Eat Clean, Get Lean

We all have processed foods in our cabinets and refrigerators.....it is the American way. 

Here is a challenge for you - take one of your processed foods out - lunch meat, pasta in the box, crackers - and look on the back.  How many ingredients are listed?  Probably more than 5....no bueno.

I hear it all the time 'you eat so clean!' - yes I do and you can too and let me tell you why you should.

When I say eating 'clean', by clean I mean I eat whole foods without additives, preservatives and chemicals.  Foods like cooked long grain brown rice, fresh vegetables, cooked vegetables, seasoned fresh cooked ground turkey, chicken breasts, fish, pork, etc.

Most of my clients are just starting out on their nutritional journey so I don't want to cut out everything immediately - mostly clean items with a few processed items here and there that are lower in fat and calories.  But eventually, the goal is to eat as clean as possible.  Why?  A lot of reasons.

First off- if you are trying to lean out and lose weight, preservatives, chemicals and additives can work against you.  Preservatives are added to make foods last longer on the shelves of your local supermarket.  However, preservatives are foreign to our bodies and we do not know how to process them....so what happens to them?  Yup - you guessed it.  They turn into fat.  The worst villains of preservatives are trans fats/hydrogenated oils.  These are oils that have been solidified with hydrogen and then added to food to preserve it. When you eat any processed food that contains these preservatives, you are consuming this fat.  Your body cannot digest these preservatives they way it can digest clean food, thus it is stored as fat.When you eat processed food that has been preserved in this way, you are eating this fat. Trans fats have been linked not only to obesity, but many other health issues.

Another to steer COMPLETELY clear from - high fructose corn syrup.  High fructose corn syrup can be found as an additive in most condiments (jellies, ketchup, syrups) and many beverages such as juice and sodas and even cereals!  The body cannot breakdown high fructose corn syrup the way it can simple sugars....so guess what it becomes?  FAT!

Many fruits and vegetables are sprayed with toxic chemicals that do not belong in your body.  Many times these chemicals are fat soluble which means your body responds to the consumption of these items by storing them as FAT.

Our bodies are not designed to digest processed foods carrying additives, preservatives and chemicals.  These harmful ingredients disrupt the natural chemistry and have been shown to result in cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, allergies, stomach ulcers, premature aging, hypoglycemia....and the list goes on and on!   Consuming additives, preservatives and chemicals disrupt the bio-chemistry of hundreds of thousands of living cells in your body.

The good news?  The life of most cells is short and your body is constantly generating new cells.  This rebuilding process comes from the bloodstream - but when the bloodstream is laden with toxins, this disrupts the rebuilding of cells. 

So what do you do?  Feed your body with good, wholesome, clean ingredients.  Shop and purchase organic foods free of pesticides and chemicals.  Read labels and stay away from anything with ingredients you cannot pronounce.  Not only will you FEEL amazing inside and out, but you will shed pounds by leading a healthier clean living!

Not sure where to start?  Try this:

Grocery List (organic):
oats
fat free milk
berries
eggs
Brown rice
green veggies (frozen are great!  They are convenient!  Most do not contain preservatives but stay away from any with added sauces or spices.  All you need are the veggies)
salsa
no sugar added pasta sauce
sweet potato's
white fish
lean ground turkey or chicken
apples
lemons
lemon pepper seasoning
100% whey protein

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oats cooked in water topped with skim milk and 1/4 cup berries
3 egg whites topped with salsa

Snack:
Protein shake
Small apple

Lunch:
5 oz lean ground turkey with 1/2 cup brown rice and 1 cup veggies
1/4 cup no sugar added pasta sauce to top

Snack:
1/2 sweet potato
1/2 cup green veggies topped with salsa

Dinner:
5 oz white fish broiled with lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning
2 cups of green veggies topped with salsa

Healthy, clean, filling and delicious!