Clean Eating for Weight Loss and Good Health

A lot of people think ‘clean eating’ takes a lot of effort or is a strict diet which consists of nothing but water and vegitables. On the contrary, eating clean takes no more effort than that of preparing a regular meal and includes a variety of foods.

There’s a lot of benefits to eating clean and it’s not just about weight loss and having a slimmer physique. You’ll find you have more energy and vitality, clearer skin and healthier hair. Another benefit from clean eating is that can help to prevent disease and inflammation in both the nervous and digestive systems.

The basic principle to eating clean is eating unprocessed natural food. This means reading the labels and being consious of what preservatives and chemicals are used as part of the ingredients. Try to choose whole, fresh foods whenever possible and limit packaged, frozen or highly processed foods.

Now I’m not saying that everything that comes in a box is ‘unclean’. I’m talking about the preservatives and additives that you have no idea how to pronounce or what they are. Here are few things to avoid when making the choice to eat clean:

Refined sugar and white flour and white rice
Salt
Alcohol or sodas
Saturated and trans fat
Fried foods/junk food
Highly processed or packaged, frozen food

Here’s a basic list of foods which will help you to understand how to eat clean:

100% Whole wheat Bread
Plain brown rice or wild rice – not boxed or packaged
Whole wheat pasta and high protein, high fiber cereals
Plain oatmeal (my favorite), oat bran
Vegetables – greens are best including sweet potatoes or yams
All fruits and berries, especially blueberries
Turkey breast extra lean, chicken breast – without the skin
All fish without breading or batter
Lean red meat
Egg substitute or egg whites
Fat free milk
Fat free/lowfat cheeses
Fat free/lowfat yogurt and cottage cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil, Canola oil
Avocados
Nuts – non salted or raw, almonds are best
Fresh herbs – bottled herbs should be under 300 mg sodium

Eating clean is about making healthy choices. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so try to incorporate some of cleaner foods and omit the processed foods gradually. You’ll be surprised at how wonderful you feel and how you’re body transitions into a leaner, healthier you!