Clean Consumables

Clean Food....no this doesn't mean you need to take your food into the shower with you, clean eating is all about putting healthy food into your body. I meannn we only have one, and its the one thing we live in our entire lives. It's important to respect it and treat it well.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Below are some clean eating basics I have taken from the Clean Eating Magazine with a few of my comments added in::

Eat five to six times a day
Three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.
          This takes planning, something that I've been doing more is cooking and trying new recipes, it's surprisingly fun to sit down and plan out dinners for each night. Make your life easier and just decide on Monday what dinners will be like for the week! That way you don't turn into a scary starving monster once your home from a long day of work...orr is the monster thing just me?

Drink at least two liters of water a day
Preferably from a reusable canteen, Limit your alcohol intake to one glass of antioxidant-rich red wine a day.
          Holler to Chico's Kleen Kanteen brand! This brand originated in Chico, CA. Thanks to Chico State students its now a worldwide brand...another reason Chico State rocks.

Get label savvy
Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.
          You've heard it a million times, reading a list of 20 ingredients on the back of packages you can't even pronounce aren't good for you. It's common sense peeps, makes sense. 

Avoid processed and refined foods
This includes white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.
          Clean eating doesn't mean starving, you can still make all of your fav dishes, but in a healthier and even tastier way! T R U S T M E.

Know thy enemies
Steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.
          Luckily there are tons of products out there that serve the same purpose in healthier version-- tap into that inner creative part of you. ESPECIALLY in the states. And don't even get me started on all the different flavors...good to have options. So cheers-- **ting ting**

Consume healthy fats
Try to have essential fatty acids, or EFAs, every day.
          Take an omega-3 fish oil pill daily, it's not called an essential fatty acid for nothin! You can buy ground flaxseed too, really good to top on oatmeal or as they say here in NZ "porridge." Where's Goldilocks and the Three Bears when you need em? Not instant, but old-fashion rolled oats. Just be sure not to heat the flaxseed, just sprinkle on top after you've cooked the oats.

Learn about portion sizes
Work towards eating within them.
          A good write-up to help with this is here on The Gracious Pantry. (awesome website, full of info) 

Take it to go
Pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.
          Always have some snacks on hand so your not stuck somewhere with nothing but McD's around. But damn those McFlurry's sure are good...you didn't read that.

A simple rule is always...the more color on your plate the better so bring out that inner artist and make your plate a masterpiece.