Choose Your Foods Wisely
Fresh foods are generally more fragile than processed or packaged foods, particularly if they have to travel long distances to get to you. That’s because they don’t have any preservatives or additives. This is especially true for meat, fish, poultry, produce, and dairy. At the store, be sure and check the “sell by” or “best used by date” if it has one. Then give it a good once over, making sure if it’s wrapped the seal is not broken or leaking and, if it’s produce, it’s not too soft, too hard, moldy, or bruised.Second, use it right away. Unlike processed or packaged foods, which can often last on the shelf for months, fresh foods go bad quickly. Don’t buy more than you can eat in a sitting or two, unless you plan to freeze it. Eat your fresh food within two to three days.
This leads me to my third tip: handle your fresh foods with care. Most meat, produce, and dairy needs to be refrigerated immediately. Dry goods need to be stored in the pantry in a cool, dry place. While some dry goods do have a long shelf life, it is usually still shorter than refined, processed food.
Can the Carbs (I had a hard time learning this but realized if I was going to work out my body needed complex carbs)
Mother Nature provides a bounty of complex carbohydrates in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. In the body, these carbs give us the energy that fuels our muscles and feeds our brain. So why get rid of them? You don’t get rid of all of them—just the bad ones. Complex carbohydrates are considered “good carbs” because they are nutrient dense and often found in the company of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’re essential for good health. Studies show they lower the risk of chronic illness, keep you regular, and are digested slowly, so energy is released at a steady pace, ensuring you can perform your best throughout the day. Complex carbohydrates are the foundation of the clean eating diet.“Bad” carbohydrates are highly refined and processed, making them automatically off-limits when eating clean. They are mostly found in packaged or processed foods—strike two against them—and although they are a concentrated source of calories, they contribute very little nutritionally to your daily diet, making them bad news for people watching their weight. The most common refined carbohydrates are white flour, white sugar, and white rice.
Small Meals
The typical clean diet features three small main meals and two to three substantial snacks every day. Eating this way prevents you from overeating, skipping meals, and feeling fatigued or jittery from unstable blood sugar levels. It also helps you lose weight. Several studies show people who eat small frequent meals accumulate less fat than those who eat the same number of calories in fewer larger meals.By substantial snacks, we mean 100 to 200 calories in each snack. All snacks, as well as meals, should include balanced portions of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. One of my favorite snacks is a hard-boiled egg with some crackers; another is a sliced banana topped with almond butter sprinkled with a bit of dark chocolate, all rolled in a whole wheat flour tortilla.
Main meals should generally range from 200 to 400 calories. This is considerably smaller than most Americans are used to eating. Since you eat so frequently, hunger isn’t a big deal. The biggest issue is getting used to your new lifestyle of eating often and in small portions.
Here are a few tips that can make the transition easier:
- Portion out everything, especially at first, so you know what a proper serving size is.
- Carry a cooler with snacks in the car.
- Keep a stash of clean food at the office.
- Buy smaller dinner plates, bowls, and cups, so your plate will still look full even though you’re eating less.
- Be prepared; plan all snacks, lunches, and dinners ahead of time.
Move It!
The eating clean lifestyle is an active lifestyle that involves exercising 5 or 6 times a week, 30 to 60 minutes a day. In addition to making you look great and feel fabulous, working out regularly has plenty of other benefits. First, regular exercise slims you down by decreasing fat and building muscle. Having more muscle raises your metabolism, so that you burn more energy even at rest, making it easier to keep the weight off. Exercise also acts like a natural appetite suppressant, curbing cravings and hunger pangs. Physically, working out strengthens your heart and lungs, builds strong bones, jump-starts your immune system, and produces glowing skin, not to mention reducing your risk for chronic illnesses. Since muscle weighs more than fat (because it contains more water) it’s also possible to lose inches without budging the scale.Mentally, exercise improves mood, counters depression, and makes you feel good. Clean eaters who also regularly exercise report better sleep, clearer mental focus, and less stress.
Eating clean is the best way to feel great, lose weight, and improve your overall health. And now that you know how to do it, you can get started right away. Good luck, and happy (clean) eating!
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