Clean eating as a healthy lifestyle

July 15, 8:04 AMSt. Louis Weight Loss ExaminerKimberly Wesley

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the St. Louis Weight Loss Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Anyone looking for an “un-diet” or a “healthy lifestyle” instead of the typical fad diets that do not teach you how to eat for the rest of your life, look into the “clean eating” way of life. Clean eating is not a new concept. It has been around for many, many years. It has become popular in the recent years with Tosca Reno’s book, “The Eat-Clean Diet.”

Clean eating does not teach individuals to be on a “diet.” Instead, it teaches them a new lifestyle. This is not a diet to follow for a few months, avoiding certain foods, this is a plan for your lifestyle. Those enjoying clean eating mostly shop the perimeter of the store where they can find fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean protein. There is no limiting or counting of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Tosca breaks it down like this, “If 80% of your body comes from nutrition and your eat 365 days a year, then you might as well know how to do it right.” That leaves 10% to your physical training and 10% is heredity. Genetics plays a role in physical appearance such as the shape of your nose, the width of your shoulders, the fullness of your lips, and the roundness of your bottom. With the proper training, a person can lift and shape there backside but it will never be shaped like J-Lo if your family is not known to have curves like that.

Here are the basic principals of clean eating:

1. Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbs at every meal.
4. Drink at least 8 cups of water a day.
5. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.
6. Carry a cooler loaded with clean-eating food to get through the day.
7. Avoid all over processed, refined food, especially white flour and sugar.
8. Avoid all saturated and trans fat.
9. Avoid sugar-loaded colas and juices.
10. Consume adequate healthy fats each day.
11. Avoid alcohol-another form of sugar.
12. Avoid all calorie-dense foods containing no nutritional value.
13. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes.
14. Stick to proper portion sizes-give up super sizing!

Learning these simple principals and sticking to them religiously will help with whatever weight loss you need.   Tosca Reno also has The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids, The Eat-Clean Diet Workout Journal, and the Eat-Clean Diet for Men.

Here are some easy tips to incorporate on your new clean eating lifestyle:

• Experiment with spices so that your foods are flavorful and not bland.
• Batch cook food over the weekend and package in portioned-out containers for later use in the week.
• Keep the refrigerator full of fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors.
• Create a menu for the entire week using several recipes, and then make a grocery list.
• Remember to shop mainly around the perimeter of the store for whole, unprocessed foods.
• Read the nutrition labels to avoid saturated fats and cholesterol, high fructose corn syrup, palm and palm kernel oil, shortening, butter, egg and egg yolk solids, milk chocolate, cocoa butter, lard, suet, whole-milk solids, glycerol esters, and mono- or diglycerides.