Nobody wants to eat dirty. It just sounds gross. But if you’re not eating clean, that may be your only option. So you may be wondering what it takes to take the dirt out of your diet and wash it off so you can dine on the clean diet you deserve. Well, wonder no more.
Below, you’ll find out what exactly clean eating is and what you can do to make your diet a little bit cleaner.
Keeping It Clean
First things first. What is it? If clean eating is completely foreign to you or you’ve only heard about it in passing or seen it on the cover of a magazine, here is a quick rundown of what clean eating is all about.
Clean eating is nothing more than knowing where your food comes from. Well, that’s where it starts at least. Because if all you do is know what factory your food is made in, you’re not eating clean. The heart of clean eating is knowing where your food comes from, how it gets to you, and taking the necessary steps to only eat those things that are in their most natural and therefore healthy state.
In other words, eating clean means you’ll be eating a lot of whole foods, a.k.a. “real foods,” which are either not processed at all or have undergone very little processing. Thanks to the desire to prolong shelf life of foods, many foods are so crammed with preservatives and are so processed they barely resemble their original selves. Clean eating doesn’t allow such foods in your system.
What It Isn’t
While clean eating is great, there are some things it is not. To begin, clean eating is not easy. A century ago, it was much easier. However, with advances in food preservation, food processing became more and more common. Today, finding enough unprocessed food to live off of is no easy task. Heading to your local farmers’ market is a great way to start making it happen.
It’s also not about going raw. Cooking your food is fine if you’re eating clean. All you’ve got to do is make sure the food you cook is as close to its original state as possible. As long as you’re not prepping your food in a way that will keep it edible for decades to come, you’re still eating clean.
Finally, it’s not about cutting certain food groups from your diet. While eating clean will help you lose weight and feel better, you won’t get the perks by cutting out fats or desserts. You’ll get the perks by simply eating clean.
How to Do It
Your interest piqued with clean eating? If you want to become part of the clean eating movement, here’s some good news: it’s delicious.
With clean eating, you’ll be eating the good stuff: fats, protein, and carbohydrates. You’ll also probably be eating more often than the traditional three meals each day. Instead, you’ll chow down on five or six smaller meals.
As you eat, you’ll want to avoid some fats. Namely, you’ll want to keep away from saturated fats. In fact, while you’re okay to eat fat, you don’t want to gorge yourself on it. You also want to prevent yourself from overdoing it on salt. Instead, train your pallet to appreciate the flavor of food without all the added salt and sugar that is so common in processed foods.
Eating clean, coupled with challenging exercise, is the formula for a toned, lean body — so guarantee your results by teaming up with me.
Together we will come up with a fitness plan that is uniquely yours, one that fits your lifestyle and brings you promptly to your goals.
Call or email today to get started.
Be Fit,
Michael Romig – BS, CN, FMS, YFS, PES, CES & RES
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Slow Cooker
Chicken Breast with Figs and Squash
A slow cooker is a wonderful tool to prepare meals of protein and vegetables with very little labor. Most slow cooker recipes simply require that you chop and gather all of the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, and then the food cooks all day while you are away. The chicken and squash in this recipe turn out deliciously moist and flavorful. Servings: 6 Here’s what you need:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 lbs organic, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 12 dried figs, chopped 1 cup butternut squash, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- i2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- In a large skillet place the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, browning each side for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the contents of the skillet to your slow cooker and top with the remaining ingredients.
- Cook on low for 6 hours
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 389 calories, 7g fat, 400mg sodium, 27g carbs, 2g fiber, and 48g protein
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