Thinking of Starting to Eat Clean

nikii14
nikii14 Posts: 403 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
Any suggestions?? I know there is a book..I need to get it.
But for those of you who already do this....can you give me any helpful hints?? Im not sure if I can do this.....but I'd really like to try.

Thanks for any advice!:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • nenemom
    nenemom Posts: 12
    What do you mean "eat clean"
    is this an approach to diet, or vegetarian, or raw foods only -- ?what?:huh:
    please be a bit more specific so we can help,
    thanks:smile:
  • betheranne
    betheranne Posts: 44
    Since I have a DH and kids I bought Tosca Reno's book The Eat Clean Diet for Family and Kids. A lot of great advice in there.

    I imagine her first book, The Eat Clean Diet, has even more great information.

    Eating clean means eliminating processed foods from your diet, or at the very least, greatly reducing them. I sometimes explain it to people as whole-food eating.

    Clean Eating magazine is another great resource.

    I'm just getting started, and it's going to be a long slow process for my family and me, but I intend these changes to be our lifestyle, so slow is good.

    So far the kids have been doing great with fresh fruit for most of their snacks.
  • nikii14
    nikii14 Posts: 403 Member
    Apparently there is a book out there called Eating Clean....eating food in its most "natural state"
    No "man-made" additives or preserv.
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
    Yep, Tosca Reno's Eat Clean book is a good start. FYI, I just borrowed it from the local library so you don't even have to buy the book. Cutting way back on processed foods has been great for me and my family! I make oatmeal w/ berries most every morning. I make a big batch of steel cut oats (they like the texture more than regular old fashioned oatmeal).

    My kids love to snack on fruit and yogurt, I don't buy junk foods like chips or poptarts. We eat whole grains- 100% whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, etc. Limited white flour and sugar.

    Planning ahead will really help, if you wait til you're out and starving you'll be in trouble. Try to eat smaller meals, every 3-4 hrs throughout the day.

    Good luck!
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Read "You Are What You Eat" by Gillian McKeith. If that doesn't get you off the garbage food, nothing will
  • iWillnotQUIT
    iWillnotQUIT Posts: 25
    :flowerforyou: Good Morning!!! Funny you should mention EATING CLEAN today (yesterday LOL).....

    Just yesterday I read a VERY inspiring article on the February- Spring 2009 OXYGEN magazine. Tosca Reno shared some of her lifes secrets and has now become a new source of inspiration for me... She confirms that life's hardships; weighing in over 200 lbs, non-productive marriages, and a poor sense of self, are shared by even the most fit! Tosca is 50 and still competes in Fitness competitions. Unreal!

    I will most certainly be looking into her style of eating/excercise and living!!

    For any of you that would like some more info on the EATING CLEAN concept.. visit..
    http://www.eatcleandiet.com/

    For some inspirational photos and articles...
    http://www.toscareno.com/

    GOOD LUCK ! Have a great day!!!

    PS: I keep all of my OXYGEN mags.. they are an easy read and filled with so many helpful articles.. Simple everyday stuff! :smile:
  • Ileanak
    Ileanak Posts: 343 Member
    Although I am not a 100% Clean Eater. I am pretty close. I cook all my lunches from fresh indredients every week, eat fresh salads and protein each evening. I do supplement my breakfast and one snack per day with a when protein power (which is why I do not claim the 100%).

    Once you are in the habit of cooking fresh, everything tastes better and you can cut out 80% (or more) of the sodium you once ate!
    Best of luck!

    Ileana
  • betheranne
    betheranne Posts: 44
    I also avoid any and all low-fat or diet snack foods. No 100-Calorie Packs, Snackwells, Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisines, etc. I'm also cutting artificial sweeteners out completely.

    One really good brownie that I baked from scratch is more satisfying for me than an entire box of 100-Calorie Snacks.

    Just eliminating artificial sweeteners has had an impact on my appetite and sugar cravings.
  • Alisha28
    Alisha28 Posts: 406 Member
    Just start by taking out refined sugars cereals and other packaged stuff filled with sugar. Make sure you have plenty Veggies and fruit. Start there but there is a book I have to get back to you on the author. But the eating clean is fresh whole foods and you will feel amazing in a short time:)




    Alisha
  • ctmom1
    ctmom1 Posts: 189
    Another book I recommend is Mark Bittman's "Food Matters, A Guide to Conscious Eating". It talks about how reducing animal products in your diet is not only good for you, but also for the environment. I don't eat any animal products until dinner and in doing that I have greatly reduced eating processed food and increased my intake of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. The more plants you eat, the less you eat of potentially damaging foods. I feel eating this way doesn't involve sacrifice which is important to me. I don't want to feel deprived and I don't. I also now go by the "five ingredient rule". I avoid anything with more than five fimilar-sounding ingredients. During the day my family still eats some processed foods, but I'm slowly reducing their intake and they haven't noticed!

    The book also has suggested meal plans and about 75 recipes.
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
    Thanks for starting this thread because I was contemplating the same thing as well and was having a convo about it yesteray. It sounds tough, but to be able to eat everything fresh and a lot less of processed foods sounds great. I can't do it 100%, but I think I'm going to start transitioning over little by little, especially once I eat all of my "healthy processed foods" so they don't go to waste. The hardest partwill be getting rid of Equal...I love sugar in my coffee, but I guess that will have to change. :grumble:

    Also, does anyone find eating clean a bit expensive?? Having everything fresh sounds a bit pricey :ohwell:
  • betheranne
    betheranne Posts: 44
    Not necessarily. I just pay attention to what's on sale and focus on those produce items.

    I just bought 4 pounds of strawberries for $1.38 a pound. Not the absolute best price I've ever found, but better than the $1.88 they were the other week.

    And I haven't yet started stocking up on whole grains, but I know that many of them can be purchased in bulk at some stores.

    It's farmer's market season, you can probably find some great deals there on in-season produce.

    Personally, I think a lot of processed foods are overpriced for what they are.
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
    Yeah, I was thinking of getting all of my foods at the farmer's market, too. I have been getting my spinach there and now they're having other veggies that look really tasty. :tongue:
  • JoyousMaximus
    JoyousMaximus Posts: 9,285 Member
    I don't think you have to eat fresh to eat clean. I think you can also eat frozen produce just make sure they don't add any thing to it. Most companies don't. It can actually be more nutritious than fresh produce that has traveled a long way because it is allowed to ripen before being picked. It can be cheaper too.

    Sadly the farmer's markets in my area seem to be MORE expensive than the stores.
  • nikii14
    nikii14 Posts: 403 Member
    I really want to try it!!! However, you should have seen what I just ate:embarassed:

    I'm gonna pick up the book this weekend. I know I won't be able to follow it EXACT...but its better than not trying it at all, right??

    Thanks for your input and I will keep you updated on my progress.
  • 00Angela00
    00Angela00 Posts: 1,077 Member
    don't buy anything or eat anything that has additives in it. If the ingredients aren't natural don't do it to yourself. I'm not sure what book your talking about but mastering your matabolism by Jilliam Michaels is really good
  • tabbydog
    tabbydog Posts: 4,925 Member
    Not necessarily. I just pay attention to what's on sale and focus on those produce items.

    I just bought 4 pounds of strawberries for $1.38 a pound. Not the absolute best price I've ever found, but better than the $1.88 they were the other week.

    And I haven't yet started stocking up on whole grains, but I know that many of them can be purchased in bulk at some stores.

    It's farmer's market season, you can probably find some great deals there on in-season produce.

    Personally, I think a lot of processed foods are overpriced for what they are.

    Stock up on them at the farmer's market when they are fresh, and freeze them. Things like broccoli and green beans are easy: just blanch them and pop them into freezer bag and into the freezer!
  • coronalime
    coronalime Posts: 583 Member
    I have been thinking about the whole clean eating and/or a raw diet myself. "they" say it helps in inflammation and autoimmune disorders which I have alot of. I read the Raw Detox Diet, Anti-Inflammation and Skinny ***** which are all on the same line of thinking as people have stated above. Omitting alcohol, caffeine, refined processed sugars and food and even dairy and gluten (gluten I do for celiac so no biggie).

    I am going to get those Tosca Reno books for sure

    Starting I would just pick either a meal to always eat clean or start omitting a certain food or group of food and just increase it as you go. For dairy I did no yogurt for a week, then added no milk, then no cheese etc etc till I was dairy free.
  • nenemom
    nenemom Posts: 12
    wooo, sounds a little much if i am going to have to give up cheese. :brokenheart:

    still, it's getting more and more obvious that "right eating" is one of the most important factors of health. Now that i'm trying to transition to an "anti-inflammatory diet," I feel a sense of aversion to my local grocery store - almost everything in it is total C RAP. Unbelievable, once you really start thinking about what youre paying good money for.

    I also think that good eating is pricey. Especially protein - i am not vegetarian, so tryin g to get high quality animal protein on the supper table is a major $$$ proposition.

    Also, although the idea of buying in bulk and freezing is a great one, i do not have the physical capacity to do that. I pretty much fall apart if I try to do too much in one day. Which is why, no surprise, that i have started to investigate methods (incluidng diet) that can help my condition.

    Also, I have heard so much about wheat allergies and how this can be such a common hidden problem. I have started to cut down on wheat quite a bit. Dairy bothers me because of additives and secret industry practices that i suspect are out that, that have nothing to do with the health of the consumer.... call me paranoid....but still (as i started out above) i do love my cheese.... and my yogurt (the real kind, not the Yoplaits and Dannons of the world).

    Very interesting thread, i have jotted down several titles and web sites to look into. Bottom line, I really think i will continue in this direction. It's kind of a no-brainer, the only question for me is, how extreme do i want to go - slash - can I go.
  • nenemom
    nenemom Posts: 12
    another thought, i have a 13-year-old kid at home who, every SINGLE time he visits his dad, comes home raving about McDonalds, Hardees, Burger King, Culvers, Dairy Queen and the cookies and ice cream his "dear old dad" just stuffed into him. Of course the kid loves it and feels deprived at my house (where he is 80% of the time) and starts clamoring for sugar and fries.

    I try to teach him that sugar is basically like an addictive drug, the more you eat, the more you want.

    He doesn't have an obesity problem (on the contrary, he is way too thin), so the fat and white wheat etc. isn't the problem, per se. I am actually trying to "fatten him up," according to doctor insturctions.

    It's all i can do to provide him with a consistently relatively healthy diet (whole grains, fruits, veggies, as much as we can), let alone combat the trash his dad throws at him. So moving in the direction of "cleaner" eating may be QUITE the challenge.

    His dad is totally not on board, equates junk food with love, since the child "cannot" get it at home. I am such a "bad guy"!:laugh:
  • betheranne
    betheranne Posts: 44
    Thanks for the Mark Bittman book recommendation. I've placed a hold request on it at my library. I'm #8 in the waiting list.
  • LeanLioness
    LeanLioness Posts: 1,091 Member
    You can have cheese and yogurt and be eating clean..............

    To eat clean, shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store. You will have to prep food, cook and plan ahead............

    To me, it is so worth it because you will feel GREAT!!
  • dskline1
    dskline1 Posts: 123
    bump for later reading....
  • gapeaches
    gapeaches Posts: 16
    Hi Nancy here. :happy: What is the anti-flamitory diet? I have RA
  • coronalime
    coronalime Posts: 583 Member
    Hi Nancy here. :happy: What is the anti-flamitory diet? I have RA

    There are several out there. The one I have is by Jessica Black. Its based on the Raw food diet or a more strict version of clean diet.
    Dairy is found to have properties that cause your body to produce mucus which is normal but with some we produce too much and causes the immune system to go awire. The books can explain it better then i can of course. You basically cut out gluten, dairy, caffeine, processed foods and simple sugars, alcohol.
    I take Enbrel and its stopped working so they put me on Remicade which is horroble money wise and time wise so I had to stop and go back to Enbrel. I talked with an older patient who has severe RA and she was able to come off Remicade and do methatrexate only b/c she follows the Jessica Black anti inflammatory diet. I just started and am working out the kinks so since I am not 100% I cant claim anything right now
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