When working towards a fitness goal, changing what you eat is very important in order to reach that goal. It is also important to know that how and what to change makes a difference. You can’t just say you’re going on a diet, eat a few “healthy” things, and then go back to your old way of eating after your “diet” is over.
Is this your idea of a healthier diet: shake for breakfast, salad for lunch, and a well-balanced full dinner? Well, unfortunately, this is not going to work for the long haul; it may not even work for the short haul. Changing your diet is the hardest thing to face when changing to a healthy lifestyle and improving one’s health. Most people are used to eating highly processed foods and large portions. Breaking away from this can be difficult, but not impossible.
Before I go on to how to make the changes so they will be sustainable for you, I want to explain to you what “eating clean” means.
Eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods like vegetables, fruits, lean protein and complex carbs. It also means staying away from junk food that normally makes up the S.A.D! (Standard American Diet).
Foods that fall into the S.A.D.:
- Man-made sugar
- Bad fats (hydrogenated trans fat)
- Preservatives
- White grains
- Any other ingredients that are unnecessary
Just remember, if it is “man-made” it is not clean.
Here are the practices a person who eats clean generally follows:
- Eliminates refined sugar
- Cooks healthy meals
- Packs healthy meals
- Makes healthy choices when dining out
- Drinks a lot of water
- Eats 5-6 small meals per day
- Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits them)
- Always eats breakfast
Eating clean can be a major transition for a majority of people due to addictions to sugar, white bread and fast food. It takes discipline to make eating clean a habit, but it is possible and has so many long-term health benefits.
So this is what “clean eating” is, and it is a great way to make sure you are healthy. However, I don’t suggest you wake up tomorrow and change everything 100%! This needs to be something that is sustainable, remember. I would suggest starting with one thing at a time and slowly making the transition. I myself do follow the eating clean practices 80% of the time. If you plan ahead, you will succeed! Are you wondering why I said I only follow it 80% of the time? LIFE! I am not perfect; I eat out, I eat cookies, I have a Margarita once in a while, and I eat over at family’s and friends’ houses. We can only control so much, but what we can control we must especially do when we are trying to lose weight.
Why does eating clean work?
Think about it! If you are eating veggies, fruits, lean protein, and complex carbs, how can you not lose weight? If you have even looked at my meal plan you have seen that what I recommend is 90% clean. If you were one of the ones who actually followed it, you have seen results. Processed foods contain chemicals, preservatives, toxins, artificial sweeteners, food coloring, and even pesticide residues. The more processed foods you consume, the higher the level of the irritants. Our bodies then become overloaded and can’t remove the toxins through the natural process. They start to build up in our system and cause our metabolism to slow down. Do you really want that to happen? I know I don’t!
So if you really want to lose weight and change your lifestyle, start small. Do you eat within 1 hour of waking? Do you eat every 2-3 hours (5-6 small meals a day)? Drink lots of water? Look back at the practices, see which ones you already follow and then pick the next one to incorporate into your life.
As always, please contact me if you have any question or concerns; I am always here to help.
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