What does Clean Eating Mean?

What does "Clean eating" ~"Real food" & "Whole food"  mean?

These words all mean the same thing just different jargon

 It's food found on the outer perimeter of the grocery store. 

 Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy, and Meat. Usually it is grown or farm raised. There is no ingredient list or a SHORT list.

What does "Processed Food" & "Junk" mean?

This is food found on the inner isles of the grocery store. Basically anything on the inner isles is processed, high sodium, high fat, high sugary boxed foods with a long ingredient list of stuff you can't even pronounce. 

If you purchase most of your groceries from the inner isle. You should re-evaluate your eating habits. You want to shop primarily on the outer isle of the store.

We all have a certain food that sabotages us. We know it's keeping us from our goal. Instead of depriving yourself figure out how to make a healthier version.

The kids wanted cinn a bun. I found a recipe and made them from scratch.  It was a treat and I know the exact ingredients because I made it. Also, I controlled the portion size of them!

TIP: Cut bread, ice cream, cake, treats into small pieces. They will always go back for SECONDS. If you make the portion small it's a trick and they think there getting more. IF you cut large slices they'll still go back for seconds but this time consume tons of extra calories.

When you first start cooking with new recipes it can feel like a huge task. 

Sometimes you will make amazing meals and sometimes it's a disaster.

Friday I made a few meals from a website I follow. The recipes where a disaster:( This happens sometimes. I try to cook from recipes sites and books that I had success with in the past.

Over the years I've added new recipes to my "typical" meals. 

Don't let the bad meals discourage you!

Years ago when I first started cooking I got most of my recipes  from Cooking Light. I love this magazine! However,sometimes they call for lots of ingredients. I felt like most of my day was spent shopping and prepping. 

Then dinner was served and the meal was eaten in minutes. It used to frustrate me...LOL It took ALL DAY and BAM! Gone in the blink of an eye. I should be happy they ate it....

What's worse is when it fails and comes out yucky;(

TIP: I keep a spiral note book of recipes I love and cook often. I still refer back and add to the book. 

You can find Apps where you attach recipes but I'm old fashion that way. 

I like to flip through my recipes when I'm stumped for an idea.

I also subscribe to Clean Eating magazine. Tosca Reno has several cookbooks. I own all of them! 

When I first learned about these books I would only cook out of them seldom~1 or 2 recipes a month. I didn't like these foods/meals they seemed to hard core. After years of trying different recipes. I started to mainly only cook from them. 

I came from eating out nightly, fast food, and sweets. 

Switching to a non processed diet is hard at FIRST. 

You basically have to re train your "high jacked" taste-buds. By eating boxed high sugary foods you are addicted to these foods. 

Here is an example. I used to eat high sugar boxed cereal/maple and brown sugar oatmeal. When I switched over to Quaker Oats and added my own fruit, honey, and nuts I thought it was very bland and nasty. I knew it was good for me so I kept eating it daily. Eventually, I acquired a taste and now I love it!

YEARS AGO: I used to drink coffee with splenda AND hazelnut creamer. I then learned splenda was NOT sugar even though they claimed it was. My taste buds were so used to super sweet "high jacked" that when I ditched the splenda and only used creamer it was NASTY! Again, I drank it for a few days and eventually my taste buds changed.

NOTE: this was many many years ago. 

I DO NOT DRINK NOR DO I ADVISE SUGAR SUBSTITUTES

I'm just trying to give you a few examples of what you may experience when you get off these high sugar foods.

I used to eat fruit with table sugar sprinkled on it. This is crazy now when I think about it. Fruit is so sweet and delicious it doesn't need extra table sugar!

EX:  if you use 6 tsp of sugar/artificial sweetener start cutting back a little each time and soon you will wean your taste buds. 

Once you re train your taste buds food will be so YUMMY. The flavors are like an explosion of taste.

Organic doesn't always mean "healthy" It seems now they make any junk food "Organic" sugar is sugar and processed it junk. Don't be fooled by "organic oreo's, cookies, etc

This week think about what food is sabotaging you? Figure out how to reduce the amount or replace it with a healthy alternative. Change one thing a week. Don't overwhelm yourself. Remember this is a LIFE STYLE not a diet. 

Also,Give yourself credit for making this change!

This was to cute  not to post

I often here I only lost 1 lbs. This is awesome! A few months ago you were GAINING/MAINTAINING. Be grateful for the small stuff. THEY EVENTUALLY ADD UP.

This is a real picture of what fat looks like below the skin. ew