Have
you been curious about Clean Eating and
how you can start to incorporate it in your daily routine? Well cool.....let's
break down the basics.
First
off , what "exactly" is Clean Eating? Well, it's basically that. It's
eliminating the crap, the bad fats, the sugars, the preservatives, the white
foods. In a nutshell, if you can't pronounce it... DON'T EAT IT :).
Clean
Eating can take on various levels based on how light or intense you want to be
in your routine. The most important thing is just to START. You don't have to
be all drastic starting off, especially if you have spent a good amount of time
eating unhealthy. You're going to have to take "baby steps". If you
don't make changes that you can actually stick with, your going to fail before
you get started anyway. Follow
these basic rules for ultimate success:
- Plan &
Prep
- this is perhaps the most crucial step in this journey. Planning and prepping
your meals is vital. Life gets crazy. There are never enough minutes in the day
to breathe much less do anything else. You can save so much time by
pre-planning your meals. I have found that this not only saves me money but
eliminates the excuses of running to whatever is in the kitchen when things get
busy during the week. You will feel sooooo much better when you can actually
stick to a set routine.
- Eat
Frequently - Yes this may sound crazy when your are trying to eat healthy, especially
if your goal is to lose weight. The truth of the matter is, how often you eat isn't
as important as what you eat. Once you start incorporating a healthy eating habits,
everything that you once believed about food, nutrition and your body will soon
become a myth. We are taught to believe that eating too much too soon will make
us blow up. Well yes that's true if you are eating crap, however if you're
eating lean meats and proteins, your body will actually start working for you instead of against you. Eat 5-6
small meals throughout the day. Good rule of thumb is to eat every 2.5 - 3
hours. Not only will this help you keep your appetite in check but it will keep
your body fueled and your metabolism at its peak performance level at all
times.
- Eliminate
the Sweetness - Avoid the Soda, the Alcohol, the Juices, the refined sugars. I
know, I know :). This one is gonna be a BEAST, especially if you suffer from
that ruthless sweet and alcohol tooth :).
Sorry but, it's a necessary evil that has to be done. But don't worry, you'll
be surprised how much better food tastes when all that processed, crappy crap
is removed. There are so many delicious recipes out there that you can start to
create and once your pallet gets used to the good stuff, you'll never want to
revert :).
- Water,
Water, Water - C'mon you knew this was coming :) Drink up. When they say
"water does a body good", it's the absolute truth. Hydration is so
important. I personally try to drink a gallon a day but a good rule of thumb is
to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces. If you're not a "water"
fan and it's hard for you to get the good stuff down, then you're going to
have to get creative. Get an infuser and
jazz it up with some strawberries, lemons, oranges, cucumbers, limes, etc. Do
whatever is necessary to get that water in you. Your body will thank you, Trust
Me :).
- Peep Those
Labels
- Everything on the label is important, but some things are more important than
others. Always check and double check the nutritional value and ingredients. Try to
avoid foods with white flour, sugar and sugar substitutes, saturated fats and
trans-fats. Rule of thumb, if its' white.....it ain't right (lol). If you
can't understand or pronounce it.....then (dueces). Run don't walk to the
produce section as fast as you can The main things to look for and avoid:
- High Fructose
- Corn Syrups
- Aspartame\
- Sucralose
- Maltodextrin
- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
- Enriched
- Modified, Genetically-modified, etc.
- From concentrate
Cool Tip: If it says, diet,
sugar-free, lite, etc., chances are it contains fake sweeteners like Saccharin or Aspartame which
is like Cyanide to your Body....Let it Go!!!
So now you
know the basics and what to avoid, lets jump straight to the good stuff.
- Eat your Veggies - Load up. Variety is key. Eat a constant mixture of dark leafy
greens,
peppers, carrots, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, sweet potatoes,
you name it. They are a free for all.
- Eat your
Fruits - Be careful,
even though fruits are healthy, some are loaded with sugar.
- Lean Meats - Try to get your meat from grass-fed animals whenever possible,
it is more expensive, but it’s also healthier. Your next route would be to go
Organic or Free Range. For the budget
conscience consumer, you can always supplement your meat for other high protein
options such as beans, fewer, but higher
quality meat-eating days.
- Good Fats - Some fats are actually good for you! Yes, those awesome
high-quality, saturated fats. You can get healthy fats from fish (e.g. anchovies and
sardines), nuts and seeds (e.g. walnuts, almonds, chia seeds), avocados, eggs,
oils (olive oil, coconut oil), dairy products and grass-fed beef.
- Good Carbs -
Yes there is
such a thing :). I know if you are like I used to be, you probably think carbs
are just potatoes and anything made in the potatoes family right (lol). I was
oblivious to the fact that carbs lived in other foods or there was even such a
thing as a good carbohydrate. The fact is, there are tons of good carbs in that
big wide world of nutrition. The best are actually "whole” carbs. These
are foods in their most natural and unrefined form. They contain foods such as
fruits, vegetables, whole grains (such as oatmeal, quinoa, amaranth, barley,
etc), corn, peas, legumes(beans), sweet potatoes, etc. are all “whole” food
carbohydrates. These carbs also contain other good-for-you stuff such as
fiber, antioxidants, , vitamins, etc. Be sure not to avoid these as they are
great tools in your physical fitness arsenal as well.
- Control your
Portions - Learn what a
normal "portion" actually is. What you think it is and what it
actually is will shock you. You are probably eating well about your average portion
size on the regular. Just making that one adjustment can actually have amazing
results. Once you've mastered the portion size, measure out your calories. Once
you have that locked down, you can prep your 5-6 meals out accordingly. Here is
a good measurement:
- Hands cupped
together= 1 cup of raw veggies
- Your fist= 1
medium piece of fruit
- Top of your
thumb= 1 oz cube of cheese
- Palm of your
hand= 1/4 cup of nuts
- Cheat a Little - Yes your
heard me. Indulge a little. No one can go hardcore 24/7. Cheat meals were
created to keep you on track. The actually help boost your metabolism and your
motivation to make to the end of the week. Knowing you can be a little bad
while still being good is freaking AWESOME. The key is "NOT" to go
overboard. Don't sabotage all of your hard work with one day or one moment of
cheating. It's so not worth it. Study, research and take the time to understand
what a cheat day is, what it does to your body, and how to incorporate it in
your new lifestyle. Before long it will be your secret weapon in battling
plateaus and ultimately carving out the body you've always dreamed of.
Interested in Learning More? Click Below for more info
Like, Share, Follow, Enjoy!!!
