What is Clean Eating?

Eating clean is eating food in its TRUEST form possible (think of items you'd find naturally in nature or grown on a farm!). These are foods that have not been chemically altered, processed or refined. Clean foods include vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish, nuts, and whole grains. The drink of choice is good ol' water!

Clean Eating Magazine offers this list of things to steer clear of:
-Overly processed, refined foods
-Refined flour and sugar
-Saturated and trans fats
-Anything fried
-Sugar-laden colas and juices
-Alcohol

Think of processed foods as 'fake' food, stripped of its nutritional value and masked with sugar (often high frutose corn syrup), fats and other additives to make the food taste better, which may aid in consumer addiciton to the food, and to preserve the shelf life. Now that sounds yummy!

THE DOWNSIDE to eating clean? Clean food can spoil fast - but that speaks volumes to me. Food is not intended to sit on a shelf for months/years at a time without spoiling!! Eating clean can also be more expensive since organic food often costs more at the store (and with it spoiling fast you may waste food & money if you don't eat it in time.)

THE UPSIDE? Feeling better (physically & mentally), more energy, absorbing natural nutrients (may help reduce the need to take multiple pill supplements), stabilizing blood sugar, help fight diseases/cancers, reduce headaches and perhaps lose weight! For me, when I eat clean, I can't help but feel great physically and emotionally. Its hard not to feel your best when you know you did your best to feel good! Have you ever heard anyone say, 'I wish I never ate that vegetable'? The guilt of 'eating bad' is gone!

Combine clean eating with your exercise routine and you have a powerful combination to feel your best and perform your best!

My husband and I have made it our mission this year to eat as clean as possible. Throughout our journey I'll share any delicious recipes that I find. Do you have a clean recipe that you would like to see featured on this blog? If so, email it to me at caryndilks@gmail.com

Wonderful resources:
cleaneatingmag.com
eatcleandiet.com