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| Clean Eating |
When I first learned about clean eating, I knew I wanted to start eating more "clean" and less processed foods. I had been introduced to it probably a year before I started to incorporate it into my diet. WHY? Well, I made it to difficult in my head. It really isn't a hard concept to understand, you just have to go for it and make a change for your health!
So, I'm going to sum it up in very short, sweet and to the point terms…Clean eating is getting rid of the processed food in our diets and eating whole and fresh foods. If you can't pronounce the ingredient, then you shouldn't eat it! Now, like I said…that is a VERY basic way to explain it, but hopefully that will help you realize that it isn't a scary thing to start…even if you start slowly by getting rid of the processed food in your pantry and not buying them anymore!
So let's dig in a little deeper than we did just now. Here are the 10 basic principles to eating clean:
The 10 Basic Clean Eating Principles:
1. Eat More! Eat 6 small meals each day, spaced at two and a half to three hour intervals.
2. Eat breakfast every day within an hour of rising.
3. Make your last meal three hours before bed.
4. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
5. Eat sufficient healthy fats every day.
6. Drink two to three liters of water each day.
7. Carry a cooler packed with clean foods each day.
8. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
9. Adhere to proper portion sizes.
10. Eat only foods that have not been overly processed or doused in chemicals, saturated in trans fats and toxins.
Now you have the rules…what kind of foods can you eat?
Allowable fruits include: Bananas, apples, plums, berries, pears, watermelon, cherries, oranges, tomatoes, limes and lemons.
Allowable protein sources include: Egg whites, lean turkey, chicken, pork, beans and legumes (in moderation), lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus (also a healthy fat), quinoa, spirulina, sea vegetables, protein powder, tofu and tempeh.
Allowable healthy fats include: flaxseed, nuts such as almonds and walnuts (unsalted), pumpkin seeds, nut butters, hummus (also a protein), avocados, oils (flaxseed, sesame, coconut, olive, hazelnut, walnut and fish).
Now let's talk about portions sizes…this is what so many people have a hard time with…me included!
You are eating 5-6 small meals a day so you don't want to have your normal huge meals that you may be used to having. So you need to distribute your calories throughout the day. Using your hand (since your hand is ALWAYS with you) is a great idea on how to measure your food. A man will usually have bigger hands than a woman, but it would fit the needs of his body whereas a woman wouldn't need as much food as a man!
Protein: Proper portion of meat or other protein is measured by what can fit in the palm of your hand.
Starchy Complex Carbohydrates: Proper portion size is what can fit into one cupped hand
Carbs from Fruit and Veggies: Proper portion size is what can fit into two cupped hands together.
Don't let clean eating get overwhelming for you! There is nothing that says you have to go ALL IN right away. Take baby steps, slowly incorporate one thing at a time…or take away one or two things from your diet that you know is not within the clean eating guidelines. It's ok for this to be a process. I'm not perfect all the time. I try to follow it as best I can, but of course I have slip ups along the way!You can find clean eating recipes here! And also there are many weeks of clean eating meal plans here!
If you'd like to have additional support with clean eating or meal planning…or you would like more information on my 30 day clean eating challenge group, please fill out the application below, or email me for additional help!
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