Eating Clean

jenswwjourney

Had birthday dinner at a Brazilian BBQ on Sunday (Fogo de Chao) and am so "meat" ed out. So much meat, salt, and fried things!

So the last 2 days I have more or less ate "clean." Lots of veggies, fruits, PB, lots of fiber. I have easily cut my daily sodium in 1/2 & I feel great. But I still have had my usual gluten filled bread (double fiber fro natures own) and had some pepperonis for dinner. do you think its the less sodium or cleaner eating that has me feel better?


Usually I have lots of chicken, beef, and deli meat (aka sodium ridden) sandwich at work 3x a week. I defiantly couldn't go vegetarian b/c i love chicken haha Should i continue? thoughts, ideas, what do you do? I want to feel like this all the time So any opinions appreciated

Natihilator

I remember going to Fogo de Chao once, and being in physical pain about an hour after my meal, omg.

I pretty much eat how you describe (my food diary is open if you want to look) and I didn't even know it was referred to as "clean" eating. I used to be a bread addict, but now I limit myself to eating fajita-size corn and whole wheat tortillas once in a while (apart from occasional cheat foods) and I don't miss it. I am toying with the idea of becoming vegetarian (or at least a pescatarian), but I still currently eat meat and fish including chicken, and lean cuts of pork and beef. I also used to eat loads of deli meat, but after a few weeks of clean eating and watching my sodium intake, it just tastes way too salty and "off' now and I don't enjoy it anymore.

If you feel better and it's a sustainable way of eating for you, I would say continue

_persephone_

I always feel loads more energised when I'm eating clean food: I absolutely swear by it. I don't know if it's the sodium levels in particular that make you feel good (although reduced sodium intake is definitely a consequence of eating clean), but it is a factor, along with more vitamins, fibre etc etc.

If you are going to adopt it as a lifestyle though, I would say to take it at your own pace...small changes can end up being more sustainable over time. And don't beat yourself up over occasionally having a non-clean meal or day. Just get back to it the following day and enjoy

teelynn35

I eat clean for breakfast/lunch and snacks and then eat quasi normal for dinner. I do feel way better, more energy and ah, umm "more regular" If you get a chance check out any book by Tosca Reno. She is amazing/ with an amazing story to tell. In the 3 weeks since I went to 75% clean I've lost 12 lbs. So I think there is something to be said about clean eating. I used to be a "pasta & bread *kitten*" I rarely eat that anymore. If I do its whole grain. Good luck on your new lifestyle!!!

stylistchik

Eating clean is always a good idea.You could look for a different brand of lunch meat that has less sodium or just use less of it on your sandwich and more veggies. Otherwise regular chicken is considered clean if you can get it with as few additives as possible. That bread has a lot of junk in it though (I kept a loaf for over a month and it didn't mold - no preservatives?? yeah right.) so you're better off buying something freshly baked or I like sprouted grain bread like Ezekiel. That's great that you can pay attention to your body and how it feels after eating certain foods. Keep it up!

karen_thinmint

Fogo de Chao or any churrascaria can be tough, because the food comes too quick to think about stopping and pretty soon you're so over stuffed.

The meat is actually just seasoned with olive oil and salt and cooked over a fire, so by itself in moderation it's pretty clean. Moderation being key. But that buffet table and cheese-bread while oh so delicious is not so much.

If you've been eating less salt and feeling better I'd say to keep it up, or increase water intake on days you go a bit higher in sodium to counter balance. Eating clean in general is eating food that is unprocessed. So no frozen dinners, packaged food, etc. If you have the option to cook yourself there should be no problem preparing low-sodium meals with meats.

You may also want to track your saturated fat content, since Fogo de Chao is a lot of red meats you probably had a high fat count that day. My stomach feels like a pit a few hours after I eat a fatty meal - although that could just be me.

grinch031

Its hard to say without knowing your old diet. But cleaner eating means higher protein and fat. That means less dependency on glucose for energy, and glucose levels fluctuate providing more ups and downs, whereas adding more fat and protein means you are able to stabilize your energy levels with more fat burning.

vjrose

I too eat pretty close to "clean" whatever that means, lol. My diary is open. My best solution for wanting some protein at lunch is that Foster farms now has no salt added chicken breast, tenders, and some turkey, not lunch meat so you still have to cook it, but I slice the breast after cooking and it makes a great sandwich (I'm a salad girl but my hubby swears by the sandwich). I'm on a 1500mg restriction so it's interesting staying under, lol.. Especially when my doc sees my MFP reports.

cherry_blossom55

I'm a vegetarian and though I am by no means trying to convert you, I will say that according to an awful lot of research, north americans (on a statistical basis) eat FAR more meat and protein than their bodies need. When you a lot of meat (especially red meat!) it sort of bogs your body down, so cutting down your intake could certainly be helping you to feel better! If you typically eat meats that are higher in salt though, such as deli meats, the lower sodium lately is likely to also be a big contributing factor. I am no doctor or dietician, but I do know an awful lot about meat from an"academic" standpoint lol, and if you love chicken as much as you say, you may find it easier to eat clean by eating only chicken and not red meat or processed meat. Best of luck!!

mommamuscles

I've been eating clean for a little over a year now about 80% of the time. I would say go for it, but allow yourself to take a break from it once a week (or if it works better for you, one meal a day). It's really helped me to cut down on the cravings. Lately I've been a little more lax in the sugar department, and feel them coming back. Go for it!