Spring is here! I’m breaking down everything you need to know to get your health routine on the right track. Think of it as some dietary spring cleaning!
Recently Dr. Oz had a special on his show with his 21 need to know tips to eating clean. I learned so much from them and I know you will too!
21 Rules For Eating Clean.
We are constantly hearing the term eating clean. It sounds healthy and nice but what does eating clean actually mean? Here are the top 21 tips to help you get on your way to a healthier more beautiful you!
1. Keep Your Food Real. What goes into your mouth has to be whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense, properly sources and properly prepared foods. An apple is an apple. I looks like read food. Fill your cart with produce, some of it with the dirt still on.
2. Eat More Not Less. Skipping meals depresses your metabolism. Eating more frequently helps moderate blood sugar levels. The result is you tend not to binge or overeat.
3. Eat Like A Baby. Babies eat every two to three hours; you should too. This powers up your metabolism, keeps blood sugar levels in check and helps to prevent overeating..
4. Break The Fast. Never skip breakfast. This meal is an opportunity to nourish yourself properly after several hours of not eating and sets the metabolic machinery in motion for fat burning for the day to come.
5. Plan Your Meals. Think eating clean takes too much time? Planning your meals ahead of time and storing in the fridge allows you to grab meals on the go without all of the prep time everyday.
6. Smaller Portion, Smaller Pants. Too much of a good thing is still too much of a good thing. Use your hands as a guide to keep portions in check. A quick guide is one serving of lean protein= 4 ounces or the palm of your hand. One serving of complex carbs= one cupped hand. One serving fat= the size of your thumb.
7. Chew! Loads of us gobble, Hoover or inhale our food. Slow it down. Try chewing each mouthful 25 times.
8. Treats Are Not Cheats. Making eating clean your lifestyle is a powerful choice for better health. It’s not a prison sentence. Eat a treat now and then but reserve it for special occasions not everyday.
9. Give Yourself permission To Change. Look at that crappy unflattering photo of yourself and say, “OK, I ate myself overweight but those days are over!” Accept the truth and give yourself permission to make better food choices.
10. Can’t Read It? Don’t Eat It! If it’s got a label, chances are that food is processed and contains ingredients you can’t read or spell and look like they are from a chemistry experiment – leave it on the shelf.
11. Be Fooled and Good Sense is Overruled. Be on the high alert when a glitzy “food” label claims “sugar –free,” “new and improved,” “low-calorie” or “diet.” These words generally mean more hidden sugar and unwanted chemicals, thus more weight. Clean eaters are not so easily fooled! Reach for nutrient dense, properly prepared… well, you know the drill, see rule no. 1.
12. Carbohydrate Addiction. Yep! We may just be drunk on simple carbs. We may just be drunk on simple carbs. Stick to complex carbs uncluding vegetables, especially greens, fruits and whole grains like brown rice and quinoa.
13. On-The-Go Eating. This spells preparedness and helps you skip fast food oopsies. Pack a cooler with ½ baked sweet potato + 2 tablespoons salsa + 1 hardboiled egg or 1 apple + handful (12) raw unsalted almonds.
14. Get Moving! We are meant ti move. You can get clean but you still have to make yourself move. Aim to sweat for at least 30 minutes four to five days per week. Not only will your body improve but so will your mood!
15. Strike Sugar. It’s white, it’s powdery, gives you a high and you come back wanting more. You’re addicted. I’m not talking about drugs, I’m talking about sugar. You’re addicted and it’s everywhere! Removing this ingredient from your diet yields the most significant rewards and overall change.
16. Alcohol: The Other Legal Drug. People are always surprised to learn that alcohol is also sugar. Alcohol addiction is similar to sugar addiction. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum, especially if you are trying to quit. Save it for special occasion only.
17. LP+CC. Always pair lean protein with complex carbs and a bit of fat for best metabolic effect. Women tend to eat less protein than men, but it needs to appear at every meal.
18. Fat Is Fantastic. Fat is not the anti-food. We need it to be optimally healthy and human, and in many traditional societies people ate predominantly fat and carbs. Don’t fear fat. Eat at least 3 tablespoons of good quality fats in the form of coconut oil. (Yes it is saturated but is excellent for health.)
19. Lean Greens. Eat more greens. My breakfast these days consists of 2 cups steamed mixed greens cooked in cocnut oil and topped with 2 sunny-side-up eggs.
20. Wetter Water. North america’s No. 1 nutritional deficiency is water- even though we seem to drink more of it, we are in fact dehydrated thanks to diuretic beverages including coffee, tea, soda, sports drinks and more. Here’s your Wetter Water Recipe Fic: Place the juice of ½ lemon and a pinch of unrefined sea salt into 8 ounces of water. Now you have an electrolyte-rich glass of water that will hydrate you properly.
21. Smart Salt. Use unrefined sea salt only. Regular table salt has been stripped of all that is good using chemicals and bleach. That’s just a scary thought. It even contains sugar. Unrefined sea salt contains 92 trace minerals and elements ideal for human health. Choose sea salt every time.
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