Eating clean is a way to fuel your body that is often followed by body builders and fitness competitors. You do not have to be a fitness fanatic, however, to benefit from its principles. Eating clean simply means eschewing processed foods, particularly those with refined flours, excess sodium and added sugars. While eating clean is a lifestyle, author Tosca Reno created the Eat Clean Diet, a series of books promoting the principles of clean eating to help you reach a healthy body weight and maximize health. An eat-clean guide offers specific principles and strategies to adopt an eat-clean lifestyle.
Strategies
An eat-clean regimen involves a minimum of three meals per day and two snacks. Each meal should contain a lean source of protein, fresh produce and a high-quality carbohydrate. Understanding portion sizes is an important part of clean eating. Eating too much, even of healthy foods, can cause weight gain. Get in the habit of reading food labels. Eating clean also requires you to slow down and enjoy your meals, so you feel satisfied by them. To eat clean, you must also grow accustomed to carrying snacks with you. Pack a cooler when you know you will be away from home for long periods of time so you always have access to clean options.
Foods to Include
All fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains count as high-quality carbohydrates. Other foods to emphasize when eating clean are lean meats, beans and legumes, nuts and nut butter, non- or low-fat dairy and unsaturated fats. Whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, 100 percent wheat breads and English muffins, millet and barley. Lean meats, such as chicken or turkey breast, white fish, salmon, shrimp, pork tenderloin, extra lean beef and crab, provide protein with minimal saturated fat. Alternative protein sources, such as tofu, whey protein powder and soy products are also part of clean eating. An eat-clean plan is not fat-free. Heart-healthy fats found in most plant oils, avocados, nuts and seeds support hormone production, vitamin absorption and make you feel satisfied.
Foods to Avoid
Anything high in saturated or trans fats should be avoided, including fatty cuts of meat, snack mixes and fried foods. Foods with added refined sugars, such as sweetened yogurts, sugary cereals and processed baked goods, are also off-limits when eating clean. Fast food, sodas, candy, white bread, processed cheese and meats, syrups, frozen meals, canned foods and chips should be avoided. If a food has an ingredient list with additives you can barely pronounce or identify, it does not belong on a clean-eating regimen.
Considerations
An eat-clean plan may include the occasional glass of wine, but alcohol is generally avoided. Water is the drink of choice; "Clean Eating," a magazine devoted to the dietary lifestyle, recommends 2 liters per day as a minimum. Add flavorings to water, such as lemon or lime wedges or cucumbers and mint leaves, to make it interesting.
References
- Eat Clean Diet: What is Clean Eating?
- "Clean Eating" magazine; How to Eat and Live Clean; January/February 2010
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