What is Clean Eating?

Is it where you wash your food before you eat it.....

I can not even tell you how many times I get that one.  Ha!  When you are done reading this, you will hopefully have a good idea of what clean eating is, and an idea of what it will mean for YOU.

Now, there are a lot of articles and books (and people) that will try to tell you clean eating is black and white.  That there is only one way to do it, otherwise you are not clean eating.  I disagree.  I think clean eating can be different for everyone.  It is how you choose to apply these rules to your eating lifestyle.  But the basic concept is the same for ALL clean eaters.  You are wanting to eat healthier.  And eating clean is just trying to eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.  You are ultimately trying to eliminate processed foods and artificial ingredients.  The more natural a food is, the more vital nutrients you are getting AND the less harmful ingredients you are consuming.  You are eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and healthy dairy and fats.  Here are some rules to help you (Again...these are just guidelines to help.  Use these to create what clean eating is for you.):

1.  Eat foods that travel the least amount of distance from farm to fork.
     * Grow your own garden
     * Shop local Farmer's Markets
     * Get your meats from your local butcher or meat market
     * Shop the outer perimeter of your grocery store (fresh fruits, fresh veggies, meats, dairy, bakery)

2.  Read labels
     *  Some people say there should be less than 5 ingredients listed.  Others say if you can't pronounce an ingredient on the label, don't eat it.  I follow this rule:  look at the ingredients, ask yourself if it is an ingredient you would buy at the grocery store or have in your house, if no then don't buy it.  For example, in a can of tomatoes, I would buy tomatoes and sea salt, but I would not buy calcium chloride.  So I would not buy that can of tomatoes.

3.  Avoid refined sugars and salts
     * Use Pink Himalayan salt or Sea Salt sparingly.  They are not processed, and contain vital nutrients.
     * Use Raw Honey or Pure Maple Syrup sparingly.  These are natural, unprocessed sweeteners that are GOOD for you.

4.  Avoid these ingredients:
     * Partially hydrogenated oil
     *Artificial food colorings
     * Nitrates and Nitrites (cured meats, lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon)
     *Chemical Preservatives
     * White flour, white rice, white pasta
     * Reduced-fat or Fat-free items or Sugar Free (most of these replace fats and sugars with artificial, unhealthy sources)

5.  Use the 80/20 rule
     *You should be eating clean, healthy foods 80% of your diet, and indulge 20% of your diet.