When I first started working out and making healthier eating choices back in 2012, I kept hearing the term “eat clean” thrown around and I had no clue what it meant.  Did it mean eat organic?  Going vegan?  So, in true Mere form, I researched it.  That was over 3 years ago, and let me tell you, it takes some getting used to, but sticking to eating clean will make a tremendous difference in your life and is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Plus, it will help you drop pounds fast!  It did for Shane and me, and countless others we know, and it will for you too when you are consistent with it. I want to remind everyone that I am not a nutritionist, and I am not a trainer (yet).  However, I hope that I can use my L&L platform to share with all of you what clean eating means to me and how it has helped me on my journey.  This is a topic I am very passionate about, and I’m sorry in advance if I offend anyone, but my mission here is to promote health and fitness, and making healthy food choices is a fundamental part of that.

We as a society are absolutely BOMBARDED with food propaganda.  Everywhere you look, you’ll see the latest and greatest drive-thru dollar menu special, restaurant deals and steals, or on the flip side the “healthy”, “low calorie” foods begging you to give them a try.  I saw this first hand when literally every freaking commercial I saw on TV while I was slaving away to cardio involved something with food.  It was nuts!  Our obesity rate as a country is higher than it’s ever been, and that doesn’t even include Americans who are overweight.  Nearly 1 out of 3 kids are obese.  It’s a problem that’s getting worse and worse, and is predicted to continue to skyrocket unless we as a society change how we eat.

A brief history lesson for you:  fifty plus years ago, the food landscape in America was a totally different than it is today.  Grocery stores carried staples—produce, meat, dairy and bread;  basically the things that you’d see in the 4 food groups.  Then came the arrival of the “fast food concept” and things totally changed.  People wanted to get food faster, started eating out more, and wanted “convenient foods”.  The business boomed, and here we are in 2015 with an obesity epidemic that is out of control because of how much JUNK is available for people to eat.

“Clean Eating” is essentially the concept of getting back to whole, natural foods.  It means consuming a diet PRIMARILY of plant based foods, protein, and carbohydrates coming from complex carbohydrate and whole grain sources.  Fats come from nuts, nut butters, olive oils, and avocados.  A “clean eater” typically abstains from simple carbohydrates (i.e. the “white carbs”—pasta, bread, chips, corn and flour based foods), sugars, alcohol, and keeps dairy and butter / vegetable oils to a minimum.  It means avoiding “packaged” foods like chips, cookies, packaged meats, frozen dinners, and anything processed or artificial.  Clean Eating also means eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day to keep your metabolism burning and hunger at bay.

I’m not here to judge you and I am not perfect.  I’m human, and I’ll be the first to tell you that I love me some Double Stuff Oreos and that once in a blue moon I’ll go through a drive-thru (Chick-Fil-A for the win!).  However, clean eating is a lifestyle.  I promise you, once you get past the first few weeks, the cravings will subside and you will begin to feel a lot healthier and have much more energy!  Your body will thank you, and you will keep getting healthier and healthier!

Here are some good resources that helped me learn more about the clean eating lifestyle.  Tosca Reno is like the “mother” of clean eating.  All of her books are awesome, but I fell in love with the “Eat Clean Diet”.  The movie “Food Inc.” will make you rethink how and where your food comes from.  HBO’s documentary “Weight of the Nation” is incredibly thought provoking.

I’d like to  share some of our staples that we eat on a daily basis with you — my shopping list if you will.  This is list is not the be-all end-all, but it will give you a good starting point for your clean eating journey.

Produce—this makes up about 30% of my cart

• SALAD, greens, spinach
• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• A mix of fibrous veggies—asparagus, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, green beans, broccoli are our go-tos.
• Bananas
• Berries
• Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes

Meat—this makes up another 30% or so

• Lean proteins—think white meats. Chicken, ground turkey, white fish (tilapia, mahi mahi, cod).  Try to buy organic or natural if at all possible
• Lean ground beef (for Shane – he gets a bit more fat than I do and needs more calories)

Grains / Nuts

• Rice cakes (we get organic brown rice cakes and you can also find flavored rice cakes with low sugar)
• Brown and white rice
• Almonds! Emerald has awesome vanilla roasted and cinnamon roasted almonds that I’m absolutely obsessed with.
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Nut butters (be very careful of added sugar – buy the natural versions)

Dairy

• Nonfat Greek yogurt (plain is best, but you can get flavored as well – if you by flavored yogurt, be cognizant of the sugar content)
• Eggs (try to go organic here too, or cage free at the very least)
• Egg whites (cage free or organic)
• Almond milk

Here are the “rules” I typically recommend for beginners. I’m not an expert, and this is just a general overview of clean eating, so you’ll need to do additional research.

• Stick to NATURAL, nutrient dense foods. If it has a long ingredient list, comes in a box, or could be found on the center aisles of the grocery store (and isn’t listed above) it’s probably not very “clean”.  If it wasn’t around in 1945, it’s probably not real food or “clean”. I need to make one important caveat – there are certain processed foods like Quest bars and protein powders that serve an important purpose for athletes. However, if you don’t work out a lot or you aren’t trying to add muscle mass, then you probably don’t need those types of food.
• Shop the perimeter of the store—here’s where you’ll find the produce, meats, and dairy.
• Avoid alcohol and consuming empty calories in sodas, juices, etc.
• Avoid baked goods and packaged goods. Also avoid breads, pastas, and chips, etc.
• Cook at home more!!!
• Aim to eat 5-6 small meals a day.

Lastly, be careful of foods that are supposed to be “healthy” i.e. low fat cookies, or baked chips, or low-cal yogurts and ice creams, etc.  They are often laden with added sugar, salt and chemicals, and they don’t provide much nutrition for their caloric values.  You’ll find that when you eat “packaged” foods, you’re hungrier more often because the carbohydrates are “simple” and digest quickly, and cause spikes in blood sugar leading to more cravings and hunger.  Also, there’s virtually no protein in them (protein also keeps your hunger at bay and is the main nutrient needed for building muscles).

My email address is lipglossandlifting@gmail.com.  I am SO HAPPY to answer questions and help you get started on the “clean eating” path.  Once you have been eating clean for about a month (the cravings will go away, I promise!), you’ll wonder how you ever ate any differently and your body will thank you for fueling it properly!  You can still enjoy eating out and “cheat” foods in moderation, and you will find that you crave them less and appreciate them more.  Plus, clean eating is a requirement to get big and strong muscles!

Till next time,

-Mere