Review of the rules-
1. Eat five to six times a day (every three hours- and within an hour of waking)
2. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Start your day with a cup of hot water and half a fresh lemon.
3. Read your labels- don't eat things with long ingredient list. Shoot for under 5 ingredients.
4. Avoid processed and refined foods- no white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Aim for complex carbs such as whole grains instead.
5. Watch out for high fat foods- steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats. Eat nothing fried or high in sugar.
6. Lean meats- aim to shop for humanely raised and local meats. Local farms do not treat nor feed their animals like big box companies. Keep your local farmers in business.
7. Try to eat produce that is in season and local. Again, stick with your farmers. Produce will have less pesticides and more nutrition!
8. Watch your portion sizes!! Even healthy food has a portion size. Enjoy your veggies unlimited but watch portion sizes on other food. Strawberries have a half cup portion size. Yes they are healthy but they also have natural sugar. If you are just starting out, measure, measure, measure! Get those measuring spoons and cups and USE them friends. We think we can eyeball how much a half cup is but you would be surprised.
9. Slow down and enjoy your food. Gulping food down is not good for your digestive track. Be good to your belly and enjoy chewing your food. Relax.
10. Exercise- it helps to shoot that metabolism up where you need it and releases those feel good endorphins!
10. Exercise- it helps to shoot that metabolism up where you need it and releases those feel good endorphins!
11. Be prepared and plan your meals.
12. Be prepared.
13. Be prepared. Got it?
14. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
15. Eat healthy fats every day .
16. Make your last meal three hours before bed.
I can't believe I am about to say this and I own a fitness center....but I have to tell you the truth!!! What you put in your mouth IS more important than what you do in the gym. Did I just really say that?! Eeeeek!!!! Seriously though friends, it's true. Let's face it, we are in the gym 1 hour and stuffing our face for 23 hours. Ok, not really but close! What you put in your mouth will help strip your body of unwanted fat!! Here is the ratio- your body composition is made up of 80% nutrition/ 10% training/ 10% genetics. Exercise does play a role but look how you can shape your body by what you eat! You can exercise all day long but if you are eating garbage you will feel like garbage. Now before I get off my soap box let me tell you how important working out is. VERY!!! Please do not think that working out is not important because the clean eating and exercise go hand in hand. It is so true that you are what you eat. If you eat junk food you will feel like junk. Nuff said.
If you are ready to put some meals together remember- the cardinal rule for Eating Clean is: the fewer ingredients on the label, the better. Here is a prime example, homework time- when you are at the grocery store- go check out the cottage cheese. Look at the ingredients on the Daisy cottage cheese. Now look at the other "store brand" of cottage cheese. Report back to me what you find!
You will want to have protein with every meal or snack. Protein is the lean bodybuilding food.
Examples of protein sources-
Egg whites, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, lean turkey, chicken and pork, beans and legumes, lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus (also a healthy fat), quinoa (also complex carb), nut butters, protein powders, tofu and tempeh.
Carbs come in two forms- simple and complex. Simple carbs such as white flour and sugar as also known as sugars. They break down easily and tend to send blood sugar levels out of control. Avoid simple carbs except fruit- fruit contains fiber, which slows down digestion. Fruits also contain vital nutrients and minerals important to the body.
Complex carbs are high in fiber and improve digestion. They keep you satisfied between meals and stabilize blood sugar levels. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are all complex carbs. To break this down even more there are two types of complex carbs- starchy and high water.
Starchy complex carbs include-
Sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes, beans and legumes (also proteins), oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa, bananas, carrots, parsnips and bulgar wheat.
High water complex carbs include-
apples, plums, berries, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, asparagus, beets, leeks, dark leafy greens, brussels sprouts, green beans, onions, sprouts, celery, watermelon, cherries, zucchini, fennel, oranges, limes, lemons and garlic.
Fat is not always bad. Healthy fats are so important to our bodies, particularly the brain. We need fatty acids known as omega-3 and omega-6. These healthy fats keep cells in a fat burning state.
Healthy fats include-
Flaxseeds, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds), nut butters, hummus, avocado, healthy oils (flaxseed, sesame, coconut, olive, hazelnut, walnut and fish)
Now those are just examples and not exhausted lists.
You should eat protein at every meal/snack. Serving size 4-6 oz. meat (palm size portion), 1 cup of dairy products (greek yogurt or cottage cheese)
Aim for two-four servings of starchy complex carbs a day- portion size- half cup oatmeal or rice, 4-6 oz sweet potato.
five to six servings of high water complex carbs- portion size 2 cups for veggies, one piece of fruit half cup sliced fruit.
Two- three servings of healthy fats portion size- 1-2 Tbsp nut butters, 1-2 Tbsp of oils.
Whew, are you overwhelmed? Don't be! I promise it will get easier as you go along.
I'm here to help. Questions? I'm only an email away. janetnevills@gmail.com
Joy and Peace,
j
14. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
15. Eat healthy fats every day .
16. Make your last meal three hours before bed.
I can't believe I am about to say this and I own a fitness center....but I have to tell you the truth!!! What you put in your mouth IS more important than what you do in the gym. Did I just really say that?! Eeeeek!!!! Seriously though friends, it's true. Let's face it, we are in the gym 1 hour and stuffing our face for 23 hours. Ok, not really but close! What you put in your mouth will help strip your body of unwanted fat!! Here is the ratio- your body composition is made up of 80% nutrition/ 10% training/ 10% genetics. Exercise does play a role but look how you can shape your body by what you eat! You can exercise all day long but if you are eating garbage you will feel like garbage. Now before I get off my soap box let me tell you how important working out is. VERY!!! Please do not think that working out is not important because the clean eating and exercise go hand in hand. It is so true that you are what you eat. If you eat junk food you will feel like junk. Nuff said.
If you are ready to put some meals together remember- the cardinal rule for Eating Clean is: the fewer ingredients on the label, the better. Here is a prime example, homework time- when you are at the grocery store- go check out the cottage cheese. Look at the ingredients on the Daisy cottage cheese. Now look at the other "store brand" of cottage cheese. Report back to me what you find!
You will want to have protein with every meal or snack. Protein is the lean bodybuilding food.
Examples of protein sources-
Egg whites, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, lean turkey, chicken and pork, beans and legumes, lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus (also a healthy fat), quinoa (also complex carb), nut butters, protein powders, tofu and tempeh.
Carbs come in two forms- simple and complex. Simple carbs such as white flour and sugar as also known as sugars. They break down easily and tend to send blood sugar levels out of control. Avoid simple carbs except fruit- fruit contains fiber, which slows down digestion. Fruits also contain vital nutrients and minerals important to the body.
Complex carbs are high in fiber and improve digestion. They keep you satisfied between meals and stabilize blood sugar levels. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are all complex carbs. To break this down even more there are two types of complex carbs- starchy and high water.
Starchy complex carbs include-
Sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes, beans and legumes (also proteins), oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa, bananas, carrots, parsnips and bulgar wheat.
High water complex carbs include-
apples, plums, berries, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, asparagus, beets, leeks, dark leafy greens, brussels sprouts, green beans, onions, sprouts, celery, watermelon, cherries, zucchini, fennel, oranges, limes, lemons and garlic.
Fat is not always bad. Healthy fats are so important to our bodies, particularly the brain. We need fatty acids known as omega-3 and omega-6. These healthy fats keep cells in a fat burning state.
Healthy fats include-
Flaxseeds, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds), nut butters, hummus, avocado, healthy oils (flaxseed, sesame, coconut, olive, hazelnut, walnut and fish)
Now those are just examples and not exhausted lists.
You should eat protein at every meal/snack. Serving size 4-6 oz. meat (palm size portion), 1 cup of dairy products (greek yogurt or cottage cheese)
Aim for two-four servings of starchy complex carbs a day- portion size- half cup oatmeal or rice, 4-6 oz sweet potato.
five to six servings of high water complex carbs- portion size 2 cups for veggies, one piece of fruit half cup sliced fruit.
Two- three servings of healthy fats portion size- 1-2 Tbsp nut butters, 1-2 Tbsp of oils.
Whew, are you overwhelmed? Don't be! I promise it will get easier as you go along.
I'm here to help. Questions? I'm only an email away. janetnevills@gmail.com
Joy and Peace,
j
Soooo... me eating Peanut Butter M&M's while reading this doesn't count as me Clean Eating, right? Ugh... they're so darn tasty!
ReplyDeleteI've seen recipes for "Clean" desserts. How do they factor in?
ReplyDeleteKB-Clean desserts can be just what the sweet tooth ordered without blowing it. I have to say it depends on the desert. For instance, I made those yummy protein cinnamon bread. It is for sure a tasty dessert in my eyes but it is the perfect combination of protein and carbs. So it fits the perfect snack. Most clean recipes whether they are a desert or meal will have both protein and carbs to make the perfect combination. You could enjoy the dessert after a meal or as a snack and remember portion size!!
ReplyDeleteAngela-ummmm if those M&M's were dark chocolate and natural peanut butter, I would say yes but....I'm pretty sure the label speaks a different story, ha!!!
ReplyDelete