Food! Let's talk about it. We all love it. We all need it.
. . . and we need to do it right.
Halt! Don't click off! Stay right here! This is really important! You don't have to cut out all the things you love. Actually, nothing is off limits. It's just time to broaden your horizons and incorporate some super healthy (and super tasty) dishes.
You may have heard the buzz phrase "clean eating". Don't tune out when you hear it because it's a conversation we need to have. Would you be surprised to hear that there really aren’t any health goals you can achieve without it? The percentage of people with illnesses that cannot be helped (helped, not cured) by healthy eating is literally in the single digits, and there are many health issues that can be completely resolved through healthy eating.
You can exercise from the time you get out of bed until you reach muscle fatigue, but if you're always going through the drive thru or grabbing for foods that have had the nutrients processed out of them, you're going to make progress at a level that will greatly discourage you. You will have a slightly more toned body, but you will probably still have plenty of extra fat. This is why people give up on exercise after a month (if that long) when they don't see as much progress as they'd hoped for, especially if they've worked their booty off.
There is no set definition for "clean eating", and I would steer clear of anyone that recommends going vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. If you choose to do that, of course that is perfectly fine. Mostly I want the average eater to know they don't have to switch from their current diet to something that won't be sustainable for them. It's more important to make changes you know for sure that you can continue with and won't give up on every time a craving hits you.
I recently found out I am allergic to milk (not lactose intolerant). This one thing has already greatly limited my options and is really taking some getting used to - especially since milk is in so many food products, and I love cheese and yogurt. I tell you this because I, too, am making adjustments, but also it's important for you to know that unless you truly have an allergy, a diagnosed intolerance, or Celiac's disease, there is no reason to cut out an entire food group. When I quit drinking soda, that was hard enough, but milk is much harder because it's something I really love and it's in a lot of products - a lot of healthy products! Don't make things harder on yourself unless you have no other option. We want to stay in this for the long haul.
To eat clean is to clean up your eating. Eat foods as close to their natural form as is practical and possible. Veggies - raw, steamed, or stir fried. Meats - fresh and, if possible, without hormones or antibiotics. Eating clean is actually quite simple since the food takes little preparation and less cooking time. Most foods I make use one pot, sometimes two. Hey, I don't like doing dishes, either. The less processing and lower cooking times retains more of the food's healthy qualities (with very few exceptions).
Things to stay away from are prepackaged foods, heavily processed foods, additives, and chemicals. There is something companies use called "the bliss factor", and they make no bones about it (it's not a conspiracy, they unashamedly admit to it). The bliss factor is the balance of sugar, salt, and other flavorings that give people a rush similar to using a drug (seriously). This keeps people buying their products. It's ingenious from a seller's standpoint, but it sets the consumer up for a lifetime of unhealthy habits and as a consequence, an unhealthy life.
If you rely on takeout, Pop Tarts, frozen dinners, or lots of other prepackaged foods, this may start out as a challenge. You may want to start by swapping out two prepackaged meals a week for two clean meals a week. As you begin to eat healthier, you will find your body wanting more of those healthy foods, and it won't seem like such a chore. You'll begin to have more energy and have some sense of wellbeing.
These changes will result in physical changes you can see. This will serve to further motivate you. This is not a crash diet that will fail or mess up your metabolism, causing you to gain weight. This is a life choice. In every situation you can choose life or death. Choose Life.
You will want to surround yourself with people who have similar goals because believe this - there are a whole lot of people who not only want to hang on to their unhealthiness, but they will purposefully undermine your healthy efforts and try to get you eating more of those unhealthy foods. When you are at a family event, carry-in, or any type of potluck, just go for the foods that seem the least processed. Just because something was made at home does not mean it's not processed or bad for you. Fill up on the good stuff so when people ask you to try something unhealthy, you can honestly say you are too full.
You can do this. Choose Life.
Warmest regards,
Sarah
