Clean eating

What is clean eating??

The importance of clean eating is consuming food in its more natural state, or as close as possible.  It's not a DIET; it's a lifestyle approach.

Eat 5 to 6 times a day!!!- 3 meals and 2 to 3 smalls snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables,  and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.

Chose organic whenever possible. 
If your budget limits you, make meat, eggs, dairy and the Dirty Dozen (ewg.org/foodnews) your organic priorities.

Drink at least 2 liters of water a day -

Limit your alcohol to one glass of antioxidant rich red wine a day.

Get label savvy (important) read labels!!!!
Clean foods contain short ingredient lists. Any product with long ingredient list not considered clean.

Eat less processed foods

You can greatly improve your diet and clean it up in a snap by cutting back on processed and package foods which can be full of sodium, added sugars and sometimes ingredients we can’t pronounce. Try cooking up a stir-fry at home instead of getting takeout, or making homemade pizza instead of frozen. You can find great pizza dough at Wildtree. 

Eat less sodium:

Americans typically eat 1.5 times the recommended sodium limit of 2,300 mg. According to new research, the average restaurant meal at a full-service restaurant delivered more than 3,500 mg of sodium (yikes!). That’s why cooking healthier meals is key to limiting your salt intake. You can boost flavor without reaching for the salt shaker (or at least use less salt) by using herbs and spices and adding vinegar or citrus to foods. Try a squeeze of lemon on fish or chicken, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil over salad, or dried herbs like oregano and rosemary in soups. My favorite seasons and oils are from Wildtree and Flavor God both are very low in sodium or sodium free, gluten free, organic and free of preservatives and additives. If you are latino like me!!! PLEASE take out sazon goya from your pantry. I know it tastes good but it is too high in sodium and full of preservatives and chemicals. 

Eat grassfed meat and chicken:

Clean eating doesn’t mean giving up meat entirely, but cutting back on meat helps you cut back on saturated fat, which can raise your cholesterol and is bad for your heart. Try to eat grassfed most of the time. 

You can try these recipes: Quinoa Veggie Burger or Quinoa home made. 

Eat more vegetables:

Most Americans fall short of reaching the average recommended daily amount of 2½ to 3 cups of vegetables—which means they’re missing out on key vitamins, and fiber. Get more vegetables in your diet by adding them to sandwiches, pastas or stir-fries. Try starting your day with vegetables at breakfast (like in this Greek omelet packed with spinach) and be sure to add veggies to your dinner tonight. 

Eat more whole grain:

Whole grains have beneficial nutrients that refined grains are missing, like magnesium (which helps the body produce energy) and fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer. Trade your refined grains for whole grains by eating oatmeal for breakfast, swapping out white pasta, flour and bread for whole-wheat versions, or trying a new-to-you whole grain, like quinoa, freekah or barley. 

Recipe to Try: Spaghetti Genovese

Cut back on sugar:

Most people eat far too many added sugars. The easiest way to clean up the sugars in your diet is to limit obvious sources of sugar like soda, candy and baked goods. But don’t stop there—healthy foods like yogurt, tomato sauce and cereal can be “sneaky” sources of added sugars. Spend some time today reading labels. Choose plain or no-sugar-added varieties of your favorite foods, and check the ingredients to make sure sugar either isn’t listed at all, or is listed toward the bottom of the ingredient list.

****** the only sugar OR sweetners I personally recommend are Coconut sugar ( I get mine at Bj's for a great price, Raw honey (you can get them at local farmers market or whole food, and Stevia (important is is STEVIA NOT TRUVIA) I don't recommend Truvia. The more natural the sugar the better. 

Cut down on alcohol:

Eating clean also means drinking clean. You can still have some alcohol if you want—but stay within the recommended daily limit of one drink for women and two for men. One drink equals 5 ounces of wine, 1½ ounces of liquor or 12 ounces of beer. You can find great organic wines and sangria at Cotsco and Bj's for a great price or create your own sangria. 

Oils:
 In my opinion (ADRIANA LOPEZ) ,This is one of the most important part of eating clean. It starts from the basics, and the basics are with what ingredients you cook,from seasonings to cooking oils. I am sharing what I do and my opinion, understand I am not a Dr but I have done a lot of research and I don't focus so much on calories but I look for the most natural, organic choices in other words CLEAN. SPAM oil is NOT recommended and it is not clean since it contains lots of chemicals and preservatives. Just look at the ingredients list, if you can't read the words is NOT good. 

My favorite oils are Coconut oil (virgin organic) I buy mine at Bj's but you can buy it anywhere as long as it is organic and virgin. I also use a lot of the oils from Wildtree, To fry or high heat temperatures I use Avocado oil (also from Bj's), I sometimes buy grapeseed oil as well to fry.

sources: Lisa D'Agrosa from clean eating

                Adriana Lopez fitness coach