CHAPTER THREE

Getting Started with Clean Eating

There are some basic principles for the Clean Eating plan, but it’s definitely not a rigid diet that forbids variations. The plan accommodates health, logistical, and everyday situations that might crop up. Clean Eating is meant to be a lifestyle that you’ll be delighted to follow for the rest of your life, one that can be tailored to fit your needs and routine. Nothing derails a change in eating patterns faster than inconvenience, complexity, or hard-to-find ingredients. Follow the essential rules as much as possible, but cut yourself some slack when you’re not perfect. Here are the fundamentals.

CLEAN EATING DOS AND DON’TS

• Do eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables: Clean Eating is all about whole foods like fresh produce. Top your cereal with fresh berries or a banana, eat salads that combine many colors and textures, and toss steamed vegetables with chunks of lean skinless, boneless chicken or whole-grain pasta for a satisfying dinner. Fruits and vegetables are a wonderful addition to any meal or snack.
• Do eat five to six small meals a day instead of three large meals: Spreading your meals out evenly from when you get up to when you go to bed prevents blood sugar spikes and reduces cravings. Starving yourself or eating three big meals a day can create real blood sugar issues, so consistency is the key to success. Fueling your body constantly with nutrient-rich foods revs up your metabolism to give you constant energy all day. Try to eat every two to three hours, and never skip a meal. Anyone who has experienced the dreaded midafternoon energy slump will tell you that low blood sugar can wreak havoc on your body. When you hit that wall with no healthful food in sight, a sugary, fattening snack often seems to be the only solution. Refined sugar might help initially, but your blood glucose high will eventually crash—even more dramatically—later in the day. The best solution is to keep your body from reaching metabolic extremes. Always eat breakfast to kick-start your metabolism and start the day off right. Then eat several smaller, nutritious meals every few hours. At first, even though you’re not eating the refined carbs and saturated fats that you’re used to, you might actually find that you feel too full. But don’t skip any meals! Doing so will eventually lead to weight gain because it slows down your metabolism.
• Do drink lots of water: Most people know that the human body is about 66 percent water and that it can’t go very long without water. This vital liquid does a great deal of good in your body. It flushes toxins, helps with the absorption of nutrients, assists with regulating body temperature, and supports lustrous hair and glowing skin. “Drink lots of water” has been a health mantra for decades. When it comes to Clean Eating, staying hydrated throughout the day, especially when exercising, is key. When you’re thirsty, you’re dehydrated. Properly hydrated muscles perform better and you’ll be less apt to feel sore the day after you work out.
• Do carry clean food with you: You should never get caught without a stash of clean food, both when you’re out and when you’re home. If you do, you might skip a meal or eat something that isn’t good for you. Keep lots of clean food in your fridge, prepared ahead of time, and invest in a cooler that you can pack with leftovers, fruit, nuts, and bottles of water. Soon this will become a routine and you’ll breeze through your day with no food mistakes.
• Do start your day with fresh lemon juice squeezed into a cup of hot water: Many Asian cultures advocate beginning the day with water and lemon to detoxify the liver (Gucciardi 2012). Your liver filters toxins from your blood, so maintaining this hard-working organ is a step in the right direction. Drinking lemon and hot water first thing in the morning can also hydrate you after sleeping and cut the amount of coffee you drink.
• Do add exercise to your routine: Cardio (aerobic) exercise and weight training are definitely important components of Clean Eating, because exercise is part of creating a healthier body. Get your heart pumping and oxygen flowing with cardio exercise that puts your body in motion, such as brisk walking, dancing, competitive and individual sports, swimming, and even climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Weight training builds muscle, which revs up your metabolism, increases stamina, and helps you develop an attractive, toned physique. Getting in shape will also boost your confidence.
• Do eat both complex carbohydrates and protein at every meal: This Clean Eating essential is set in stone because pairing your foods this way can prevent fluctuations in your insulin levels, reduce food cravings, help with weight-loss goals, promote fat burning, and increase energy (Venuto 2009). With so many foods to choose from in each nutritional category, it’s very easy to come up with tasty pairings. Proteins can include skinless, boneless chicken; fish; lean meats; nut butters; and legumes. Complex carbohydrates are fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains.
• Don’t skimp on sleep: There never seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done, and sometimes sleep isn’t a priority. But sleep is vital to losing weight and maintaining a healthy body. When you sleep, your body produces human growth hormone, which stimulates your metabolism (Hensrud 2012). Sleep deprivation robs you of energy to exercise or even to engage in ordinary daily activities. And if you’re exhausted, it’s more likely you’ll reach for easy but temporary energy fixes like sugary foods and caffeinated beverages. That’s bad for your health and bad for your weight.
• Don’t ever skip meals: Anyone who has dieted to lose weight has tried skipping meals to cut calories. This doesn’t work, and it’s one of the reasons diets often fail (Tomiyama et al. 2010). When you skip meals, your blood sugar fluctuates wildly, which leads to cravings, lack of energy, and overeating.
• Don’t forget that food is nutritional medicine: Eating is definitely a pleasure, but never lose sight of the fact that food is meant to support and fuel your body efficiently. What you put in your mouth can either benefit you or create health issues. Eating clean, nutrient-packed foods is crucial for optimal health and will help establish a strong foundation for wellness throughout your life.
• Don’t start your week without a Clean Eating meal plan: Clean Eating is all about mindful eating and carefully choosing what foods to put in your body. Without a plan it’s difficult to shop wisely, prepare clean meals, and pack your cooler for when you’re out of the house. The old saying “failing to plan means planning to fail” holds true in the Clean Eating lifestyle.
• Don’t eat high-sodium foods: Eating less sodium can actually cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by about 25 to 30 percent, because sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure (PsychEducation 2003). Most processed foods are a huge source of sodium, so they’re no-no’s on the Clean Eating plan. In addition, it’s important to use herbs and spices rather than salt to boost the flavor when preparing your meals. Adding salt to your food is often a habit more than a flavor preference, so try cooking without it—you might be surprised at how delicious food tastes on its own.
• Don’t leave the house unprepared: Always bring along a cooler of clean foods and healthful meals. And always carry plenty of water wherever you go. You never know if you might get stuck in traffic or if that appointment will take longer than expected. It’s a good idea to pack your containers the night before—dinner leftovers make a tasty lunch—so that you can fly out the door prepared for a hectic day.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE

Choosing clean, wholesome foods is only one component of Clean Eating; you also should include exercise in your daily routine. Experts recommend that you do a minimum of thirty minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week, and work your way up to as much as sixty minutes five to six times per week. It’s especially important to train with weights at least three times a week.

There are good reasons why Clean Eating has been an element of bodybuilding culture for decades. When you move, your body undergoes a process called lipolysis, which frees fat from your fat cells (Goto et al. 2007). Exercise also releases testosterone, which breaks down fat for hours after your workout ends. Cardio exercise is important, but weight training is particularly beneficial, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Lifting weights can actually sculpt your body, and working your big muscle groups fires up your metabolism as all those muscle fibers contract hundreds of times. But be careful not to overtrain, which can cause injuries and destroy all your forward progress. Overtraining can cause fatigue, depression, and underperformance of your exercises. Slowly work up to intense, focused sessions for less than an hour a day and rest in between. The way you feel and look comes only 10 percent from exercise, while genetics counts for another 10 percent, and nutrition accounts for the remaining 80 percent (Reno 2006).

The benefits of regular exercise include:

• Weight loss or decreased body fat
• A more efficient metabolism—muscle burns more energy at rest
• Fewer hunger pangs and food cravings; exercise is a natural appetite suppressant
• A toned, tighter body
• Increased energy
• A stronger immune system and a reduced chance of getting chronic illnesses
• Improved cardiovascular functioning
• Better lung capacity
• Deep, satisfying sleep
• Increased sex drive
• Healthy skin

Remember, it’s important to consult with your health care provider before starting any exercise program.

TEN STEPS TO GET STARTED

1. Make a commitment to yourself and find support.

Clean Eating is a lifestyle choice that requires a commitment to a healthier you. Your goals can be reached only if you commit to yourself. It can be very difficult to put yourself first and understand that doing so isn’t selfish. Your commitment to Clean Eating will actually take your relationships with your family, friends, and coworkers to a higher level. It’s also important to tell people your plans and to seek support with your goals. This is a wonderful way to stay on track . . . and you never know who might want to join you!

2. Write down your goals and keep a journal.

At the beginning of your Clean Eating journey it’s very important to document what you want to achieve, such as losing twenty pounds, lowering your cholesterol by a certain number of points, or taking your body mass index (BMI) down to a particular number. Be as specific as possible and set realistic milestones so that you have a clear focus and can create a game plan around those goals. Write down what you eat every day, along with your exercise schedule and anything else that gives you insight into your eating habits. For example, you might write down that you get really hungry or have flagging energy in the afternoon. This means you should eat something a little more substantial as a snack.

3. Start with a clean slate.

When you make the decision to eat cleanly, you need to clean all of the bad food out of your fridge, cupboards, pantry, car, and “secret places.” This might seem like a waste of money, but you need to remove all temptations. You can give the food to relatives or even donate it to a food bank if you don’t want to fill up garbage bags. Remember to toss condiments, cereals, and hidden stashes of old Halloween candy.

4. Have a plan when you shop for food.

Never go shopping without a meal plan and shopping list in hand, and stick to the list even if other items are on sale. And don’t go to the supermarket hungry! Eat something before hitting the supermarket: research has shown that hungry shoppers buy more food as well as more junk convenience foods. But the most important shopping tip is to read the label of every product you want to buy to find any ingredients that aren’t on the Clean Eating list.

5. Avoid foods with ingredients you don’t recognize.

If you’ve ever spent time studying labels on food products, you know that many of the ingredients of popular foods sound like the makings of a chemistry experiment. This isn’t too far from the truth. These unrecognizable ingredients are used as preservatives, to add color, to stop products from clumping, and for many other reasons. A good Clean Eating strategy is to either buy whole, single ingredients or to look for products that have few ingredients. Foods that contain lots of empty calories make up the bulk of the standard American diet (SAD), and many people aren’t aware of how much bad food they consume. Even foods that are advertised as healthful, such as frozen diet dinners and “light” foods, are packed with ingredients that can harm your health. A good Clean Eating rule of thumb is to purchase only fresh foods or those with the shortest list of ingredients—”real” ingredients, that is—on their labels. If you can’t spell or pronounce something, there’s a good chance that you shouldn’t eat it, either.

6. Accept that you’ll probably be eating more food rather than less.

Don’t panic when you look at the amount of food you’ll be carrying around and enjoying when eating cleanly. Eating more to lose weight might seem like a strange concept, but it makes sense when you consider how unstable blood sugar and binge eating affect your body. It’s also infinitely better to fill up on healthful whole foods rather than indulge in junk food. So follow your meal plans without skipping meals or counting calories, and trust your body to use all those nutrients effectively.

7. Remember that your body is unique.

On the Clean Eating plan, strive to be the best you rather than trying to look like anyone else. Every single person in the world has different needs when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and health. This is a lifestyle choice, not a diet, and for the best results you need to tailor it to your situation and body. If you have a health condition such as diabetes, you’ll need to take that into account when planning your meals, even though Clean Eating is very beneficial for people with diabetes.

8. Drink lots of water.

Water is often not the first choice for people when they’re thirsty. But on the Clean Eating plan it’s important to drink as much water as you can. This is probably one of the simpler steps to take, and if you really don’t like water, you can jazz it up with a fresh squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange juice. If you haven’t been a big water drinker, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that your headaches, fatigue, and dull skin disappear when you start hydrating more. Hydrating your body properly will make you feel better immediately.

9. Stop eating sugar, saturated fats, refined foods, and junk foods.

Cutting out all the foods that are bad for you will create monumental positive changes in your body almost immediately. On the Clean Eating plan, you should completely avoid sugar because it can sabotage your health goals. Clean Eating isn’t really about forbidden foods; it’s about foods that don’t contain refined sugar in their natural states, even sweet fruit. Sugar causes catastrophic effects in your body, such as soaring blood sugar, deep energy and mental crashes, and intense food cravings. Too much sugar in your diet can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity (Hyman 2012). Read your labels closely to look for hidden sugar, such as in spaghetti sauce or bread, and satisfy your sweet tooth with a natural treat like pineapple raisins. When you avoid sugar, refined foods, and junk foods, you might lose weight, experience fewer mood swings, and have sharper mental focus. However, in some cases, this type of food purge results in withdrawal symptoms such as headaches or fatigue, especially if sugar is a major component of your diet. Don’t give up if this occurs: the backlash is temporary, and it means you’re on the right track. Just keep your goals at the forefront of your mind and stick with it.

10. Eat more fresh produce, lean protein, and whole grains.

Instead of packaged convenience items, fill your grocery cart with a plethora of fresh, vibrant produce in as many colors as possible. Add lean protein sources (the most healthful are organic and free-range, but if you can’t find or afford those, at least try to find hormone-, steroid-, and antibiotic-free protein), and round out your list with whole-grain products. Shoot for a cart that contains very few boxes, jars, or cans. Since switching to whole, nutritious foods is what Clean Eating is all about, this is the most important step to take in order to get started on your new lifestyle. “Whole” doesn’t refer to an entire apple or carrot (although these are whole foods!), but rather to foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Such foods are whole because nothing has been removed from them through processing or refining. When they’re refined, grains and other carbohydrates are stripped of vitamins, minerals, and fiber; they still contain calories, but they’ve lost their nutrients. Beyond whole wheat, you can buy all kinds of whole grains, from barley and oats to quinoa and wild rice. Look for the word “whole” before the ingredients on products such as bread, flour, breakfast cereal, and tortillas. These healthful grains reduce the risk of heart disease and help keep your blood sugar stable (Worden 2011). Think of natural, whole foods this way: a bowl of blueberries and steel-cut oatmeal makes a much more healthful breakfast than an oatmeal-blueberry muffin (which is most likely filled with sugar and other harmful ingredients). Whenever possible, prepare and cook your own whole foods rather than eating processed foods.