10 Ways to Eat Clean

Eating “clean” is a term that has made it’s way into the mainstream, but what does it really mean?

Eating clean, simply put, means eating food in it’s natural state. Take an apple for example. There is a lot you can do with an apple. You can make apple juice, apple pie, apple flavored processed snack bars and so much more, but at what point does the nutrients from the apple get lost in the processing stage?

Eating clean refers to eating an apple whole that is locally grown or organic. When you make an apple pie you add sugar and many more ingredients that take away from the value of the apple. Even apple juice (unless juiced from a machine) gets heated and requires chemicals to allow it to stay good on a shelf in your grocery store.

Here are 10 Simple Ways You Can Eat Clean Every Day:

1. Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables you enjoy the flavor of. Forcing yourself to eat vegetables and fruits you dislike will only lead to them rotting in your refrigerator. Choose your top 5 fruits and top 5 vegetables and make them a staple in your house.
2. Wash and cut up your vegetables as soon as you get home from grocery shopping. It is much easier to open the fridge and make a healthy choice if your celery is already cut up and soaking in ice cold water leaving it crispy and fresh when you have a snacking craving.
3. Visit your local fishing pier. Stock up on salmon, halibut, shrimp and any other fish you love. Seafood is abundant in healthy oils that make your skin look good and slow down the aging process. Seafood is also easy to prepare and is high in proteins, making you feel full longer.
4. Cut Down on Sugar. If you are trying to eat clean, sugar is a major culprit as it is a leading cause of so many diseases. Instead of going cold turkey and suffering brutal cravings and head aches. Start with using honey to sweeten your coffee, teas and anything else you put sugar. The next step is to reduce the amount you use and over time, you may even eliminate your cravings for sugar all together. Be easy on yourself with this step because society is highly addicted to sugar so it is not something you can eliminate over night.
5. Cut Down on Salt. On average people are eating over 3,400 mg of salt each day causing water retention, headaches, dehydration and many more problems. Salt is used to make your food taste good and stay on the shelf longer. An easy way to cut down on salt is to eat out less often. Not only will you cut down on salt but you will cut down on calories as well.
6. Avoid Processed Meats. It seems that most of us were raised on cold cuts for sandwiches and meals but processed food are full of preservatives and are like the apple pie to an apple. They may have protein but they are chuck full of msg and other horrible ingredients that cause weight gain, bad skin and speed up the aging process. Try cooking a full turkey or chicken and using that meat to make your meals out of instead of deli meats. Not only will your sandwich taste better but you will feel better.
7. Have a Salad Once a Day. When people hear the word “salad” they think of a boring lettuce salad with salad dressing. A salad can be anything you want it to be that is chuck full of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy oils. Get creative with your salads.
8. Cut Down on Refined Grains. I know, this one is the hardest for most people because it is what we were raised on; breads, pastas and cereals. For most, this step will take some hard work but it can be easy if you change your thought process towards grains. Refined Grains cause your body to secrete mass amounts of insulin which means your body will not burn fat, even during exercise, if you have it floating around. It also causes your blood sugar to fall and make you feel hungry even if you just ate. The white breads, pastas and sugary cereals are causing havoc on our society. Begin with eliminating the breakfast grains and try having a fruit smoothie with a scoop of vanilla whey protein instead. Not only will you feel better but you won’t crash mid morning.
9. Replace Soda for Lemon Water. Lemon water causes your body to become more basic, released water retention and is a natural detox for your body. Carrying a water bottle with you also encourages you to drink more water throughout the day.
10. Memorize this saying, “If your food grew from the ground, swam in the ocean, or had a mother and is in it’s natural state, meaning it is not processed, you are safe to eat it.” If 80% of your eating was like this you will decrease your chances of disease, slow down the aging in your skin, and simply put, you would feel much better.

Eating clean is a choice. You do not need to go crazy and never indulge again. You can begin by making small choices that will affect your outcome in the long haul. Remember, living well is one decision at a time.