What is Clean Eating? 

Basic Principles of Clean Eating:

• Not a diet, it is a lifestyle change that will transform your health

  • I was once the queen of yo-yo dieting- dieting for a month or two then returing to past eating habits and gaining all of the weight back - this is short term thinking, clean eating isn't a short term fix, its a lifestyle change. 

  • view clean eating as redefining your relationship with food, and rather than trying to change it all at once, focusing on continuing to improve your eating habits over time

•  5 to 6 meals per day

  • each meal should include a lean protein, a healthy starch (quinoa, sweet potato, corn, etc.), and some fruits and/or veggies

  • breakfast should ideally be within 1 hour of waking up

  • you should be eating every 2 to 3 hours in order to avoid binge eating, and in order to speed up your metabolism

• avoid these most of the time (90% to 95% of the time)

  • avoid processed foods

  • avoid most refined foods: refined flour, sugars (high fructore, white, brown, etc.), trans fats, etc. 

• avoid artificial ingredients and preservatives

  • if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it! (this includes artificial sweeteners - find healthy alternatives, they do exist!)

• avoid alcohol

• avoid soda and other drinks loaded with calories

• strive to drink at least half your body weight in water each day! example: if you weigh 140 pounds, you should aim to drink at least 70 oz of water per day

  • tip: set time goals for yourself, by 8am - 8 oz, by 10am- 10 more oz (you get the idea)

• eat plenty of veggies and eat fruits (but in moderation as they are high in sugar)

• eat high quality meats and leaner meats (turkey, chicken, fish instead of beef)

• eat healthy fats 

  • some examples: fish, nuts and seeds, avocados, eggs, coconut oil

• PLAN AHEAD: stay tuned for a post on Meal Prepping and the importance of it!