Hey there reader,
Today I want to chat some about clean eating.
When I first started on my weight loss journey, I was more concerned about the amount of food I was eating and not the quality. I figured as long as I stayed within my daily calories, I'd lose weight, and I did.
I made most of the foods we ate from scratch, but wasn't paying attention to additives, preservatives, artificial colors, or ingredients. Like I said, as long as I was losing weight, I thought I was eating healthy.
A few months into my weight loss journey, I happen to come across the concept of clean eating through a few documentaries I watched and started to do more research. I never even thought about the quality (or lack of quality) of the food we were eating. But once I gained the knowledge, I started to make changes.
After I started to eat cleaner foods, I noticed a difference in the way I felt and looked.
- I felt full longer. Clean foods give your body the nutrients it needs keeping you satisfied longer.
- I had more energy—the same reason as above.
- I didn't experience the sugar crashes that I felt with processed foods.
- My skin was glowing, and I noticed a difference in my hair and nails.
- I felt healthier overall eating clean foods.
Now, you might not be entirely sure what cleaning eating is? So, before I go any further, let me give you a quick definition.
Clean eating means eating foods closest to their most natural whole form free of additives, preservatives, or anything artificial.
With clean eating, you want to consume foods that are minimally processed, if processed at all. The basic concept is food should not come from a box, package, mix, or bag.
Of course, many brands have come a long way over the years by offering healthier clean options. But, for the most part, eating clean means eating foods closest to their natural form.
Just like with any eating style, there are different levels - some people are stringent and won't eat anything processed even if still considered "cleanish."
Other's give themselves some flexibility. It depends on the person's personality, goals, and habits.
I live by a 75/25 clean eating rule - I eat clean at least 75% of the time. It doesn't mean I go hog-wild on Doritos every day. It just means I know I'm human and what will work for my lifestyle and family.
My advice is to educate yourself then adapt the information to fit your lifestyle. Ultimately, you are the only one that knows what will and will not work for your family.
If you're starting with clean eating, I have a couple of clean eating resources that I think you'll find helpful. I wrote these posts with busy people in mind who like to eat! People like me!
| What is Clean Eating? Tips For Busy People |
| How to Start Clean Eating |
I want to leave you with two super easy ways to start clean eating that I pulled from those posts. This is how I started implementing changes, and so can you.
"Clean up" the recipes you already eat.
Honestly, I'd be willing to bet you're not too far off from eating cleaner foods. Many people often feel like they need to completely overhaul their diet when in reality, you only need to make a few tweaks.
To give an example, we love tacos. Before clean eating, I never paid attention to the quality of the ground beef or ground turkey I bought. Also, I'd purchase whatever taco shells were on sale and grab any seasoning packet from the grocery aisle. I had no clue the amount of junk I was feeding our bodies.
To make clean eating tacos, I purchase organic grass-fed beef, make homemade taco seasoning, and use organic corn taco shells. Again, you don't need to be 100% perfect, but even small changes can make a big difference in your health.
Take a look at your favorite recipes and see where you can clean them up. It's probably a lot easier than you think.
Don't think it is all or nothing.
The thought of eliminating all processed foods is a bit overwhelming for people – I know it was for me. This mindset alone can prevent you from eating clean.
Honestly, this is one of the main reasons I HATE putting "a label" on an eating style. I feel as soon as you attach to that label, you immediately feel like you're under a microscope and have to do everything "perfect," or why even bother.
Well, you might be happy to know that I don't view clean eating as an all-or-nothing lifestyle. You shouldn't either.
Sure some people might disagree with me, and that's fine, but I don't think that's realistic for most of us. My advice is to start with small changes and add in more as you get comfortable.
All of the recipes I share on Organize Yourself Skinny are clean eating recipes. They also include meal prep instructions to help make it easier to fit clean eating habits into your busy lifestyle.
| Browse All OYS Recipes |
If you have any clean eating questions, hit reply and let me know.
Talk to you soon.
Tammy Overhoff
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