Ever since my trip to Las Vegas, the excessive food has really weighed me down. Literally. So to turn that around, over the course of February until now, I have been trying out “clean eating”. I don’t know how to define it, but I found this lovely bit of information from The Gracious Pantry that defines it wonderfully. I get most of my guidance from Instagram ahaha….pitiful, but hey! It worked kind of. I’m actually so devoted to this that I’m going to plan something out with a nutritionist, I’ve revamped my fridge and pantry, and my parents have learned to add weirder items onto the grocery list. It’s wonderful and it also annoys them, but the mindset gets the whole family into healthy mode.
Basically, by eating clean, you try to eliminate unnecessary toxins from what you ingest. And blahblah, your body is a temple not a dumpster – that kind of mentality. It’s not a short term crash diet or cleanse, and the focus isn’t to lost weight, but to develop a lifestyle and maintain more permanent results through good habits and self-discipline. I’m still working on the self-discipline part. Usually, if I’m alone, the clean eating goes really well. If you bring me out to dinner or a party, I just let myself go :C…
Also, you would be surprised that even if you work out a lot, you won’t see good results without first fixing your diet.
Okiie, here we are with clean eating:
- Eat Lots Of Plants – Going all natural is the way your body likes it. The less processed, genetically-modified, human-altered food, the better. Just think of it as a diet of living out in the wild like a caveman. They actually have a diet for that, and I think it’s the Paleo diet. ß That one’s healthy too. Eat your vegetables, kids. The more colorful, the better.
- Include Healthy Fats – Turkey and fish are the best meat options. There’s also avocados, nuts, nut butters, olives, seed oils etc. Don’t fear fat because by eating it, it actually helps balance out your mental health, heart, cholesterol, and even weight. Tosca Reno has got a list of those foods below!
Healthy fats to the rescue - Drink So Much Water – Like omg, you don’t understand. I pee so much at school. We actually often mistake thirst for hunger. So before you go for the pantry, drink some water and wait a couple of minutes to decide whether you’re craving food or you’re actually just thirsty.
- Read Labels and Eat Fewer Ingredients – Check the ingredients, usually the ones listed first make up most of the food product. So on your cereal boxes, check if sugar is pretty high up there. You wanna cut out sugar and salt, just unhealthy. Salt is good in moderation because of the iodine needed to maintain your thyroid, but not excessively in processed foods. All the words that sound scientific like the glycerides, dextroses, maltodextrin etc., probably means it’s bad for you.
- Eat Several Smaller Meals or Only Eat When You’re Hungry – The smaller portions make you full enough to not overeat and your body has an easier time digesting. It helps your body remain more balanced if you don’t shove piles of food all at once.
Note: For some time, I counted calories and tracked my meals, but that just turns obsessive and I don’t think it’s good for you to eat based on the numbers you see on the calorie counter. Eat what’s healthy, listen to your body (if you’re hungry, then eat). Other people on the web may argue differently, but that’s just my 2 cents.
These are some of the things I’ve cooked up using all natural ingredients, little to no sugar, and no processed junk: (Click view full-size image if you want the food in HD)
