Nutrition

What should I eat to be healthy? There are so many diets out there...

 

 "diet (n) - a specific allowance or selection of food, esp prescribed to control weight or in disorders in which certain foods are contraindicated"

 

The debate goes on. What diet works best for you? Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to bulk up? Are you trying to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure? There are so many diets on the market today, many of which I have personally tried. There's the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Carb Lovers Diet, the Cookie Diet, the Baby Food Diet...really? The Baby Food Diet? There are literally HUNDREDS of "fad" diets circling around, and they all have some sort of catchy appeal to them: "Lose Weight Fast," "Lose 10 lbs in 5 days," "Drop 2 jean sizes in a week," and the list goes on for that as well. 

Anybody who has ever done their research on dieting will be quick to tell you that they KNOW going on a "diet" is NOT the way to achieve their goals and maintain themselves. The first problem with the mentality of dieting is that people use the word diet in a completely inappropriate context. A diet isn't a bad thing. But wait...how can you say diets are bad, but diets are good? Let's look at what the real definition of what DIET should really mean in your vocabulary...

"diet (n) - the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group"

 

So what does your diet mean? Your diet simply means what foods you consume. People don't go on diets. People have diets. What does your diet consist of? Although people can have different preferences as to what they like and don't like, there is one DIET that is best for everyone's health. It is called clean eating. This isn't a diet you go on, this is a way that you eat. You eat clean foods. You can still be a vegan or a vegetarian or paleo or whatever you want, but the main concern is that you eat clean foods. Did you know that it is possible to be vegetarian and still be completely unhealthy? French fries from McDonald's are perfectly vegetarian, but they certainly aren't clean. I can't stress enough that no matter how badly you want to lose weight or clear up your skin or have energy or just feel light and clean how important it is to eat CLEAN. 

 

What is Clean Eating?

 

Clean eating is eating as close to whole, unprocessed, and non-artificial foods you can get your hands on. I always say the less ingredients the better. 

Clean Eating Basics 

1. Drink water. Don't drink juice, that is loaded with sugar and empty calories. Don't drink soda, that is loaded with corn syrup and empty calories. Don't drink diet soda, that is loaded with aspartame or sucralose, both of which are artificial ingredients and basically do your body more harm than good. Learn to flavor your water with natural fruits/veggies/stevia. The internet is your best friend and has recipes for every flavored water out there. So drink your water. And drink a lot of it.
2. Eat your veggies. People always tell me it is hard to eat vegetables because they don't like "broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, etc." Well guess what, that is no excuse. To eat your veggies, find the vegetables that you DO like and eat them. Eat a lot of them. Find different ways to prepare them. Mix them together. Make a stew. JUST EAT YOUR VEGGIES.
3. Eat your fruit. I don't know why people are so scared of eating fruit. I always hear people say "isn't fruit loaded with sugar? I only eat one piece of fruit because fruit is loaded with sugar. It isn't good to eat fruit in the evening. Blah blah blah." Excuse me, if you are even mentioning or having any doubts about fruit, stop. You currently eat things much worse than fruit. Fruit is NOT BAD FOR YOU. At all. If you feel like reaching for a chocolate bar, reach for a piece of fruit. I don't see why people feel like fruit will ruin their diets when they are obviously eating things much worse than fruit. I mean come on people, are you really that concerned with the fact that fruit has NATURAL sugar in it or are you just trying to come up with one more excuse? Be honest. When it comes to fruit, just remember to eat less starchy fruits more often than starchy fruits. Plenty of berries and apples and less bananas and mangoes. Again, find what you like and keep it stocked in your fridge.
4. Eat your fat. Fat? Won't I get fat if I eat fat? Um...no. Eating the right kinds of fat is actually good for you. Of course stay away from trans fat and unnaturally occuring saturated fat, but natural fat is good for you. Great sources of NATURAL fat are eggs, nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, coconut products, and fish. Don't be scared of saturated fat occuring in egg yolks and on your lean cuts of meat. It does more good than harm when you aren't dousing yourself in it every meal of every day of every week of every month...well, you get it. Eat your fat. Fat burns fat.
5. Eat your protein. There is a lot of debate going on about protein, and it's really not as complicated as people make it out to be. Protein is one of the 3 macronutrients, which means we need it in our diet. How much of it? Typically .5-.8 grams of protein per pound of body fat will help you function optimally. So for a 150 pound person (of lean body mass), a healthy amount of protein can range anywhere from 75-120 grams of protein per day. A diet that includes meat, chicken, fish, and eggs typically makes it easy to get your protein for the day, but there are also many other protein sources that are plant based such as barley, oats, rice, pasta, whole grain breads, beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, other nuts, leafy greens, and broccoli. There are so many options for where you can get protein from. Just remember to keep it lean, and remember that your body can only process about 30 grams of protein per meal.
6. I LOVE CARBS...Aren't they my enemy? No. You can definitely eat carbs. Fiber is key. The more fiber and the less sugar, the better. Carbohydrates aren't the enemy. An excessive amount of sugar is the enemy. Stay away from refined grains and refined sugar, and lean towards whole grains and complex carbs. Need a carb fix? Reach for a banana or a sweet potato. Just make sure whatever you reach for that you think of as a "carb" is high in fiber, natural, and doesn't have any added sugar in it. If it has a label, there shouldn't be any added sugar and it shouldn't say "refined" anywhere on the ingredient list.
7.  Eat natural. Before we talk about what IS natural, let's talk about what ISN'T natural. Pesticides (which are chemicals). Added hormones in animals. Preservatives. Nitrates. MSG. Artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners aren't clean. They aren't natural. Artificial is in the NAME of "Artificial Ingredients." I don't know about you, but for some reason I don't think anything artificial will bring me closer to being healthy than something natural can bring me. Natural > Artificial. GMO's. What are GMO's? Genetically modified organisms. Google it. I dare you to do your own research, and you definitely won't want to eat anything GMO again. How to avoid these harmful substances? Eat organic when possible. Buy locally grown produce and meat. Your "it is too expensive" crap excuse will go out the window when you save money from avoiding buying processed packaged "food" from the middle isles of the grocery store. It is just all about where your priorities are.
8. No deep fried, processed foods. If it is deep fried or processed, chances are it isn't good for you. It shouldn't have added sugar. It shouldn't have corn syrup in it. No deep frying. Stir frying in coconut oil is definitely on the okay list. Deep frying in vegetable oil is definitely on the not okay list. 
9. Baked, seared, smoked, grilled. Some of the famous healthy eating ways of cooking. As much as you roll your eyes, this is a way of life. Eating foods cooked these ways are essential to reaching your health goals as opposed to frying things.
10. Make your calories count. Count your calories, and make your calories count. Make sure you are eating highly nutrient dense, high protein, high fiber, high healthy fat foods. Avoid empty calories at all costs. 
    
    

     How can clean eating help me lose weight?

     

    Clean eating is essential for your health. For weight loss, just make sure you are taking in less calories than you are burning. Once you calculate how many calories you should take in for your activity level to lose weight, keep track of your calories. Try not to go below 1200 per day. Eat nutrient dense foods that will fill you up and keep you full. Veggies are a great, very low calorie addition that can make you super full and flatten your tummy like no tomorrow. Weight loss doesn't come in a pill or in a silly can of baby food. Sustainable weight loss comes in eating nutrient dense food that you enjoy at a calorie level that is appropriate for your weight and activity level. Nobody said it would be easy, but that's why website like this exist to provide delicious recipes that taste better than unhealthy food. To make it easier. Clean eating can be so much fun. There are endless amounts of options out there. Just find them and use them. Have you googled clean eating recipes? Have you Pinterested clean eating recipes? The recipes and ideas are out there. Use them. Own your diet.