What It Means To Eat Clean

By Barbara Christensen - 11:06 AM

What It Means To Eat Clean

It can be very complicated for anyone trying to change their diet to figure out what is best. Most people hear a term like "clean eating" and that sounds pretty good. If you buy the magazines, the books it does seem pretty easy to follow. Mostly shopping around the outside of the store, fresh produce, meat, diary (they often do a lot of fat-free options with this) and whole grains. I believe that we need to take this option of clean eating to an even higher level than we've been challenge to do. I'm not saying you have to do a total 360 degree change in life, but I want you to get started with this and learn about your foods.

What does the industry consider to be clean?


The main idea is consuming food in it's most natural state, or as close to that as can be possible. I love this illustration of what your plate should look like. How many of you are eating mostly grains and dairy? I am betting a LOT! So what you want to see is lean proteins - this can be anything from bison, to wild caught salmon to kale or the right kind of protein shake. That means it's a good undenatured style whey, hemp protein or sprouted rice proteins. That means you are cooking in raw organic coconut oils instead of canola. You are eating good fiber choices and not wheat pastas. And you are eating a big green salad or some steamed vegetables, or even a big green smoothie with every meal. 

So what foods (or I should say non-foods) are you staying away from: 

  • No processed foods. 
  • No sugar, fizzy, or fruity, umbrella toting drinks. 
  • No eating commercially dead foods, or foods that have been raised in a way your great grandparents wouldn't have raised them.  I love how Micheal Pollan says,  “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.” 
  • No fakey sugars/chemicals either. {Stevia is a plant and therefore is fine}
  • No wheat {unless organic, and then only rarely.} GMO wheat contains a chemical protein that is just like feeding opiates to your brain ... and for that matter to your kids. 
  • No soy unless fermented. Soy is toxic to your body and in EVERYTHING. Almost 90% of it is genetically modified. There are so many dairy alternatives out there that are easy to make and healthy. No need to muck it all up with more toxins and phyto-estrogen rich foods. 
  • No Genetically Modified Foods. That means almost everything that contains corn (and hmmm is processed so you shouldn't be picking it up in the first place) is off your list. If you have to buy something that you can't make due to your lifestyle, it's got to be GMO-free. 

What does a day look like for me

Well, I have a variety of meals that I love, and depending on the day makes up what I eat. For breakfast it may be a big green smoothie, a recovery shake made with my clean protein, coconut water and sometimes frozen berries. It may also be a sweet potato porridge or some Chia, Coconut & Hemp cereal over homemade coconut yogurt. That's delightful. 


Lunch is usually either a big vegetable filled  soup, or a big green salad with loads of add ons. You can make your soup in advance and portion it out. You can also make some mason jar salads and have salads all ready to go in the fridge. I like to add hemp seeds, I like to add pomegranate, I like to make my own dressing so that I know what is going on my food. The only time I use EVOO these days is on my salad. Sometimes I'll add in a little sprouted quinoa for a little extra fiber and plant based proteins.

Dinner is usually going to be built around my vegetables. I like to use a variety of vegetables for my meals. Zucchini noodles are easy to make and a great way to start a meal without using pasta. I am 99% vegan, and I have gone totally vegetarian paleo, but I do like to have a little undenatured whey every now and again, or a pastured deviled egg mixed with lemon, chives, celery on a big salad.

It does take committing, and reaching for the right items, but I believe that this lifestyle can be easy for anyone. 

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