What is Clean Eating?

The basis of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It focuses on being aware of and informed about what you are putting into your body. In reality, it’s about going back to the basics of eating the foods that we were meant to and how we were meant to eat them. It is eating more whole foods (“real”) foods that are unprocessed or as minimally processed as possible. It is not a fad or a diet, it’s a lifestyle of healthy eating habits leading to an improved way of life. Clean eating is more than just about getting lean. It’s about making choices that promote long-term health and a higher quality of life.

Clean eating at it’s core is a fairly simple concept and isn’t necessarily founded on the idea of eating more or less of specific things (less calories, less fats, more proteins). There are no point systems and you don’t have to count calories or give up whole food groups. You just eat more of the best and healthiest options in each of the food groups and eat less of the less healthy options. 

That means embracing foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It also means cutting back on processed foods, refined grains, added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats.

When you replace the processed, genetically modified, fried, refined, and unhealthy foods from your diet with whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean protein, your body will reap enormous benefits.

Unfortunately modern day food production has become so bloated with chemicals and unnatural ingredients that finding whole foods can be a challenging proposition. Most food manufacturers are more concerned about profits than the well-being of their customers. They put additives into foods that give them a longer shelf life, a more marketable (tasty and addictive) appeal, and more profits. The United States is allowing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be sold to consumers without requiring food manufactures to notify you that you are eating something that was created in a lab. 

1. Eat Whole Foods

2. Read the Ingredients

3. Consume Healthy Fats

4. Avoid Processed and Refined Foods

5. Drink More Water

6. Choose Organic Whenever Possible