When I was introduced to Clean Eating, everything about it made perfect sense to me. The transition wasn’t very difficult, because I had already been avoiding processed food and as many artificial ingredients as possible. However, I realized even though I wasn’t putting a lot of bad things into my body, I really wasn’t taking in enough good things, either. I was eating very little fruits & veggies and I knew that needed to change. I started out by focusing on eating a serving of fruit and/or veggies with most meals.
I feel the most important tip I can give is not to look at Clean Eating as a “diet,” quick fix, or punishment. The night I finished reading, The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno, I couldn’t wait to get to the grocery store the next day and get started with my new, healthier life. I filled my cart with colorful, healthy things and rushed home to try some of the yummy recipes. For me, it’s an exciting journey that taught me to love and appreciate food again instead of viewing it as the enemy. My hope is that you’ll feel that way, too. A few other simple tips I can offer are:
- Write down your specific goals and keep them visible.
- Plan meals & workouts ahead. You’ll be eating 5-6 small meals per day, so you’ll need to be prepared.
- Read about Clean Eating, health & fitness to stay motivated.
- Don’t let an oops day destroy all your efforts. Don’t beat yourself up. Just get back on track quickly.
- A good, quality protein supplement is a very convenient way to help get the extra protein you need each day.
Before you know it, you’ll be hooked on Clean Eating and have a sleek, new physique and beautiful, healthy glow to show for it!
Great tips! Over the past few years I have made many changes but most recent has been in the past year, we have been trying new veggies and adding them to different dishes, etc. It’s been fun and tasty too.
My biggest challenge is processed foods but I do the best I can.
You mentioned a protein supplement, can you explain more about that and what you recommend? I use Secure protein powder in my smoothies but it’s not something I do every day.
Thanks.
Hi Angie! I think it’s great that you are trying new veggies and making it a fun thing. It’s not even that I didn’t like veggies…I just think I was being lazy!
A protein supplement definately isn’t something you *have* to use. However, I do find it very helpful to supplement with protein powders. I’m not much of a morning person and it takes a while before I feel like eating, so I like having a protein shake as my 1st meal. I may have 1 more during the day as a post-workout meal or if I’m on the run. My other 4-5 mini-meals are solid foods. I personally like Shaklee’s Energizing Soy or Cinch shakes. I also like Jay Robb and I’ve been experimenting with hemp protein. Can’t say I’m a huge fan of the hemp protein yet, but I have made some yummy shakes with it. My main concern is that the shake is all natural and not filled with artificial colors, flavors & sweeteners. Hope this helps! JenniferE.
I just wanted to add that I think processed foods are everybody’s biggest challenge. They’re really hard to get away from because if you think about it, unless someone is eating completely raw foods, then they’re eating processed foods. Procedures such as freezing and canning are processing too. It’d probably be better if we just used the term “junk food” instead of processed foods, IMO.
Yes, you’re totally right, Jen. When I mentioned processed food, I used it as sort of a blanket statement. I was mainly thinking foods with an ingredient list a mile long full of things we don’t recognize…for which “junk food” would be a much better term!