Eating "Clean"

broomnic

Ok so today is day 1 of eating "clean" so what does this actually mean, I understand no junk and more natural foods - does anyone have a list of do's and donts?

Thanks

THExNEKOxCHAN

Your body has a set of requirements. It needs water, the proper amount of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and a level of nutrient that allows it to break down, rebuild, and repair itself. Getting this balance right means being very aware of your body.

It is very important that you eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain itself.

I don't believe in getting my needed nutrients from pills, so this may seem like a radical idea to some: try getting your nutrition from your food. And not just any food either; you want to look for the best stuff, because this is your body you're caring for, and who wouldn't want the best for their body?

Eat more vegetables and fruit. Look for organic brands, or shop from farmers markets. The fresher the better. If you have the time, try growing your own. The quality of home grown vegetables is very noticeable, in flavor and nutrient content.

Buy grass-fed/pasture raised meats, wild caught fish, and free range chicken/eggs. Do not be afraid to eat the fat, and don't leave out the egg yolks: they have the most basic nutrients your body needs. Avoid farmed fish, for they are fed many antibiotics and colorants. Avoid barn-laid, cage-free, and cage eggs, and do not eat grain fed meat or factory raised meat. If feasible, try to locate a farmer or a co-op that can provide you these things.

Buy grass-fed butter, whole, UN-homogenized milk (or raw if you can get it), use clean animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, beef or lamb tallow) or cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes. Do not use hydrogenated oils, margarine, blended butters, vegetable oil, or anything with trans fats. Do not use milk powders, or drink ultra-pasteurized or UHT milks (they are over cooked, with damaged proteins and fats, and are from much lower quality milk overall). Do not drink skim milk: there is hardly anything useful left in it for you, and they use titanium dioxide to make it white (without the pigment, the skim milk would be bluish in color).

Enjoy nuts, seeds, avocados, naturally fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, beet kvass, kimchi, etc) to encourage good gut bacteria. Use home made yogurt and kefir. Use raw honey and pure maple syrup.

Try to avoid things with ingredients lists. Avoid refined sugar and flours, and anything that says "enriched", "fortified", "with _____ added", anything insisting it's "healthy", "low fat", "no fat", "low carb", "low sugar", "sugar-free", "lean" or "skinny". Avoid the majority of wheat, avoid soy at all costs, avoid corn (aside, perhaps, from a bit of fresh, organic sweet corn) and all of it's derivatives. (Cutting out processed foods, breads, etc will help knock a lot of these out of the game.) Avoid soda pop and most juices.

Remove all GMOs from your diet. They raise the risk of cancer and food allergies, are soaked with pesticides and herbicides, they destroy the environment, plant and animal life, and are run by morally corrupt companies who have their fingers in many pies.

Get plenty of sunshine. If you live in a place with a short winter day (as I do) you may use fermented cod liver oil to supplement yourself until summer rolls around. You need the Vitamin D. (If you want to know what your Vit D levels look like, they can run a blood test for it.)

Drink plenty of water. It's what allows your body to function at it's best. It helps with the transfer of nutrients, it keeps your blood flowing, and assist in the removal of toxins from your tissues. Don't drink too much on hot days, though, as that may dilute your electrolyte balance. If drinking a lot on hot days, have something with a little sea salt added, like broth, or look up a recipe for a natural electrolyte drink.

Listen to your body. Are you hungry? Feed it a meal, or a snack. Eat several small meals through the day and keep whole, healthy foods on hand. Cook more meals from scratch. Do you wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night? You might be thirsty. Keep a glass of water by the bed. Do you feel tired or restless or unsettled during the day? Go for a walk/run to wake your body up and get its cells and fluids moving, and to help aid digestion and sleep. Get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Find a hobby that you like doing. Please your mind with reading or craft projects, or gardening.

I like to call this common sense living. If you can do these things, you're well on your way to good health, both physical and mental.

Remember: You are beautiful and so is your body. It doesn't matter what others think. Your body is a finely tuned machine, and it knows exactly what it needs, so do your best to give it the best.

dzuli823

This is a wonderful list!

Come over to the clean eating group for more support

witchy_wife

I guess I do kind of agree with the above..... but.... if you really want pizza one night... just go for it! Don't freak out too much and deprive yourself of things you really want. If you are in this for the long term (which everyone should be, lifestyle change not "diet") then thinking you are depriving yourself of your favourite foods for life can mess with your head.

Just eat well, lots of fresh and healthy foods, get yourself moving, and have ocasional treats.

THExNEKOxCHAN

I had meatzza and coleslaw for supper tonight. The meatzza was like meatloaf deluxe, and I didn't miss the crust at all.

YoYo1951

very informative and helpful. Thank you for the list. While I am doing better with my choices, I have a long way to go. Best of luck with your lifestyle change. Thank you for sharing. It sounds like you have already come a long way. Happy journey

ladyark

Saving to read this later

geebusuk

From what I've read on here; whatever you want it to mean to make you feel better about what you eat :P.

plt55

save

Fat2Fit145

HEYYYYY!!... so today si Day 1 of my clean eating as well.... staring over....

So basically it means ALL processed foods are OUT!.....

Do's: Chicken, Fish, veges, fruit, water.....

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Couple of things to read

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

Here's a write up on an interesting study, granted not a large one by any stretch, showing that the hormonal response in the body is basically the same with a fast food meal and a clean meal given that macros are held constant.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html

"In terms of the hormonal response, clean vs. unclean just doesn’t matter, it’s all about calories and macros. "


I don't think trying to eat clean is bad, but I think it's unnecessary. If there's something you really want that isn't on the "list" I don't see any reason not to have it.

WendyTerry420

Ok so today is day 1 of eating "clean" so what does this actually mean, I understand no junk and more natural foods - does anyone have a list of do's and donts?

Thanks

I'm sorry, but this sounds hilarious. "This is Day 1 of I don't know what."

Here's my list:

DO:
1) Get enough protein
2) Get enough fats
3) fill the rest of your calorie allowance with carbs
4) eat at least one veggie/fruit a day
5) eat the foods you like

Don't:
1) Get caught up in nonsensical terminology such a "clean eating"
2) Eat food that you don't enjoy
3) Go too low or too high with your calories
4) Stress over eating, just enjoy it.

Caniac68

Although "clean" eating is not a perfect science, it makes a lot of sense in my book on a number of levels. Buying at least some foods from the farmer's market is a good idea. It will cost a little more (in general) than the supermarket but the quality is noticeable. Doing so has two clear positive effects: first, you get the freshest foods possible as they were likely picked the morning you purchased them with minimal transporting to market and second, it helps support your local economy. I don't always buy organic and don't go out of my way to look for meats outside of the grocery store but I do prefer my veggies from the market whenever possible. I also agree with growing as many of your own veggies as you can. It doesn't take too much work to keep a small box garden and there is a noticeable difference in flavor and quality. Plus, there is the cost effectiveness in growing your own vegetables as well as the personal pride in growing what you need. On top of that, you are outside, getting all that good sunny vitamin D! Start small...see how it goes for you. We planted our first garden last year...had tons of cherry tomatoes, banana and bell peppers. This year, we're expanding.

Here are my basic rules when it comes to eating:
1 - Eat more fresh veggies, preferably personally grown or from the farmer's market, if possible
2 - Eat less processed foods...as few as possible...shop the outside of the supermarket and avoid the aisles for most foods
3 - Eat as little sugar as possible
4 - Drink as much water as possible and don't use sweeteners of any kind in my drinks (such as no sugar/sweeteners in coffee or tea)

I expect to cheat a little every so often so as to keep my cravings down. But the less garbage I eat, the better I feel and when I do cheat (like at a birthday party), I find that I don't have a taste for it like I used to. For instance, most cakes are just too sweet for me and soda simply holds no appeal at all any more. Just remember - everything in moderation! Good luck!