You might think that clean eating is another diet gimmick. Or it might just sound like more work in the kitchen.  Not really… clean eating is simply eliminating the processed stuff.  It is about making food from scratch and eating foods in their natural state rather than relying on prepared/packaged foods for your meals.

My family and I started eating clean long before it became known as a fad or even had a name.  Really, it was just a simple decision to eliminate the crap in our everyday diet.  We wanted to make sure that the ingredients we ingest are accounted for — we do not want to be eating ingredients that are going to build up and cause long term damage in our bodies.  

Just imagine the amount of salt and sugar you could eat if you were constantly eating prepackaged foods.  These foods are made to taste good and sell, and the companies who make them are are not usually looking out for your best interests.

Truthfully, adopting a clean eating lifestyle can feel like more work if you are used to pouring cans and jars and packages of ingredients into a pot, rather than chopping and mincing the fresh stuff.  However, the taste is definitely more fresh, and there is no limit on variety of foods or what your creativity can come up with.

Here are a few tips to make the transition go a little more easily:

Find Easy Recipes/Menus

Find a website or two that make clean eating easy and taste great.  There is nothing worse than getting home to make supper and going through what feels like the art of french cooking (unless that is what you want to be doing).  A couple of sites I routinely go to are: Nourished Kitchen for some great-tasting healthy options or Oh She Glows for meatless meals. And you can always be sure that anything posted in this blog will always be clean.  You might want to check out our Pinterest page as well for some good ideas. www.pinterest.com/sphealthworks

Shop Smart

Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket as much as possible.  There might be the odd thing you need from the aisles, but keep in mind that most of it is packaged to stay on the shelves for as long as possible.  Meaning, preservatives and other chemicals are most likely involved.

Stock Your Freezer

If you need prepared meals, set aside a day or two per month to make them yourself.  The prep work will be worth it!  Another way to handle this task (and the way I usually end up stocking my freezer) is to make a double recipe for supper and freeze the extra.

Eat More Often

Keep the cravings for refined foods and sugars at bay by eating smaller amounts more frequently.  You are more likely to give in to a craving when your blood sugar is low.

Understand Your Food Habits

If you struggle with emotional eating, take to time to figure out why those attachments exist.  Its a slow process and you can find more help in this post on breaking bad habits.

Like any lifestyle change, strive for progress not perfection. 

If you need some more help when it comes to changing your diet and lifestyle, please visit us at Healthworks.  We have some awesome practitioners who can help you bring about the changes you want so you can start living better today!