Eating Clean For Health

One of my big goals this year is to continue striving for good health.  Since going keto I've done amazingly well and feel like I've really turned things around.  I plan to continue down that path this year and keep on trucking!

If you really want to positively impact your health and your life this year I recommend adopting healthy eating habits and the easiest way to do that is to simply eat clean. So what exactly do I mean by that?

Eat food as close to its natural form.

The fewer ingredients in our foods the better, which means I stay away from processed foods.  Processed foods are full of chemicals, additives and preservatives that our bodies were never meant to consume.  Most of the food I purchase to consume is either fresh or frozen.  I'd say it is a fair estimate that 95% of my diet is comprised of fresh or frozen single ingredient foods.

Load up on fresh fruits and vegetable.  Most of my produce is vegetables.  Leafy greens like spinach and romaine as well as tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, zucchini, mushrooms, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc.  All loaded with fiber and good nutrients.  Berries are great and I do eat bananas sometimes simply because I like them.

Leaner cuts of meat like sirloin steaks, beef roasts, boneless skinless chicken breasts, turkey breast, pork chops and tenderloin, 80% lean ground beef, turkey and pork.  I do eat uncured bacon on occasion and I reserve the rendered fat to cook some of my food in to add flavor and good fat to my diet.  I also eat a lot of eggs.

I steer clear of breads and pasta as they have a lot of ingredients in them, most of which I don't recognize.  They are also high in starch and carbohydrates which convert to sugar and get stored in the body as fat.  Don't need that!

Rice and potatoes are cleaner starches.  Occasionally I have small amounts of potatoes, but not very often.

I avoid sugar as much as possible.  If you read the labels on cans and jars it is amazing how often sugar or corn syrup is an ingredient in a product.  And there is a lot of it too.  I use stevia and erythritol blended sweeteners in place of sugar.  That is my personal choice after researching sweeteners and how they impact the body.  I try to avoid Splenda, Equal and saccharine altoghether.  Maltodextrin is derived from sugar and I do consume that in small amounts as well although my preference is the stevia with erythritol.

I consume a lot of fat in my diet, but again I go for the one ingredient healthy fats.  Olive oil is my go-to oil, but also coconut, avocado and sesame oils.  I eat a lot of avocados and nuts.  Cream, butter and cheese are a big part of my diet too.  Fats are fuel, important for our brain function and keep you satiated.

By eating clean foods you'll transform you life in a way you never imagined.  You will start to feel better immediately and your energy level will increase.  You'll sleep better, your mood will improve and you will function better both mentally and physically.  If you are overweight you will lose the extra pounds and your overall health will start to improve.  It is an amazing thing.

I encourage you this year to take a hard look at what you've been eating and to take the step to improve what you are doing.  Eating clean will transform your life in ways you never thought were possible.