What does it mean to "eat clean"? For different people it can mean different things.

Clean eating is about eating more of the best and healthiest options in each of the food groups—and eating less of the not-so-healthy ones. That means embracing whole foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains plus healthy proteins and fats. Eating clean also means cutting back on refined grains, pesticides, additives, preservatives, unhealthy fats and large amounts of sugar and salt

Below are great examples of how to incorporate clean eating into your diet:

1) Eat Whole Foods: Whole foods are foods that haven’t been tampered with, in the lab or the manufacturing plant. The foods you eat are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass-fed and free-range meats, low fat dairy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds.

2) Avoid Processed Foods: Processed foods are any food that has a label. A label means that more than one ingredient was used to make that food. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like whole grain pasta or natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your shopping basket.

3) Eliminate Refined Sugar: Refined sugar provides nothing but calories. Other sweeteners (natural not artificial) can be used, but with all the good foods you add to your diet, refined sugar really has very little place in the eating clean plan.

4) Cook Your Own Meals: Instead of buying meals in a box, cook meals from scratch. That’s not as hard as it sounds! Clean, whole foods need little preparation beyond chopping and sautéing to make satisfying, delicious meals your family will love.

5) Combine Protein With Carbs (& Healthy Fats): When you do snack or eat a meal, make sure that meal is balanced. For the most satisfaction from your diet, and so you’ll be less tempted to eat junk food, combine protein with carbs or carbs and fat. This simple act will fuel your body and quash hunger pangs.

6) Don't Drink Your Calories: High Calorie drinks like specialty coffee, sodas, alcoholic beverages can on average tack on an additional 400-500 calories a day. Choose water first, unsweetened tea, skim milk, 100% fruit juice diluted with sparking water.

7) Avoid Vegetable Oils/Spreads: Vegetable oils and margarines don’t meet the criteria for clean eating. For starters, they are produced by extracting oil from seeds and vegetables using chemicals, making them highly processed. However it is important to include a moderate amount of healthy fats in a clean eating regimen. Choose oils and spreads that are minimally processed and provide the greatest health benefits, such as extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, and butter from grass-fed cows.

Can you go all in and follow all of these "rules" this week? Or maybe you need to start smaller and pick one or two to focus on this week? Even if you only take a few steps toward eating cleaner—it can still make an impact on your health. It's your choice how you want to tackle this but take this challenge and make some great strides this week in your health & nutrition and see a reward on the scale next week!