Clean Eating 101

Many people have been asking me, "What does clean eating mean to me." So here it is.

Clean eating to ME is 90% lean meats, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and 10% indulgences. I do not drink alcohol and I do not eat fast food, ever. I do sometimes have ice cream, Starbucks, chocolate and go out for Chinese, Mexican or Italian with friends, family or co-workers but this is not a weekly occurrence. I usually try to go for different flavors in my protein drinks, protein bars that are chocolate, vanilla and other crazy kinds they have out there to stimulate my taste buds. I have slowly over time tried new vegetables. I learned how to bake my chicken, fish, turkey and beef in different ways so I do not get bored. NOTE: Have fun with SPICES! Most of them have little salt but lots of flavor so you do not get bored. Mrs. Dash is my go to lady because there are currently 8 different kinds that work well on all sorts of lean meats.

One of the biggest things I can tell you is watch your processed foods. Things with preservatives, things that come out of a box, things that come out of plastic packaging and have names on the nutrition label you cannot pronounce. Those are not normal and are not going to be easy for your body to digest.

I eat 5-6 meals a day. When I do cardio twice a day I eat 7 meals because I have a protein shake after every workout. To keep your metabolism moving you need to eat at least 5 meals a day. This does not mean you eat "more" than you would by eating 3 meals a day, you just spread out the three major macros - carbs, fats and protein throughout those 5/6 meals. I posted a previous blog that has my staple grocery list and you can find that here:  Staple Grocery List

Do you need to copy exactly what I eat? Absolutely not. I want this to be a starting point for you. Everyone is different and so the foods they like, how they prepare and what they consume will be different but in the end we are all still eating healthy foods. I don't like to give out exactly what I eat and at what times because it is what works for my body. I know researching can be exhausting and there is a lot of bad information out on the Internet BUT I want to be honest when I tell you knowledge is key! It helps to better understand why you are doing this and keeps you interested in it.

Choosing to eat better is a choice. In order to be different you must be willing to make a change. You can stay how you are or give it a chance and it might  just surprise you. I do not feel I gave up anything by choosing to eat healthy and cut out the processed, junk and fast food. I spend a whole lot less money at the grocery store (Despite what people lead you to believe), I can get many of my items straight out of the ground and from local farms AND my skin, hair, nails have never been so healthy. When you fuel your body with the correct things you sleep better, have more energy for family/friends and hobbies.

Again, do your research and give it a shot. It is worth it. Maybe you do 80/20 or even 70/30. Just hit up the gym a few times a week, cut out eating some of the fast food which most of the time is not what they lead you to believe it is anyway and make yourself a priority.

Have a great week everyone. Remember to pay it forward.