As I am sure some of you are wondering, "what the heck is clean eating?". The common misconception is that clean eating means eating rabbit food consisting of salads and fruit. WRONG! Although fruits and veggies are a main part of our diet, clean eating is simply about ridding your body of processed foods.
By definition, clean eating is rather than revolving around the idea of ingesting more or less of specific things (for instance, fewer calories or more protein), the idea is more about being mindful of the food's pathway between its origin and your plate. At its simplest, clean eating is about eating whole foods, or "real" foods — those that are un- or minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible.
I know in this day and age, it is so hard to fall victim for food on the go, or grabbing pre-packaged snacks. I am not going to lie to you, eating clean consists of a lot of meal planning and preparation, but your body will thank you!
You may be wondering what is actually considered processed food?
--Foods with additions of any kind--being salt, sugar, fats and preservatives
--When the natural form of the food is changed (for example, removing the bran and germ from while grains to create a refined bread, adding sugar to apples for applesauce, etc)
--And food with components manufactured in a lab (self-explanatory)
What's wrong with processed foods?
--A shocking number of health issues are associated to a diet of processed foods, including: cancer, infertility, obesity, and more.
Now that we just put down our morning Poptart, let's talk about the perks of Clean Eating!
--Clean eating and plant based diets are linked to healthy weight management, healthier hair and skin, and most importantly, less likely to life-threatening conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease!
Hopefully that little bit of info really inspired you guys to make a change! Clean eating is actually really fun! It so great to see the change in your body, weight, and even mood when your are fueled with clean food!
THE GOLDEN RULES OF EATING CLEAN:
1. Obviously, choose whole foods over processed
2. Embrace a plant based diet
3. Practice mindful eating--take time eating each meal
4. Engage in an active lifestyle
5. Make sure you get enough fiber--aids in digestion
6. Boost energy with lean protein
7. Pay attention to how you feel---allergies, intolerances, etc
8. Remember to stay hydrated
9. Establish smart meal planning habits
10. Know what you are buying---Know grocery store lingo (natural, free-range, hormone-free, etc.)
11. Maintain a healthy perspective--everything in moderation, including moderation (no Fad dieting)
Below I put together an awesome shopping list, as well as a few of my favorite recipes! Enjoy!
PROTEIN:
{Meat/Poultry}
*Free Range Eggs
*Grass Fed Beef
*Organic Chicken
* Fresh Fish/Seafood
{Dairy}
*Natural yogurt
*Goat's cheese
*Organic milk
{Plant Based}
*Chickpeas
*Black bean spaghetti
*Pea, help, or rice protein powder
*Nuts, grains, seeds
GRAINS & NUTS
{Seeds}
*Pepitas
*Sunflower seeds
*Chia seeds
*Quinoa
*Millet
{Nuts}
*Macadamias
*Almonds
*Walnuts
*Brazil nuts
{Grains}
*Rolled Oats
*Buckwheat
*Brown rice
{Oils}
*Coconut oil
*EVOO
*Macadamia oil
FRUITS/VEGGIES
{Fruits}
*Berries
*Apples
*Oranges
*Bananas
*Coconuts
*Lemons
*Limes
*Avocados
{Veggies}
*Spinach
*Kale
*Asparagus
*Green beans
*Zucchini
*Carrots
*Broccoli
*Snow peas
*Tomatoes
* Sweet potatoes
*Mushrooms
*Seaweed
BAKING
{Flours}
*Spelt flour
*Coconut oil
*Almond meal
*Quinoa meal
*Buckwheat flour
*Brown rice flour
{Natural Sweeteners}
*Coconut sugar
*Maple syrup
*Raw honey
*Dates
CONDIMENTS:
{Herbs & Spices}
* Cumin
*Coriander seeds
* Sea salt
*Black pepper
*Cinnamon
*Fresh garlic
*Fresh ginger
*Fresh herbs
{Condiments}
*Apple cider vinegar
*Tamari
*Mirin
*Dijan Mustard
*Seeded mustard
*White wine vinegar
* Balsamic vinegar
EXTRAS:
*Coconut cream
*Coconut flakes
*Coconut butter
*Goji berries
*Coco powder & nibs
*Vanilla powder or beans
KNOW YOUR NUTRIENTS!
Make sure you are informed with the information you need, and you will be eating clean in no time!!
Replacing a few items with healthier options is a simple and quick step to eating clean.
Here are a list of great substitutes:
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