I am sure you are asking yourself what clean eating is all about.  Well, it really isn’t anything new and it has been around for a very long time.  Clean eating is simply eating food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible.  It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time. (Information came from The Eat-Clean Diet, by Tosca Reno)

So here are some of the “rules”, if you will, on clean eating.

1.  Eat five to six times a day – three meals and two small snacks.  Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal.  This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.

2.  Drink at least two liters of water a day- This is the hardest rule for me, I’m a soda girl, so this one is always a challenge.  I challenge myself by filling up a large bottle in the beginning of the day, and I tell myself it has to be gone by the time I go to bed at night, I usually get all my water in.

3.  Get label savvy – Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients.  Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.

4.  Avoid processed and refined foods- such as white flour, sugar, bread and pasta.  Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.  Don’t think you have to go to a health food store or specialty market for these.  Today, we can pick up lots of whole grains at our local grocery stores.

5.  Know thy enemies – Steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.  Avoid ingredients that have high fructose sugars in them.

6.  Portion size is critical – learn what is a portion size and work toward eating within them.  If you are wanting to lose weight, this is the most critical rule of all (in my opinion).  To help you visualize what a portion is, click HERE for some helpful hints.

  Need to know about how many calories you need per day?  Go to THIS site to calculate.

  Want to journal and keep track of what goes down your gullet?  Check out www.fitday.com it is a free, on line journal that helps you count your calories and keep track of your fitness goals.  Did I mention it was free?!!

7.  Decrease or avoid alcohol-  Obviously water is best and a glass of wine for a special occasion is OK but it should be a rare indulgence.  The health benefits of wine are reversed after more than one glass a day.  This one is going to be a hard one for me, but we can do it!

8.  Slow down and savor – Try not to rush through a meal.  Food tastes so much better when savored.  Try to enjoy every bite.

9.  Take it to go – Pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.  This is especially important when you are just getting started.  You will become more savvy as time goes by and clean eating will become easier when you go out to eat.  Don’t be afraid to ask your waiter if things can be changed a bit and be sure to ask questions on how the food is prepared.

10.  Make it a family affair – Food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones.  Improve the quality of your family’s life along with your own.

11.  Try to exercise at least three times a week.  The statistics of losing weight is that you lose 80% of your weight through diet alone.  That’s huge, and shows you just how important eating nutritious and whole foods can be.  It is true that you can lose weight by eating 1,200 calories of whatever you want.  So let’s say I want to eat cookies all day long until I hit my calorie limit.  Yes, I’ll lose weight, but I won’t feel very good, my skin might start looking a little ruddy and my blood sugar level won’t be very stable, but if I choose nutrient dense foods, I get to eat a whole heck of a lot more food, and I’m going to feel great.  Now although you won’t lose weight through exercise alone, it is extremely beneficial to your metabolism and a whole host of other reasons to exercise at least 3x per week. HERE is a great list of reasons to exercise.

11.  For extra support you can go to  www.cleaneatingmag.com for more information while revamping your new life style.  I love their magazine and I have also purchased The Eat-Clean Diet book by Tosca Reno, which gives you lots of information about eating clean.

Tomorrow I’ll post a list of clean foods.

Here’s to your health!