Beverages:

• 2-3 liters per day of fresh water with no sodium
• Clear herbal tea (unsweetened)
• Black coffee in moderation
• Green/Black tea

Sweeteners:  Use in moderation.  Avoid Artificial Sweeteners.

• Agave Nectar 
• Maple Sugar Flakes
• Raw organic honey

If you would like even more support please head over to my site and sign up and I'd be glad to provide you with daily motivation and support to help you accomplish your health and weight loss goals!  I have lost 93 lbs to date with clean eating and regular exercise.  No starvation just healthy whole meals that taste great! 


Now, go keep it clean everyone! :-) 

PS- here are a few links to my FAVE clean eating recipe sites! I WILL one of these days, update my blog with all of our recipes we use daily- but of course if you want me to share a specific recipe, let me know and I will!

http://www.toscareno.com/recipe/

http://melaniemitro.blogspot.com/p/eat-clean-recipes.html

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/