Who here follows "clean eating"?

Me. I follow a Primal/Paleo lifestyle.

I am following the eat clean diet and although it has only been just over a week, I have to say it is changing my life! I love it!!

I don't use any resource. I just try to read labels and limit the amount of preservatives and additives in my diet as possible. My basic rule of thumb is ingredient list should have no more than 10 items, preferable 5, and I should be able to understand every ingredient listed. I stay away from foods that list sugar in the first 5 items.I make my own whenever possible. A crock pot allows me to make my own beans cheaper and with less sodium than buying a can of beans. I prefer frozen (no sauce added) fruit and veg over canned because canned veg/fruit re usually packed in brines or syrups. I started making my own veggie burgers and cut out a ton of sodium. Compare labels. I once looked at a "low fat" feta cheese that was 60 cals an oz. It had a list as long as my arm & looked liked a chemistry experiment. I looked at a few more and found a whole fat feta that listed 5 ingredients for 70 cals an oz.It was also less sodium and sugar. For me the payoff of 10 cals was worth it to not have a bunch of artificial crap in it.

I learned alot from Tosca Reno's books, website and the cleaneating magazine. Very helpful.

I am leaner and healthier than I have ever been by eating as clean as possible.

I try to eat clean most of the time - but it is definately a journey. One step at a time...

I read this in Self Magazine and thought of this thread.

10 Steps to Cleansing Without Fasting

People often think of weight loss when they hear about the latest cleanse. The cleanse might involve juicing for five days or fasting for three. This sounds a bit tortuous to many of us.
While there are fasts that some have successfully completed, why not consider 'clean eating' for a solid week.
Rather than think about the weight you lose (it will happen naturally if that is your goal), focus on your boundless energy, unbelievable focus and radiant natural beauty (because, although it's cliche, you truly ARE what you eat).

We'd like to challenge you for only 1 week (c'mon guys it's not that long!) to follow these 10-steps to eating clean. After that week we'd love to hear about your experience and any long term changes you will make after eating clean. If one week is too long, then try clean eating for one or two days. Or, choose just two or three ideas out of the ten for the first day, and then add one or two more the following days. Small steps lead to big strides!

1. Be colorful-instead of pastas and breads look for colorful foods in oranges, purples, pinks and golden to get plenty of vitamin C and fiber. When you feel like you need starchy foods eat sweet potatoes, yams or winter squash.

2. Go green-eat lots of spinach, kale and other green veggies to get calcium, iron and other important minerals. (If you are not a green veggie fan try disguising them in soups, smoothies and stir-fries).

3. Buy bulk-purchase whole grain foods such as brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal from bulk bins (use your own container for bonus green points) instead of buying prepackaged foods that often contain sugars and other additives.

4. Drink green tea-get a natural boost in metabolism by drinking 2-3 cups of green tea a day. Choose from many varieties such as pomegranate, blueberry and lemon if you are not a fan of the earthy green tea flavor.

5. Get spicy-add cayenne, ginger and turmeric to your meals or drinks for great natural cleansing, as well as digestive and immune system support.

6. Avoid sugar-drink only water or unsweetened tea. Stay away from the obvious-soda. Also avoid sweet tea, flavored waters and juice. (Whole fruit is great. It does have natural sugar, but it also has tons of fiber and water, as well as other important nutrients.)

7. Eat often-don't starve yourself. Eating every 2-3 hours is important for the body to function properly, brain to think clearly and metabolism to run like a race car!

8. Eat healthy fats-good-for-you fats make your skin moist, hair soft and joints lubricated. Eat lots of walnuts, almonds, avocados and fatty fish.

9. Choose organic-see our Organic vs Non Organic food list. Whenever you can, choose organic-especially when choosing meats. Look for lean, grass-fed organic varieties that haven't been treated with hormones and antibiotics.

10. Avoid processed foods-look for 5 ingredients or less. And yes, you should recognize and be able to pronounce all of them!


Bonus tips!

1. Be mindful when you eat. Eat slowly, put fork down between bites, chew thoroughly and truly taste your food.

2. Move! It doesn't have be a marathon. Just take a brisk 10-minute walk after each meal. Short workouts can be just as effective as long workouts.

3. Breathe-Do we ever really remember to breathe? Breathing relaxes the entire body and releases hormones that helps with everything from weight loss to disease prevention.

No food is inherently clean or dirty without looking at the entire day's worth of calories/macronutrients/micronutrients consumed.