Eat Clean to Be Lean!

Eat Clean to Be Lean

There are more and more fad diets being thrown at us these days than ever before- the target being people who want to look great, feel great and learn how to accomplish this in the easiest possible way, and in the shortest amount of time possible!

 I myself have fallen prey to some of these diet theories, and have tried them out-only to become frustrated-  and have almost driven myself crazy trying to follow some of the strict ‘rules’ that apply to some of these diets! Low carbohydrate, no carbohydrate, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian and all variations and combinations of these, with the goal of trying to eat in the healthiest way possible. After years of trying various diet approaches, if I was to put a label on it, I now would call myself a Clean Eating “flexitarian ” here is  a write up on this in case you are wondering what a flexitarian is:  http://www.vegetariannook.com/what-is-a-flexitarian.html

 I try to stick to a whole food diet consisting of organic whole grains (brown rice, quinoa,  steel cut oats) and organic fruits and veggies.

As for my protein sources,  I eat raw nuts, seeds, whey protein (made from  New Zealand whey from grass fed cows who are not injected with hormones or antibiotics!), local, free range chicken , wild salmon on occasion, and organic free-run eggs.

I believe the answer is to adopt a lifestyle change, that includes a Clean Eating/Whole food diet (I will explain more on this in a minute) along with strength training and cardiovascular exercise ,flexibility training (yoga, Pilates)… and anything you enjoy  that gets your body moving every day, is the way to go!

I would also like to add to this, the importance of cleansing and detoxifying regularly to remove harmful toxins in the body are also essential. More on this in an upcoming article….to view more information on this topic please visit my website: www.gethealthyvibe.com

Adapted from Tosca Reno’s “The Eat Clean Diet Book” here are the main principles to follow for Clean Eating:

·         Eat 5-6 small meals every day (combining lean protein and carbs at every meal)

·         Eat every 2-3 hours

·         Drink 8+ glasses of purified water every day

·         Never miss a meal-especially breakfast!

·         Carry a cooler full of Clean Eating foods to get you through the day

·         AVOID all over-processed, refined foods. Especially white flour and sugar.

·         AVOID all saturated and trans fats.

·         AVOID sugar loaded juices and drinks!

·         Consume adequate healthy fats every day (flax oil or flax seeds, fish oil, Udo’s brand oil is a good plant based oil blend, raw nuts and seeds)

·         Avoid alcohol-another form of sugar!

·         Avoid calorie dense foods with no nutritional value (allow for the occasional treat to maintain sanity)

·         Depend on fresh (organic if possible) fruits and vegetables for fibre, vitamins and enzymes.

·         Stick to reasonable portion sizes-and load your plate with vegetables, and try to keep your meat serving about the size of the palm of your hand.

So…that’s it in a nutshell! If this seems way too overwhelming to you-don’t stress! Take this list as a guide, and choose 1 or 2 things to incorporate into your life at a time. Once you begin to reap the benefits of your new healthier lifestyle, you will become motivated to do more! I highly recommend Tosa Renos Clean Eating books when you are ready to dive in to this new lifestyle. Her books are full of tips and recipes that will help keep you on track! Good luck!