“Clean Eating” seems to be a buzz word these days…Whole 30, Paleo, Wheat Belly, Shred…you’ve heard people talking, right? So what does it really mean?? How do I do it?? Why do I want to??
Each has their own variation of details, but the general concept behind it all is a thing called the “Real Food Movement”. The common goal is to eat ACTUAL FOOD. You remember what actual food is, right??? “Real Food” is NOT processed or laden with chemical substances created in a lab somewhere.
BEWARE! Even your favorite “health” supplement could contain these malicious ingredients. Always read the label. Know what you are putting in your body! Do you think the government is monitoring the manufacturers? Sort of. They are limiting the dosage of these chemicals to what they think our bodies can stand without killing us. Remind me to write them a thank you note.
So you want to eat clean but don’t know how? Here are 5 key things to get you started:
- Use single ingredient foods in recipes.
- Shop the perimeter of the grocery store…produce, meat, dairy, etc.
- Buy organic when possible.
- Stay away from foods containing gluten.
- Read the labels – if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.
Have you ever read the ingredient label of let’s say a can of Sprite? Our moms gave it to us when were were sick, so it has to be good…right??? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news BUT here’s a rundown of the ingredients…carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors (which aren’t natural in the sense you are thinking – seriously, GOOGLE IT), sodium citrate, sodium benzoate. Doesn’t that sound delicious and nutritious???
Once these chemicals enter your body, it immediately goes into reactive mode to attack these foreign substances. In short, it causes stress on your organs, massive insulin production and my favorite INFLAMMATION. Inflammation then leads to a myriad of issues including weight gain, bloating, chronic disease and creates the perfect breeding ground for cancer cells. AWESOME, RIGHT?
Think about everything that you have put into your body over the last week. How clean are you eating? Is your body in a constant state of inflammation? Do yourself a favor and start making better choices with the next thing you eat or drink. Your body will thank you, I promise.
CHEERS! xoxo
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