What is Clean Eating

******** THIS IS NOT A DIET *********** THESE ARE JUST LIFESTYLE FOOD CHOICES!

When I began my weight loss journey it was never about getting 'skinny' but it was all about getting 'healthy'.

My first 45lbs came from reducing my intake (portion control, moderation, mostly calorie counting & journal).

When I took the challenge to eat lighter I learned instantly that I could get very hungry and never feel very full from processed foods and they packed alot of calories and sodium.

So *Tip* each week I began to change something in my grocery list or maybe two to a healthier version than what I was eating before.

What does clean look like to me?! Cause MY idea of Clean is often very CLEAN to compared to some other CLEAN eaters.

With that said....Don't freak out about my Clean, find Your clean and I'll talk about general clean first.

---- Reduce the chemicals in your food, opt for Organic when you can

---- Eat Fresh fruits/veggies as much as possible

---- Eat 3 x daily and that's it *or* you opt for 5 smaller meals to keep blood sugar levels steady

---- Avoid processed foods

---- Avoid refined carbs

---- Avoid Soda & juice

---- Avoid low dense foods (food that have little/no nutritional value)

--- Eat lean meats, healthy oils and as little saturated fast as possible.

--- Drink alot of water (avoid alcohol) and dang maybe I just say too now that I'm on my soapbox if you smoke...quit!

OK...FREAKED OUT NOW? Oh Don't be. It's part of the food pyramid is very normal.

Perhaps you already think you eat well (I always thought I'd did, lol)

Perhaps you think all this sounds boring and plain tasting. Trust me when I say our taste buds are so adapted to sweetness and the processed foods that we can't trust what is Earth Given. With time you will adjust and you'll learn to actually taste the subtle flavors in all foods. Even organic vs. non-organic!

Ok, so I go further with it all.

--- I compare labels and I look for products that have the LEAST amount of ingredients, avoid all the preservatives that make up all the food!

--- Absolutely NO partially or fully hydrogenated oils in my product list.

--- no artificial sweeteners (yes I'm a believer that they are NO good for you!) un-natural, not earthly but instead man made, body doesn't know what to do with it, tricks the brain into thinking you are eating sugar and I believe in my core gets tossed into fat cells and stored away and may potentially trigger cell abnormalities triggering cancer growth. P.s. No berating e-mails, I have no scientific fact about this, it is my personal opinion and this is my Blog ....so do with what you want this information but harass me, lmao. But seriously google aspartame and side effects and read to your glorious amazed wonder at the complaints about as you google. I further believe that the industry of both medical and product standpoint will provide research after research supporting the use of artificial sweeteners. I understand why, we live in an obese society and we have loads of diabetics! However, most nutritionists will suggest even as a diabetic that you manage your blood sugar through proper foods at proper times of the day instead of using the artificial sweetener. At least I've first hand experienced these sorts of consults with diabetics in my last profession.

--- I use fresh and If I can't then I go with frozen

---- I avoid all foods in a can, I'm not perfect at this yet but if there is a choice to purchase something in paper then I will and I do so because ALL CANS have BPA linings. They don't like to tell you that because well 'BPA IS BAD' and this is FACT but it still gets used because as we know aluminum and foods acids don't work together well so they have to line the cans and at 'our consumer' health detriment.

---- I avoid plastic. Again if I can purchase a food in a glass jar, then I will. Give it to me simple people! Glass is so cheap, wonder why they want to use plastic so bad!

---- I don't hardly use my microwave. occasional and rare but I like to cook natural over the stove. The idea of letting the chemical leach into my foods through the microwave just 'irks' me. The idea that I'm 'waving' my foods just degrades the healthy integrity of the foods. I further cringe when people steam their food in the same plastic bag that the food came in...I don't care for steamers, lol. I say if you are going to use the microwave whip out your ceramic and glass and microwave at your hearts content but please avoid the plastic! Remember how many years that everyone cooked in plastic only to find the BPA and all these other toxins killing people! Serious people we don't know! and PLEASE if you LOVE lean cuisines and healthy choice because you simply refuse to home-cook your foods and fall into convenient eating again then take it out of the plastic and throw onto a glass/ceramic plate and microwave. if you must place in a bowl and tightly 'above and not touching' the food, the the Saran wrap over top to create your steam. :) Even if you disagree and don't do any of this, at least in MY BLOG I said my Peace :)

---- I don't eat off of Teflon. Give me Stainless steel and CAST IRON is amazing to cook on! You'll reap the benefit of extra iron in your diet too (great for us runner girls especially ;)

---- I avoid MSG- Mono Sodium Glutamate. AGAIN- another man made salt this time and again....I fear the unknowns on this! which is sad cause almost all foods have it in in there now (dressings, mayo, soups, breads...omg really!)

--- I avoid all high fructose corn syrup- again man made

--- when I do hit up my organic section I am for non-gmo foods! No genetically modified organic foods! again another clean eating choice.

Listen you all might be thinking "CONNIE AND HER RUNNER BOY ARE OBSESSED" and I would just like to say "thank you" lmao. No but seriously it's important to me and if it's important to you through time you make these changes that YOU can be happy and content with.

YES, I do occasionally do all the above once in a while, I don't live in a box people, I have to be in society just like you! Plus there are times and temptations and plain out NO choices for alternatives!

I live on a budge and there are times when I simply can't afford to buy as much as I want for organic and I have to compromise, examples is my milk. With 3 little kids Organic Milk is something I used to do till my twins turned 1 and then I had 3 on Organic milk at $5.60 a gallon and more like almost $6 now. So I had to find an alternative. Byrne Dairy offers their milk at $2.89 a gallon and has NO artificial growth hormones and If I want I can purchase the milk in glass.

Yes, I'm one of those smiley shoppers in the grocery store taking my time and learning my products and Oh another *TIP* re-check your food labels on the foods you are used to buying because sometimes these company change/add 'crap' to the product without notice of course. Gggrr, I've hated when that has happened.

BTW, this does NOT alway send me into the expensive organic healthy food section of the store. Reminder I'm a stay at home mom on a budget! So I only have so much to work with. The good thing is you all would be SURPRISED if I told you that is not much more of a cost difference between healthy eating and processed foods. Really!

Maybe one day I show you a receipt!