and how to really do it
When I coach clients into healthier lifestyles, I always emphasize eating clean – minimal processed foods that offer maximum nutrition. It's not a diet, but a lifestyle. Personally, when I decided to go vegan over ten years ago, it's because I wanted to eat as clean as possible. Here's what that really means and how eating clean will help you jumpstart weight loss, clear up your skin, increase energy and get better sleep. It's a sustainable lifestyle shift and once you reap the benefits, you'll never go back.
Eating clean includes maintaining a balanced diet of fresh, unprocessed food including fruits, vegetables, grains, some meats and fish, healthy fats, and some dairy.
Eat Whole Foods
Meaning foods that occur in nature and don’t go through a lab or other manufacturing unit. Examples include fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-fed and free-range meats, dairy, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Cook
When you cook for yourself, you’re guaranteed to up the nutritional value of your food. Restaurant food is more processed, less fresh, and often over seasoned. Keep it simple.
Skip the Sugar & Refined Carbs
Remove white foods (like white sugar and white flour) from your diet including all standard desserts containing white sugar as well as white pasta, rice, bread, and pastries.
Stabilize Your Blood Sugar
Keeping your blood sugar stable greatly contributes to healthy food choices. When you wait too long between meals or eat processed foods that spike blood sugar – leading to a crash in energy – you’re more likely to reach for sugar, fat, or caffeine to keep your energy up. If you continue this cycle, you’ll always feel irritable and exhausted. If you ensure you eat whole foods every three to four hours, your blood sugar and mentality will remain stable.
Combine Properly
You should aim to get a serving of protein, healthy fat and complex carbs at every meal. This will create optimal blood sugar levels and stave off your cravings and brain fog. Some examples of great protein sources include grass-fed meat, tempeh, and tofu. Fat options are avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. And when reaching for complex carbs, try quinoa, brown rice, or sweet potatoes.
