Clean Eating - How to Get Started

I get so many people who want to eat clean but don't know where to start. I think that for some there is a miconception that it is hard,  How many servings a day!  What is a complex carb, is Corn a vegetable?  So hopefully this will clear the air just a bit!  Tosca Reno the author of the Eat Clean Diet calls her meal plans, cooler plans!  She has different cooler plans based on the type of results you want to get.  So today I am focusing on Cooler plan #2, which is for steady weight loss and maintenance once you goal weight is reached.  So this is basically the plan I stick to year round at this point!  This will give you a good idea of what to eat and when!

What is it?  This IS EATING CLEAN!  Do this year round for steady, healthy weight loss.  But this plan can also be used for maintenance.  Here's why:  when your body begins to approaching its set point (its genetically predetermined healthy weight) you will find that weight loss will stop or slow.

The occasional treat (glass of wine, piece of chocolate, ect) is permitted in limited amounts.  Unhealthy sugars and fats are not recommended.

How it works:
 Follow the eat clean principles as listed below:

What to do:

• Eat more- eat six small meals each day.
• Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising.
• Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbs at each meal
• Eat sufficient (two to three servings) healthy fats every day.
• Carry a cooler packed with clean foods each day.
• Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
• Adhere to proper portion sizes.

What to Avoid:

• Avoid all over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar.
• Avoid all chemically charge foods.
• Avoid foods containing preservatives.
• Avoid artificial sugars.
• Avoid artificial foods such as processed cheese slices.
• Avoid saturated and trans fats.
• Avoid sugar loaded beverages, including colas and juices.
• Avoid or do your best to limit alcohol intake.
• Avoid all calorie dense foods containing little or no nutritional value. I call these anti-foods.
• Avoid super sizing your meals.

Complex Carbohydrates from Fruit and Vegetables:

• 6 portions each day.  A portion is:
• 1 cupped handful or a piece of fruit such as berries, grapefruit, melon, apples and mangoes.
• 2 cupped handfuls of vegetables including broth based/vegetable puree soups.

Complex Carbohydrates from whole grains and starchy carbohydrates: 

2-4 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 scant handful of high-protein, sugar-free cold cereals, such as clean muesli or granola.
• 1 handful of cooked cereal
• 1 piece of whole grain bread or wrap (Sante Fe tortilla wraps from Costco are a great option)
• 1 handful sized serving of sweet potato, yam, banana, corn, carrots or squash

Lean Protein
6 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 cup or handful of dairy products such as low fat soy, almond, hemp, rice, or skim milk, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt cheese or plain fat free sugar free yogurt.
• 1 scant handful of raw, unsalted nuts (also a healthy fat)
• 2 tablespoons of all natural nut butters such as almond or peanut butter (also a healthy fat).
• 1 palm sized portion of lean meats
• good quality, sugar- and chemical- free protein powder (hemp, soy or whey).

Beverages:

• 2-3 liters per day of fresh water with no sodium
• Clear herbal tea (unsweetened)
• Black coffee in moderation
• Green/Black tea

Sweeteners:  Use in moderation.  Avoid Artificial Sweeteners.

• Agave Nectar 
• Honey
• Maple Sugar Flakes
• Rapadura Sugar

Does this look boring or bland?? I think not -- these are all foods that I eat while Clean Eating !! 

I have lost 20 lbs to date with clean eating and regular exercise.  No starvation just healthy whole meals.  As you can see above this picture is an idea of some of the foods that I enjoy on a regular basis.
If you would like even more support email me at mshewell1218@gmail.com I would be glad to provide you with daily motivation and support to help you accomplish your health and weight loss goals! 

Have a great day!

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Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.

Free 7 Day Clean Eating Group !

So Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas will be here before we know it . There is no better time than NOW to take a look at your eating habits and attempt to clean them up a bit. Its amazing what a little bit of change can do for you !! 

Its not to LATE to get started so I wanted to get this in just before you sit down to that BIG THANKSGIVING MEAL. Let me share with you what I have been doing and how it can benefit you. You may be  unsure of how to get started or what it is all about? That's where I come in :) 

My life has been changed by Clean Eating and Beachbody workouts. I think that everyone is worthy of being the healthiest version of themselves and so I want to share my experiences so that you can make this about a lifestyle change and not a crash diet.

When I started out I thought that I was eating really healthy, i was just cheating way to much on the weekends. Well I was wrong. It wasn't easy at first, I had to make some modifications to my thought process of how I approached food. I had to learn how to take those foods that I really loved and modify them to make them a better version so that it would benefit me and not hinder my progress. My family gave me push back on some of the NEW RECIPES that I was trying out. We learned that you don't know if you don't try and some have never crossed the kitchen to be made again and some are part of the regular routine. Yes this was a NEW for me. But I had a made a choice in my life that i needed a change. 

If you are serious about learning how to eat clean get the book:  "EAT CLEAN RECHARGED" by Tosca Reno.  It completely changed the way I looked at food!

So if I can help the process along by giving you a 7 day meal plan, daily accountability, motivation and support then I am all for it!  

What are the requirements?

1.  You must make me your official Beachbody Coach by going to my site and creating a free profile.  This way I can send you recipes, meal plans and monthly motivation and tips to keep you on track with your lifestyle.

2.  You must participate for the next 7 days in our online closed facebook group each day!  

3.  Commit to checking in 1x per day, rating your day and charting your progress.

4.  Invite 2 friends to join!  Why not bring a few friends along for the ride! There is nothing better than having an accountability partner in the next 7 days!!!!  You are more likely to stick with it if you have someone by your side.

What do you get for joining? 

1.  You get a free 7 day meal plan.
2.  A grocery list
3. A place to check in daily, ask questions, get support and motivation.
4.  Daily tips that have worked for me.
5.  Strategies to handle emotional eating and temptations.

Are you ready to get started?  We will begin the group on Monday November 13th so please reserve your spot today!

>>>>>Email me at mshewell1218@gmail.com to get enrolled in the free group!