~ Clean Eaters Thread ~

I want to eat clean! I just was researching "clean foods" a few days ago and it sounded like something I would want to try. Is it too late to join?

Welcome fitgal!! :flowerforyou:

I just read through some of the threads and will need to check out the Clean magazine you have been talking about. I saw some posts about breakfast ideas. I have been drinking Green Smoothies for breakfast. I have found when I start my day with them I eat better for the whole day. It also eliminates the need for coffee! And I when I am in coffee mode, I drink expresso only! Here's a basic recipe from Martha Stewart, but you can add or delete to your own tastes.

In a blender mix
2 oz of spinach-I use much more spinach-a huge punch !
1 celery stalk
1 cucumber-I usually use 1/2
1/2 apple
1/4 fennel bulb
1" ginger root
3 springs of parsley
3/4C honeydew melon-I often use frozen mango or pineapple,my husband always adds a banana-but this adds additional calories

another version: I add 1/2 fresh beet and strawberries-delicious!!!!!

Thank you for the recipe!!! I'm gonna try it! Sounds very nutritious! :flowerforyou:

I agree--I will have to try this! Welcome spotter. :flowerforyou:

I finally found a recipe for this head of red cabbage I have sitting in the fridge!! It's from Sunset magazine, I found it using the myrecipes.com site. I will fix this tomorrow and let you know if it's as good as it sounds.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1140621


Red Cabbage Salad with Dates

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

* 1/2 head red cabbage (20 oz. total), finely shredded
* 3 oranges, peeled and segmented with membranes removed and juices reserved
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted almonds
* 5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
* 2 tablespoons walnut oil
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* Salt

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, orange segments and their juice, almonds, and dates. Drizzle with walnut oil and lemon juice and mix gently to coat. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
138 (43% from fat)
Protein:
2.7g
Fat:
6.5g (sat 0.6)
Carbohydrate:
20g
Fiber:
4.1g
Sodium:
92mg
Cholesterol:
0.0mg

Gerda Endemann, Stanford, CA, Sunset, JANUARY 2006

Kashi makes a great cereal--GoLean--no HFCS and very little sugar. It has high protein and fiber. I use Smart Bran cereal too, I think that is Nature's path brand. I haven't read jillian's book, but probably she prefers to peel fruit & veg due to the pesticides, so if you can access organic you wouldn't have to do that. There is also a wash you can use for your veg, I can't remember the name but I've seen it in the store. Sounds like you will have an interesting journey to clean eating, as the rest of us have. MFP is a great place to learn about nutrition!

PS. definitely ditch the fat free products--sugar is often added to make those processed foods edible, plus I just don't feel fat-free dairy provides enough satiety or taste. We all need some fat in our diets to help absorb certain vitamins. I personally use 2% dairy b/c full fat is too rich/caloric for me.

Hello everyone! I've decided that I kinda wanna eat clean. What I mean by that is...I enjoy my wine, but I want to eat cleanly as much as possible. Can I just hop in here? I hope to learn a lot from you guys who have been eating cleanly for awhile.

I want to eat clean! I just was researching "clean foods" a few days ago and it sounded like something I would want to try. Is it too late to join?

Welcome fitgal. There's no deadline to join, as far as I know.

Thanks!


Is it okay for me to be here even though I like my wine? :laugh:

Hmmm, I guess i"M not off to a very good start with my artificially sweetened coffee?

This is kind of off topic. But last night I was at the gym running my long run (I like to run it on the treadmill and watch TV ) and watching the Miss Universe pageant. Of course all of those women have such skinny, toned body, IMO some of them are way too skinny, but some of them look healthy skinny. None of them looked super defined which is more my taste/goal - like Jillian Michaels or Gwen Stefani. I was just running and wondering what these girls eat and what kind of work outs they do. I wonder if they eat clean. I wonder if they take in enough calories.

I always used to read this book called the Secrets of Skinny Chicks -- it featured supposedly "everyday" women who managed to stay skinny and in tip top shape, and said how they did it, including what they ate and how they worked out on a typical day. The problem was that most of these women were professional, former, or aspiring models, actresses, beauty pageant contestants, athletes, etc... definitely not my definition of an "everyday" woman, because most of them got paid to look good, or wanted to, or used to, etc. That book used to be a big inspiration for me but now when I look at it, I realize it isn't in my goals, because most of the women eat low-fat, low-carb foods that have articificial sweeteners etc., and many of the women only eat about 1200 - 1400 calories a day, plus work out a lot, and I aim to keep my *net* calories at about 1200-1300 a day.

I guess what I'm wondering is, what are realistic goals for a truly "everyday" woman? I am an attorney with a busy job and I don't have kids but I like to spend a lot of time with my boyfriend and our pets... I am not the type to get so caught up in training or working out that I never see them or my friends, etc. I mainly eat clean, stick to 1200-1300 net calories, and I run or work out for about 45 minutes a day, with one rest day a week, and some of my runs are much longer, like an hour and a half for pace runs or long runs. (I am training for a half marathon). Is it realistic for me to want to acheive a super toned, cut, slim body? Do women have to starve themselves and spend all their time working out to reach those levels? I guess this is why I'm looking forward to doing P90X, I think that will probably get me in the best shape ever if I stick with it, and I also plan to keep up my running schedule, more or less.