Writer / Nichol Altman
Clean eating is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. You want to eat foods in their most natural state while avoiding processed, packaged products. Many people are jumping aboard this lifestyle not only because they want to lose weight, but because they want to feel good from the inside out. In choosing a diet made up of whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean proteins, you are giving your body the food it wants and needs to function properly. Clean eating is a great way to ensure your body is getting the most nutrient-dense food to perform optimally, have more energy and improve its overall health.
Making the transition from your current state of eating into clean eating does not have to be difficult. I always tell people who come to me seeking advice on how to get started to “keep it simple.” If you overwhelm yourself from the start, chances are you aren’t going to stick with it. If you start slow and keep it simple, you ease into this new lifestyle and create habits that work for you. The key to any successful dietary change is to make it fit your lifestyle. Oftentimes, people try to re-create what someone else is doing and then end up failing because it was too difficult to maintain and doesn’t fit them. We are all different and therefore we need to create changes that align with what works for us.
Here are some helpful tips for transitioning to a clean eating lifestyle:
• Clean foods contain a short ingredients list. (Clean foods generally contain 5 or fewer ingredients.)
• Choose whole grains over products that are enriched. (Swap out white bread for whole wheat bread, white rice for brown rice, etc.)
• Choose real fruits over fruit juices. (Real fruits contain fiber to keep you fuller longer and more nutrient-rich vitamins and minerals that are sometimes lost in the juicing process.)
• Read, read, read LABELS. (This will help you see what you are putting into your body and will make you more conscientious when looking for items to purchase. Remember: short ingredient lists.)
• Afraid to try this on your own? Use the Buddy System. Enlist the help of your significant other, sibling, friend, etc. Try doing this together and push each other to begin and maintain a clean, healthy lifestyle.
• Drink your water. Water is hydrating, it flushes out toxins and it helps our body perform as it should. (Aim for at least half of your body weight in ounces per day. Drink more if you are physically active. )
Just remember to keep it simple. When starting out on this new journey you don’t need to do a mass overhaul in one day. It’s okay to take your time when you start the switch to clean eating. Take one day, week or month at a time. Focus on one new thing you want to change and stick with it until you feel you’ve created a habit of it. Slowly you will begin to transition into a cleaner, healthier lifestyle that not only looks good on the outside but feels great on the inside. Once you start making these smarter choices, I can guarantee you won’t want to go back to your old habits of eating processed, packaged foods anymore.
