Eat. Clean.

Day 4: Eat. Clean.

I've been living by a new motto the past 6 months or so : "Eat. Clean. Live. Well." To me, this means the more good you put in your body and your mind the more bad will leave, the better you'll feel, the healthier you will be. I mean this not just with food but with all areas of life. Positive people, more exercise, more fresh air, taking time for yourself, healthy eating, volunteering, and doing things that are good for your heart and your soul. This is why I chose "Healthy Choices" as my topic for 31 days.

This will be my first of many clean eating posts. this is the biggest healthy choice I've made in my life recently, and probably the best, although it is the most challenging.

Everything I know about Clean Eating I learned from Jackie Warner's book: This Is Why You're Fat. You can buy it here. Now I didn't buy the book because I wanted to lose a ton of weight, I bought it because I wanted to be healthier and because I wanted the real rules for what I thought was a new "fad" diet. But it's not a diet at all. I didn't do this to lose weight, but it has been an added bonus to the rest of the benefits. I feel healthier, look leaner, am stronger, have tons more energy, and am happier.

These are the rules I follow for clean eating. Thanks to Jackie (these are just some of the notes I took for myself as I read):

EAT. CLEAN.
This is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE not a DIET. It requires planning and self-control.

Weeks 1 and 2

• Add to your everyday diet:
• Oatmeal (don’t add sugar)
• I put my apple and some cinnamon and vanilla in this with almond milk or water, no sweetener at all… it takes some getting used to but I really like it now.
• Apple
• Broccoli
• 2 eggs
• 3 liters of water (put lemon in your water it will make it easier to drink!- and there’s tons of benefits)
• Switch your yogurt to Greek, plain or vanilla yogurt
• Stop using white sugar. Switch to Stevia. It has an after taste, but it's not bad.
• Cut back your sugar intake as the week goes on.

Weeks 2 and continued.

• Your Daily food intake should look like this:
• 4 proteins
• 3 veggies
• 2 fruits
• 2 grains
• 1 healthy fat
• 3 liters of water
• This is a meal plan! Eat above 5 days a week and then for 2 days you can have a cheat meal. Each cheat meal should not exceed 1500 calories and you should eat them on 2 consecutive days.

Basic Rules

• Don’t add sugar, if you need it sweeter use Stevia.
• No soda.
• Stay away from cow’s milk (I use almond) it has a ton of fat and sugar in it.
• Don’t drink your calories.
• Stay on the outside aisles… The idea is to eat Clean: As little processed and as much organic as possible.
• Veggies are good, fruit is good, chicken and turkey and eggs and yogurt and fish are good. All natural nut butters are good, olive oil, canola oil and I use earth balance buttery spread (it actually tastes just like butter). Granola (preferably 5g of sugar or less but 9g should be the highest you go on anything.) WHOLE GRAIN breads, rice, I’ll even give you pasta (although it’s not as good for you).
• Know your serving sizes!
• Oatmeal (1 cup).
• Eggs (2).
• Cheese stick (1 or go by serving size on package for other cheeses) I use cheese as small treats
• 4oz. fish, turkey, chicken (stay away from lunch meat there are lots of additives in i… I bake turkey breasts at the beginning of the week and use it for sandwiches throughout the week) 1 can of tuna is a serving get it in water.
• Bread (I still eat 2 slices for sandwiches, you can’t completely deprive yourself of carbs)
• Yogurt- Greek. Plain or vanilla. Either the size of the container or if you buy the big ones go by the serving size listed. Granola is delicious! Go by the serving size on the package.
• Fruits and veggie 1cup= 1 serving. Eat lots!
• Almonds- 24 is a serving. Other nuts are delicious too!
• You can snack you just have to snack healthy.
• If you’re ever still hungry, eat more fruits and veggies.
• You can have red meat! Just eat it in normal portions and stick to leaner cuts, I have a great chili recipe that uses lean beef and its one of my favorites.