How to Eat Clean

Have you tried every diet known to man and it just isn't getting the job done? There is a solution but it requires willpower and determination. There is a diet called the Eat Clean Diet...but it really isn't a diet at all. It allows you to actually eat six meals a day. Eating clean is a lifestyle change it isn't a fad diet. It is about making a conscious effort every day of your life to choose healthier foods, cutting out fast food, and removing processed sugar and carbs from your diet. Eating clean can change your life and it will change your life if you stick to the plan. If you are feeling sluggish, worn down, irritated throughout the day, having trouble sleeping at night, or feel like you are starving to death before you get to your next meal...you are in serious need of a lifestyle change. Eating clean can change your life for the better. Passing on processed sugars, high starchy foods, and fast food meals will have you on your way to a more energetic and fit lifestyle.

If you are eating three square meals a day...you are wrecking your metabolism. It is important to get five to six small meals in a day. These meals should include a combination of lean proteins, like chicken, turkey, fish or lean beef and complex carbohydrates at every meal. The idea that carbs are bad is just not true. It really depends on what type of carbs you are eating. Simple carbs are foods processed with added sugars and these will almost always turn into fat. What the body needs to fuel itself is complex carbs like rolled oats, barley, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, brown or black rice, and whole grain breads in limited amounts. The combination of lean proteins, complex carbs, and non starchy vegetables is the perfect way to fuel your body, and keep your energy levels high throughout the day...without the feeling of highs and lows through the day.

Water is also very important in your "diet". Most people live off of coffee, sugary sodas, teas, cappuccinos and alcohol. But these do nothing for the maintenance of the body or the facilitation of nutrients. Drinking a cup of plain coffee or tea will not hurt you, but when you add sugar and creamer to the mix it changes the effect on the body entirely. If you must drink these, try to add sweeteners or a bit of honey in your tea. Honey is high in sugar content, but it is a natural product. You still want to be careful at how much you put in your drink or you aren't gaining anything by loading it with sugars. Realistically a person should drink about a gallon of water a day, even more so if you are physically active. Water helps the body utilize and transport the nutrients it takes in. Water also keeps the body hydrated and feeling less hungry through the day. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink water, it is already too late. Your body will already be in a state of dehydration. Drinking a glass of water with every meal is one way to ensure you are getting the fluids you need.

Balancing your meals and eating on a regular schedule can keep you on the right track. It is important to eat about every two to three hours during the day. This helps to keep your metabolism working and also keeps you from feeling starved as you wait for your next meal. The meals should be balanced with 4-6 oz of protein, complex carbs, and a cup of vegetables For meals 2, 4, 6. Meal one should be your breakfast meal consisting of 4-6 egg whites, vegetables 1 cup, and a 1/2 cup of oatmeal or a piece of whole grain toast with unsweetened apple sauce. You can change up the combination or make the egg whites as omelets with your favorite veggies, light or fat free cheese, and salsa. Meals 3 and 5 should be small meals in between the larger ones, consisting of a piece of fruit and a small handful of unsalted almonds or nuts of your choice, or a low carb protein shake. You can even do fat free cottage cheese topped with fruit of your choice. There are so many recipes available to you through the internet and books that are specifically catered to the clean eating lifestyle. Tosca Reno is the author of The Eat Clean Diet and has completely transformed her life. Her book is informative with full color illustrations, recipes, and even a grocery list that helps you get your cabinets and fridge ready for your new lifestyle change.

The other element of eating clean is physical activity. These really go hand in hand. Nutrition is the biggest key to weight loss and maintenance...but if you are reduced to a slab of flabby flesh...what have you accomplished for yourself? You need to include a cardio regimen and weight lifting program into your lifestyle. It is extremely important that you incorporate these combined activities into your lifestyle at least three days a week, minimum-no exceptions. Exercise is known to boost metabolism when muscle mass is increased because muscle requires more calories to maintain. You are basically adding fuel to the fat burning machine. Women tend to be skeptical when it comes to lifting weights. They think that it will turn them into some giant she-monster, but that is not the case unless you are using illegal hormones to enhance unnatural muscle growth. The female body does not have as much testosterone as the male body coursing through its veins. If you do a little research on fitness and figure competitors you will see the awesome physique that can be created by lifting weights. Mind you, these are people that have trained for years and years and have chosen to put in six days a week along with a clean eating diet. These results are not typical. But if you want to improve the overall shape of your body and maintain a high metabolism, cardiovascular activity combined with weight lifting is a must.

Tosca Reno says in her book something very hard hitting for most people. She says that " your current physique pretty much says what you are putting into it". It is true what they say...you are what you eat. You are what you make of yourself. If you can go above and beyond what you think you can do...you can change your life. If you stick to the clean eating lifestyle and stay on a regimented workout routine, your life will change for the better.