Fist off Clean Eating is a lifestyle not really a diet. If you approach it this way you are setting yourself up for success from the start. Clean eating basics are about consuming healthy and nourishing food in its natural state or generally as close as possible.
If you want to be healthier, have more energy, and lose fat a Clean Eating approach is just what you need.
While eating clean you should avoid foods that are over processed, full of artificial preservatives and other chemicals. You’ll enjoy healthy amounts of animal protein, vegetables, some grains and delicious healthy fats.
If you are a beginner be patient with yourself and don’t think you’ll be limited on what you can eat. Instead think of all the new and healthy food you will be able to enjoy and nourish your body with.
You see one of the main reason why people suffer from health issue today such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, auto-immune disease is because of the unhealthy foods we consume. And how did this all start you might be wondering?
Well big corporations saw huge profits in creating chemicals to treat our vegetable to last longer, our meats (animals) to get bigger to produce more product, while at the same time they were studying the addictive effects of artificial sweeteners and other preservatives on the human body...
They chose to use the chemicals that cause dependencies or create the most cravings, so as to keep you wanting more. Thanks to millions of dollars spent on advertising the Standard American Diet of fake foods has been ingrained in our mind and eyes as a normal way to eat. But what do your grandparents think?
Fifty-Sixty years ago your grandparents were eating truly natural and whole foods, what we today call Clean Eating. They took herbs when sick, drank plenty of clean water, and didn’t consume much sugar. So if granny could do it then, You can do it today. The only difference is you can take a pic of your meal and blast it on social media
How To Start Clean Eating and Succeed
1. Choose Organic
If financially possible and if you have access always chose organic. If that is tough then make sure to buy your animal proteins and The Dirty Dozen organic.
2. Hydrate - Daily Water Intake
You should aim to drink at least half your body weight (measured in pounds) in ounces. For example I weigh 175 lbs so I should aim to drink at least 87 ounces of water a day...
Slight more if you’re doing lots of exercise or hot yoga. Some of the best water to drink is Distilled or Reverse Osmosis Water. These two types of water are complete void of any chemicals, and actually of minerals too. But that’s a good thing.
We are not suppose to consume minerals with our water. Its a nice marketing scheme to say it is, but biologically its not the biz. Our kidneys filter all the fluids we intake while working to bring those fluids to a specific electrical charge. When we drink anything other than pure water (minus minerals and chemicals) our kidneys have to work extra hard to reduce that electrical charge. If this goes on for too long you get kidneys stones, and thicker blood which might attribute to heart disease. If you research most people that have suffered from a heart attack usually had renal (kidney) disease right before.
You might be wondering what about electrolytes??? It's ok to have some water with electrolytes after working out, but you shouldn’t be drinking it all the time. Also avoid all sodas or any concentrated juice (fresh juice is ok).
4. Eat 4 – 5 Meals a Day (No)
EAT 3 - 4 Meals A Day (Yes)
Studies show that eating smaller and more frequent meals only increases your metabolism by 1-2% in comparison to 3 meals a day.
I suggest eating 3 regular size meals with 1 snack if needed. Also try to only eat starches (rice, legumes, whole grains) with 1 or 2 meals. Make one meal predominantly protein, veggies and fat, same thing for your snack.
How to Shop For Healthy Food at Your
Grocery Store
The best option is always to shop around the perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll find the freshest food and produce. Usually the middle aisles are full of foods in boxes, cans, or jars. Which means they have been processed and are full of preservatives.
5. Avoid Processed Foods
and Chemicals
Also avoid any foods that contain white flour, white sugar, wheat, trans fats, Iodized salt, color additives, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, msg and toxic binders.
Check out this great infographic made by the wonderful people at naturallysavvy.com
Reduce Your Carbon Foot Print
Bring your own bags to the store or use the store’s paper bags. Really try and avoid plastic bags. If you need some motivation as to why you should avoid plastic like the plague please watch this video about a plastic island floating in the ocean the size of Texas... Also eat seasonal and local produce as much as you can, it will save you money and it helps our planet out.
Read The Labels - Because You Should Know What You Are Really Eating
Read the labels on your food to see what is really in there. If there are too many names that you can’t understand then don’t buy it, it is most likely filled with too many preservatives and additives. Also you should understand the bar codes on your produce.
For instance 4 Digit codes starting with 3 or 4 are conventionally grown, produce that starts with 5 Digit Code starting with 9 are Organically grown, the ones with a 5 Digit Code starting with 8 are Genetically Modified (You really want to stay away from these items). Check out the Non-GMO project site for reasons why you should avoid these genetically modified Frankenstein foods.
6. Clean Out Your Pantry
Best way to stop eating unhealthy food is to get it out of your house. So grab a box or garbage bag an toss out everything that is unhealthy. Instead of just throwing it out take it to a homeless shelter or find a homeless person that is in need.
How Many Calories To Eat
Everyone is different. But here is a little math equation most nutritionist use.
If you want to maintain your current weight eat 14 calories per pound of body weight.
If you want to lose weight eat 12 calories per pound of body weight.
And if you want to gain muscle or weight you want to eat about 17 calories per pound of body weight.
For example I weigh about 180lbs. If I want to lose weight I would multiply 12 x 180 = 2,160 calories. That’s the calorie range I would have to be in to drop some weight.
But to do it the healthy way I would first multiply 14 x 180 = 2,520 calories. I would use this as my starting base and reduce calories at about 200 calories every two weeks. This is the healthiest way so that you don’t shock your body. Plus when you lose weight at a slower rate you keep it off a lot longer.
Clean Eating Grocery list
Proteins: Always choose organic Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chicken, Fish, Bison, Deer, and anything other creature that you think you’ll enjoy.
Carbs: Sweet Potatoes enjoy daily. Plus legumes and grains (I would limit these to a few times a week). Also I would highly recommend you avoid Wheat.
side note: With the whole gluten craze happening now you might be wondering, What is Gluten? To give you an extremely simple answer, it is a protein within Wheat that is highly un-digestible to us humans and causes havoc to our intestinal lining and immune system.
Vegetables and Fruits: Always choose organic. If your goal is to lose weight stick with only eating fruits such as berries and melons.
Healthy Fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, different nut oils, raw butter, and ghee. Avoid Canola oil and palm oil (it's bad for your health and bad for the environment)
Nuts and seeds: All nuts and seeds. Eat sunflower and peanuts sparingly (they are high in omega 6 - which in high amounts causes inflammation).
Spices: All natural spices, herbs and Sea Salt.
I’ve spent over 15 year eating clean and some of the best ways I’ve found to keep me on track and successful on my health journey is planning, having support and making things easy and attainable.
Give yourself small weekly goals and celebrate those wins. And remember that everyday is a new day and chance to start again. But also know that it takes 40 days to break a habit, so be patient with yourself. Here are some more tips to ensure your success.
Simple Meal Planning
Set some time aside to plan your week ahead and create a meal plan. Pick two or three days to cook and prep enough food for the week. Separate your meals into containers and take them with you if you have to.
Plant Based Meals
I know I have mentioned animal protein a few times in here, but you can also succeed on a Clean Eating Plant based diet. Make sure to get enough protein with hemp seeds or other veggie supplements also beware that you are getting your required amount of B12, Calcium, Iron and Zinc. Check out this site herefor more info on how to properly supplement on a vegetarian diet.
Find or Create a Supportive Community
What helped me stay healthy for so many years was the community that I had around me, not all but the majority were really supportive of clean eating. Plan weekly or bi-weekly potlucks or gatherings. This way you get some support as well as getting to share and try lots of delicious and healthy food. Check out Meetup.com or search for some local facebook groups in your city.
Clean Eating Easy Healthy Recipes
Starting a a new way of eating is exciting and you might be ready to step up your kitchen game, but I highly suggest starting off with easy healthy recipes.
It might even seem a bit boring at first but your goal for the first few weeks should be about efficiency and simplicity. The one item I would suggest you get if you don’t already have one is some sort of blender. The Nutribullet is a great choice, it's powerful yet compact enough to not take up too much space in your kitchen.
Here is a sample of the recipes in the guide:
Breakfast: Mexi Eggs scramble and veggies
Lunch: Chicken Salad with Sweet Potatoes
Dinner: Burger Dee Lite with brown rice and veggies
Snacks or Smoothies:
Warrior Shake
Berry-licious Smoothie
Conclusion
To succeed in a Clean Eating lifestyle, you need to be willing to have a total mind shift. You have to be willing to look at all aspects in your life and notice how they affect your health.
Then you have to seek out healthier alternatives to foods and products you are currently using. Remember as a society we didn’t always eat this way (processed foods, high amounts of sugars, chemical additives).
In today’s world much of the health issues (auto-immune disease, heart disease, diabetes & obesity) comes from the toxic food we are eating. If you had the interest and courage to read this far I know you are on the right path to better health.
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