The Clean Eating diet isn't necessarily a weight loss diet. It's more a style of eating -- like the difference between a low-carb diet and being a vegetarian. It's not about deprivation or numbers, but about eating foods in their natural state and cutting out processed foods. Many people lose weight when they begin eating clean, not because they're eating less, but because what they are eating is benefiting them more than the junk food.
The Basics
The reason it's so easy to eat clean is because food naturally comes that way. There are no special foods to eat or recipes to follow, and no food group is banned. You eat five or six times per day to avoid hunger and keep your metabolism stoked, so you don't feel deprived. The focus is on whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein to make sure you don't miss out on key nutrients. The basic premise is that if you read an ingredient list and don't know what the words mean, steer clear of that food. The food you choose to put in your body should be as close to the way nature made it as possible. Lean slices from a roast are better than the processed cold cuts from the deli.
Substitutions
One of the main tenets of clean eating is to transition slowly from your old eating habits so you learn to make smarter food choices along the way while still enjoying the food you eat. For example, if a smoothie is a morning staple for you, try eating the whole fruits instead for more fiber and vitamins. If you love your peach-flavored yogurt, switch to plain Greek yogurt and top it with fresh peach slices to get less sugar and more probiotics. When you crave pumpkin pie, eat a baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon to get the flavor, but with more antioxidants and less fat and calories. Eat a fresh fillet instead of fish sticks to get your omega-3s without the unhealthy fat, and carrots with hummus instead of chips and dip to turn an empty snack into a shot of protein and vitamins. Use butter instead of margarine to avoid trans fats, and olive oil and vinegar instead of salad dressing to avoid sodium and artificial flavors. Stop frying and learn to bake, broil, saute, steam and grill instead to preserve the freshness and flavor of your food.
How to Shop
The layout of grocery stores can be deceiving -- sales and product placement are often designed to promote the buying of processed foods. To avoid falling prey, bring a list and shop the perimeter of the store. This is where you'll find fresh produce, whole-grain bread, meat and dairy. Don't wander down aisles that don't contain items on your list.
Sample Day
A typical day of eating clean begins with a bowl of oatmeal topped with a cup of berries and a sprinkle of walnuts and some low-fat milk. A couple of hours later you might have a piece of fruit or some cottage cheese, then a chicken sandwich with avocado, tomato and Swiss cheese for lunch. Your afternoon snack might be a hard boiled egg or a pita sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese, and dinner could be salmon with wild rice and a salad. If it's still early, treat yourself to a bit of Greek yogurt with strawberries and a drizzle of honey, but only if it's early. Eating less than three hours before bed is a clean eating no-no -- it forces the food to begin the digestion process as you sleep, increasing the chance that it will be stored as fat because your body isn't demanding energy.
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