Eating Clean

Over the past few months I've adopted a clean eating lifestyle.  It seems like it's everywhere these days, you can't get away from the diets, fads, websites, and statistics bombarding us with information and how-to's constantly.  It can be overwhelming and more than a little daunting - eating only clean food?  What does that even mean? 

Eating clean means eating only unprocessed foods, saying no to things like sugar, white carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, etc), juices, alcohol, and high fructose corn syrup.  It's no surprise that our bodies don't quite know what to do with all the extra chemicals we put into it on a daily basis; we weren't meant to process and digest most of what we consume.  It's not food. 
While eating clean means saying no to a lot of things we love (let's be honest, I love french fries, milk shakes, and oreos), a lot of food that's easy to make, and the cheapest options, it also means saying yes to healthy and yummy alternatives.

Say "yes" to more veggies, fruit, and whole grains.  There are a number of healthy whole grain options to choose from; quinoah, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, bulgur, and many, may more.  For a complete list of whole grains, as well as great tips for cooking and choosing the healthiest options, check out the Whole Grains Council. 

Say "yes" to lean proteins such as chicken, fish, and lean cuts of turkey.  You can also substitute beans or cottage cheese for a meat free source of protein, though always consult a doctor to be sure you're getting enough of what you need when you choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. 

That being said, one of the hardest things for me to give up was canned beans.  I love beans, I'd eat them 5 times a week if it were a bit more convenient.   Check out the label before you buy a can of beans, or anything in a can for that matter, you'd be surprised how many different additives there are.  Now, I choose uncooked beans and soak them overnight before I cook with them, ensuring as little chemical additives as possible.

For more great clean eating tips and recipes check out the Clean Eating Magazine, they even have their own Pinterest!