I heard another commercial today from a vitamin shop getting on the diet fad bandwagon. They were offering vitamins and supplements for Keto, Intermittent Fasting, and Paleo diets. And wow, it feels like everyone is on a diet to look their best this summer. The only issue with these diets, in my opinion, is that some are not sustainable. Some are more sustainable than others. They do work in the short-term, but for long-term lifestyle changes, some of these diets can be too extreme and often people give up if there is constant failure and they go back to old behaviors.
If you want to feel your best year-round, you have to develop positive behaviors that are realistic and attainable year-round. That’s why I advocate a Clean Eating lifestyle.
But what exactly is clean eating and where do you start?
What is clean eating?
Eating clean is less of a diet and more of a lifestyle, it is a choice; Everything from what you put in your body, to what you put on your body and what you use around your environment. Not only is eating clean about what you put in your body but also the choice to eat healthier and more nutritious options. This may involve removing certain sugars, carbs, and unhealthy fats from your diet. It means avoiding processed foods and choosing whole foods.
With that being the basics of what clean eating really is, below are six guidelines to help you get started and to help during this lifestyle transition.
The guidelines for eating clean.
• Choose whole foods.
• Read the nutrition labels and look up an ingredient you know nothing about – learn.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Cook your food and meal prep.
• Eat 5 to 6 smaller healthy meals throughout the day.
• Don’t drink your calories.
Where do you start?
Start small. Start slow. You can’t go from a high fat/high sugar diet to eating clean overnight. The sugar cravings alone would shock your body. Replace foods you are already eating with cleaner, healthier versions. Be mindful of what you are buying when grocery shopping. Switch a glass of water for one cup of that sugary drink, instead of white bread buy whole grain, little changes like these will help to ease your body into eating clean. As you keep removing bad foods from your diet, your body will start to feel better. You will begin to feel healthier and crave less of those sweets and fats. And above all, start slow. Don’t try and go cold turkey – while it is possible, remember, the goal here is to adopt a lifestyle change. Getting into a healthy habit means doing one thing at a time, getting good at that one thing so it’s like second nature. Start with one food group, sugar for example.
What if you make a mistake?
Just like any other lifestyle change, there is going to be an adjustment period. No one eats perfectly. There may be times where you accidentally or intentionally choose to eat something unhealthy. But that’s OK, we all have those days. What is important to remember here is that one choice does not have to derail your efforts. Get back on track immediately when this happens. Be kind and compassionate to yourself.
With any lifestyle change, the number one factor is just to start. There will not be a perfect month, a perfect week, a perfect day. So, pick a day and start. Be patient with yourself and give yourself time to learn.
Next week, I’ll be talking about what essential foods to have in your kitchen when starting a clean eating lifestyle.
To Your Health,
Patti
