There is a lot of confusion about what eating clean means. There are a variety of opinions out there on what is clean and what is not clean, and it can be confusing and overwhelming as to what to believe. Let me start off by saying that I am not an expert. I am not a registered dietician or doctor, nor do I proclaim to know everything there is to know about clean eating. I am a certified holistic nutritionist with a passion for nutrition, and a certified personal trainer with over 20 years of experience. I am going to share what I have learned and experienced myself. I also want to state that everyone has different dietary needs or restrictions, so you may need to modify food choices I offer to fit your own needs or consult with your doctor.
Okay, so what is clean eating? In my opinion, clean eating is eating food that comes from nature, with little to no extra ingredients, and has not been created in a factory or highly processed. Foods that grew on a tree or in the ground are from nature and clean. Foods that would not exist without being created and processed in a factory are not natural or clean. There is also the issue of pesticides and things that taint our soil, in turn tainting our food. Unfortunately, it is a common issue with most fresh foods, so I buy certified organic foods whenever possible to reduce the amount of “junk” in my food. So in a nutshell, the focus for clean eating is fresh, whole food that have not been heavily processed and have a minimal amount of ingredients.
What does that look like? It means filling your plate with veggies, fruit, pasture raised meats, organic free-range eggs, herbs, healthy fats, beans, lentils, whole grain foods, water, ect…. It does NOT include chips, cookies, crackers, soda, high calorie salad dressing, highly processed meats or breads, granola bars, and the list could go on! I know it sounds a little limiting, but once you start eating clean, you realize the abundance of healthy foods you can fill your plate with!
Change is hard, and reshaping habits is not something that happens overnight. I am not a fan of just going “cold turkey” and throwing out everything you have in your pantry. I believe that making small changes over time, and adding to your diet, rather then throwing everything out, is easier to stick with. Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, I like to focus on what healthy foods you can add in. As an example, perhaps the first thing you do is commit to drinking more water and adding a salad and a vegetable to dinner every night.
So what will this challenge look like? Well, each day you will commit to adding in clean foods, drinking more water, logging what you ate and how you felt afterwards, getting enough sleep, exercising at least 30 minutes per day (optional), and removing unhealthy foods from your diet. We will take it slowly, talk about the benefits of different foods you can add to your diet, and work through alternative food ideas when you crave “junk”! I will also have a list of foods to choose from with vegan and vegetarian options.
I will post daily on this blog, but I will also have a private Facebook group for anyone who wants more accountability and community. The private group will be more personalized, with daily motivation, tips, and discussion. Let me know if you want to join! We start on Monday, April 27th.
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