What is clean eating?
Eat Clean Principles
1. Eat more. Eat 5-6 small meals each day, spaced 2.5 - 3 hours apart. Protein and complex carb at each meal with a big glass of water!
2. Eat breakfast everyday, within an hour of rising.
3. Make your last meal 3 hours before bed.
4. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
5. Eat sufficient healthy fats every day.
6. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day. Add some lemon, limes, cucumbers or orange slices for extra flavor!
7. Carry a cooler packed with clean foods & snacks each day.
8. Depend on fresh fruit and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
9. Adhere to proper portion sizes (see below).
10. Eat only foods that have not been overly processed, or that contain artificial additives (sweeteners, colors, preservatives, etc.), saturated and trans fats.
READ THE INGREDIENTS LABEL!
What to Avoid:
- Avoid all over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar
- Avoid all chemically charge foods
- Avoid foods containing preservatives
- Avoid artificial sugars
- Avoid artificial foods such as processed cheese slices
- Avoid saturated and trans fats
- Avoid sugar loaded beverages, including sodas and juices
- Avoid or do your best to limit alcohol intake.
- Avoid all calorie dense foods containing little or no nutritional value. I call these anti-foods
- Avoid super sizing your meals
- AVOID ANYTHING that contains the following on the label:
- High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup
- Aspartame
- Sucralose
- Maltodextrin
- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
- Enriched
- Modified, Genetically-modified, etc.
- From concentrate
- TIP: When you see the words "diet", "sugar-free" or "lite", chances are it contains artificial sweeteners like Aspartame which is POISON!
Complex Carbohydrates from Fruit and Vegetables:
6 portions each day. A portion is:
- 1 cupped handful or a piece of fruit such as berries, grapefruit, melon, apples and mangoes.
- 2 cupped handfuls of vegetables including broth based/vegetable puree soups.
Complex Carbohydrates from whole grains and starchy carbohydrates:
2-4 portions each day. A portion is:
- 1 scant handful of high-protein, sugar-free cold cereals, such as clean muesli or granola.
- 1 handful of cooked cereal
- 1 piece of whole grain bread or wrap (Sante Fe tortilla wraps from Costco are a great option)
- 1 handful sized serving of sweet potato, yam, banana, corn, carrots or squash
Lean Protein
6 portions each day. A portion is:
- 1 cup or handful of dairy products such as low fat soy, almond, hemp, rice, or skim milk, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt cheese or plain fat free sugar free yogurt.
- 1 scant handful of raw, unsalted nuts (also a healthy fat)
- 2 tablespoons of all natural nut butters such as almond or peanut butter (also a healthy fat).
- 1 palm-sized portion of lean meats
- High quality, sugar- and chemical- free protein powder
Beverages:
- 2-3 liters per day of fresh, purified water (sodium-free)
- Clear herbal tea (unsweetened)
- Black coffee in moderation
- Green or Black tea
Sweeteners/Sugars that are OK to use in moderation:
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Agave Nectar
- Maple Sugar Flakes
- Rapadura Sugar
- Natural Stevia (plant-derived, non-processed)
Want to learn more? This book will teach you ALL about Clean Eating!
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