So you want to Unjunk your Diet™ and start eating clean? Here are my top 10 rules to get started:
1. Eat organic as much as possible. Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. Remember we are trying to unjunk our diet so eating organic as much as possible is key AND it doesn’t have to break the bank. If you can’t afford to eat all organic foods, then check out the EWG’s Dirty Dozen (the twelve most pesticide contaminated fruits and vegetables that should be purchased organically whenever possible), download the list {or get the app}.
2. Eat only whole foods. That means eating oats and blueberries rather than a blueberry muffin.
3. Avoid “packaged” foods. So make it fresh and homemade like grandma did. Or at least buy packaged foods with pure ingredients and no more than 5 ingredients unless you absolutely trust the brand. Yes, that means no artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives. Put simply:
4. Eat lean protein & complex carbs at each meal. Don’t forget your fruits and veggies too. By combining them at every meal you create a nutritional package (example: chicken breast and spinach) that your body can process effectively. Learn to spend a majority of your grocery-shopping time in the produce aisle. Vegetables should make up nearly three-quarters of each meal. Eat fruit in moderation and steer clear of fruit juice – too sugary and lacking in fiber.
5. Dump the sugary drinks and sugar in general. Sugar is addictive. It’s a legalized drug – seriously! Sugar is in all processed foods and even in some “natural foods”. Avoid artificial sugar like high fructose corn syrup {HFCS}, sucralose, aspartame, etc. Honey, stevia, coconut sugar, xylitol and maple syrup are better options, but remember, moderation is the rule.
6. Eat every 2-3 hours. When you eat, you stimulate your metabolism for a short period of time, which means that the more often you eat, the more you’ll increase your metabolism. Eating every 2 to 3 hours feeds muscle and starves fat. Plus, by eating frequently, you reassure your body that you aren’t going to starve; so you don’t go into famine mode of holding onto fat. But that doesn’t mean you can gorge yourself 5 times a day, you still gotta have some portion control!
Tip: Use your hands as a guide for portion sizes to ensure that you are getting the proper amount of food for your body. For example, a proper portion of protein is measured by what can fit in the palm of your hand. A serving of fruits or vegetables should be measured by what can fit into two cupped hands, while whole grains and starchy carbs should fit in one cupped hand.
7. Eat sufficient healthy fats every day. Many physicians recommend omega-3 fats, which the brain requires to fight depression. We also need “good” fats to maintain our healthy weight or to lose weight AND to aid the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A, E and D. And an additional benefit? Healthy fats keep you full longer and you feel satisfied. These “good” fats are found in fish, nuts, seeds, and some oils such as sunflowers, avocados, olives, and peanuts.
8. Get Hydrated! Drink two or three liters of water every day. Water is essential to life! Add some fruit to your water like lemon slices, orange slices, and cucumbers – yummers! Adding slices fresh ginger is another amazing option. Think of water as one of your best friends. First, drinking water before a meal helps you feel full so you’ll eat less. Second, staying hydrated increases your resting energy expenditure so you’ll burn MORE calories…YES, please! Third, when you drink more water, your body will shed more water– resulting in less fluid retention (the body stores water when faced with water deprivation) – we women really don’t need to be holding onto water. Think beautiful skinny ankles and less bloating. But there’s so much more – like your skin will love you which all adds up to a more beautiful YOU!
9. Carry a cooler packed with clean foods each day. It’s easy enough to eat clean at home, but as soon as you step out your front door it can become more difficult. To ensure that each meal you’re eating is clean, get in the habit of taking your food with you!
10. Prep! The key to eating clean and unjunking your diet is in the prep work. No one wants to be stressed out about what to eat that day when they are running out the door late for work {again} or home late and dead tired. So spend a couple hours once a week to shop, wash, chop and prep as much as you can for the week rather than freaking out at the last minute. That way when you get busy, you have some “grab and go” options to stay on track and avoid the fast food pitfall. And get the kids involved!
This isn’t a complicated message. In fact, Eating Clean is as simple as it can get. So what’s the bottom line? Eat a variety of wholesome, natural foods by combining lean protein with complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Kick out the crap, embrace the good, throw in some water and you are on your way to excellent health and a better body than you’ve ever imagined. Is this information new? No. It’s the same information we’ve heard from our ancestors time and time again. – Just the Rules by Tosco Reno {get the book – it’s only a couple bucks on Amazon}
The biggest take away here is that this is a lifestyle so do what you know you will stick to for now, then add on as time goes by – I know you can do it! Before you know it you will be a clean eating, unjunked machine. No one is perfect, nope not even me, so striving for perfection will be deflating and unattainable. Even the most experienced clean eaters slip up {or cheat – say what} – you gotta live and have fun my friend, so take each day as it comes. By all means go out to dinner with your friends – just make smart choices. With my help – you got this!
Now it’s your turn!
Be sure to comment below let me know how you are doing on your unjunk your diet journey to living a healthier life. I love hearing your tips, accomplishments and recipes. Be sure to sign up for my healthy newsletter and get my 30 days of healthy snacks ebook – sign up to the right.
