Clean Eating is consuming food the way nature intended; it is consuming food the way nature delivered it. Clean Eating is not a diet. No matter how many of the fad diets you try, you will notice that the weight returns. Clean Eating is a lifestyle approach to food and how the food is prepared. This leads to an improved life; one meal, one day at a time.
Steps to Clean Eating
- Eat five to six times a day. Three meals and two or three small snacks. This includes lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates with each meal. Eating throughout the day keeps your body energized and burns calories efficiently all day long.
- Choose organic whenever possible. If you have a tight budget, make meat, eggs, dairy, and the Dirty Dozen your priorities.
- Drink at least two liters of water a day. Use a glass or BPA-free container.
- Limit your alcohol intake to one glass of antioxidant rich red wine a day.
- Get familiar with labels. Clean foods contain short ingredients lists. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.
- Avoid processed and refined foods such as white flour, rice, salt, sugar, bread, and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains as an alternative.
- Avoid trans fats, fried, and foods high in sugar.
- Consume healthy fats.
- Learn about portion sizes. Eat more fruits and vegetables and a smaller portion of protein and carbs. Use the Harvard School of Public Health’s Healthy Eating Plate as a guide.
- Reduce your carbon footprint. Eat produce that is seasonal and local. It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment.
- Shop with a conscience. Consume humanely raised, local meats, and ocean-friendly seafood.
- Slow down and savor your food – take time to chew and enjoy your food. This is mindful eating.
- Make meal time a family affair.
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