Clean eating was never a decision that Rem and I sat around and pondered. We didn't wake up one day and decide we would drastically change our eating style. In fact, when we first got married five years ago, I was still using a lot of canned/ boxed mixes in my cooking. I was cooking what I thought were "homemade" meals, after all, I wasn't pulling a pizza out of the freezer, so I thought we were eating healthy. A normal meal would likely consist of a casserole made with Campbell's condensed soup, some Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls, and canned green beans. We ate cereal pretty much every morning for breakfast and would eat leftovers for lunch. It never really crossed my mind that there was a different way of fueling our bodies. It all began to change once I got pregnant with Gavin. During my pregnancy, I knew that I wanted to have a natural water birth (here's where my "hippy" self came in to existence) and reduce the amount of man made medication/ intervention as much as I possibly could. It wasn't just my body any more that I had to worry about, but my sweet Gavin's. I researched as much as I could about natural birth and was AMAZED at how the chemicals that modern doctors use in labor affect the birth process. Our bodies know what they need to do and when we start injecting them with crazy man made things, it begins to go haywire (not trying to start a mommy war here, just sharing my PERSONAL conviction.) Another personal conviction I had was that I wanted to breastfeed for as long as possible. I again couldn't get over the benefits it had when it came to Gavin's health. My body could make a super food that was perfectly tailored to his nutrition needs- nothing added, nothing taken away. I was getting more and more into "natural" parenting but I hadn't quite taken it all the way with changing how Rem and I were eating. Once Gavin started solids, I did what every parent is told to do- I fed him white rice cereal. It didn't even occur to me that rice cereal really isn't very nutritional at all, I was just doing what my doctor told me to do. I hadn't done my own research and was just going with the flow. Around the time that he started eating table food well (maybe 15 months), a few of my friends were changing up their diets, for health reasons (going gluten free, etc.) Pinterest also became VERY popular around this time and I was seeing more and more information about clean eating. I was interested of course, because I wanted to give Gav the most nutritious food possible. I had nursed him until he was about 13 months and was very confident that whatever nutrition he was lacking in table food, he was getting from breast milk. Once he began eating all table food, my view of what was "healthy" changed drastically. It definitely took time and research (I'm still learning) to find out what were the best foods that I could feed my growing family. It wasn't an over night change, trust me. We made small changes over the course of about a year and by the time Owen was born, we were in major clean eating mode. I was eating foods I had never heard of- kale, chia, flax, quinoa, greek yogurt, almond milk, and green smoothies to name a few. The cleaner our diet got, the better I felt. We haven't gone paleo or vegan or anything and still eat dairy and meats in moderation but I would say the majority of our diet is made up of plant based foods. We still eat junk food on occasion- birthday's, date nights, holiday's, etc., but about 90% of the time, we are eating at home and eating clean.
If you have never heard the term "eating clean" or have no idea what it even means, here's a quick overview. Eating clean isn't a super specific diet like the Atkins diet or the Paleo diet. There are things that should be avoided when eating clean and some people take it as far as eliminating all dairy, grains, and meat, and eat ONLY plant based food. Some things that are definitely "guidelines" to eating clean are:
1: No highly processed foods: canned condensed soups, refrigerated dough (cinnamon rolls, crescent rolls, biscuits), sugary cereals, most bottled salad dressings, any boxed meal (hamburger helper, suddenly salad, etc.), flavored yogurt (yoplait), vegetable/canola oil, white rice, white bread/pasta, frozen meals (hungry man, etc.). I could literally write a twenty page paper of foods that are highly processed but I won't bore you any longer. Read the label, if it has an ingredient list a mile long and you can only pronounce two ingredients, it's highly processed.
2. No artificial flavor/color: If it says "artificial," do you really want that in your body?
3. Avoid/Highly limit white sugar/ flour: We all know added sugar is unhealthy and white flour has been processed so much that any nutrition it did have has now been stripped from it.
4. Get the highest quality produce/meats/dairy that you can afford: Farm fresh eggs are much higher in nutrients than eggs that have come from the grocery store (factory farmed), same with meats- get the highest quality you can afford. We can't afford organic meat so I just make sure it comes from our local locker where I know how it is being processed, etc. I don't always buy organic produce because it is so expensive but if you can afford it, opt for it!
5. Highly limit alcohol: A glass of wine every now and then is fine but don't be drinking a six pack a day!
6. Avoid all foods labeled "sugar/fat free","diet,"or "lite/light": They are tricking you! They are just adding junk/unhealthy fillers to make up for the fact that it has no sugar/ fat.
7. Avoid ALL artificial sugar: Here we go again with the word "artificial." It was made in a lab, I don't want it in my body. Artificial sugar is linked to irregular heart beat, headaches, seizures, digestive issues and tons more! None of those things sound very fun to me!
8. Avoid any "food" that is trying to "be" another food: Examples: Margarine/Butter Spreads (they AREN'T butter), Equal/Sweet N Low (they AREN'T sugar), Any syrup that isn't labeled as 100% pure maple syrup (if it isn't 100% pure maple syrup, its a concoction of chemicals/artificial flavors.) These are all things I definitely don't want hanging out in my stomach.
9.Drink LOTS of water (and avoid soda): Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces a day (ex-If you weigh 130 lbs, drink 65 ounces of water daily.)
*I think the most important thing to remember is, if it comes from nature, eat it! If it doesn't, avoid it!
Alright, now that you have an idea of what clean eating is, I'll tell you why we have chosen this lifestyle (I say "lifestyle" instead of "diet" because it truly is an entire life change. To me, a diet lasts a few months and then you get over it. Clean eating is a way of life for us.) Here are some reasons why we eat the way we do.
1. The biggest reason we have chosen this way of eating is because we don't like burdening our bodies/digestive systems with artificial things that God never intended for food.
2. We feel so much better when our diets are free from artificial/highly processed/fried foods. We have more energy and just all around feel better. When we eat too much sugar or other junk food, Rem and I both feel bloated and fight headaches. I also have a harder time just feeling happy when my diet is suffering. After the holidays, I could definitely tell that I had strayed from my clean eating routine. I always felt bloated, had many headaches, had no energy, and was just more irritable. This month has been spent cleaning up our diet from the holidays and I feel SO much better already!
3. We don't have huge weight fluctuations. It's pretty easy to maintain a healthy weight when you are eating clean. Most of the foods we consume aren't super high calorie foods, so it helps keep our weight in check. Mind you- I have never been one for counting calories, but it is nice to know that you aren't ingesting a thousand calories in one setting.
4. We enjoy the fact that the food we put in our bodies helps boost our immune systems. You can't expect your cells to do what they are supposed to do when you aren't giving them the fuel they need to get their job done. It's kind of like putting diesel fuel in a car. Yes, diesel is fuel, but not the kind that the car needs to run properly. If you are constantly depriving your body of the fuel it needs, you are starving your cells. Your belly may be full but your cells are starving for nutrition.
It all seems very overwhelming in the beginning. It's a lot of information and you might be asking yourself (like I did, in the beginning), "Wow, there's a lot that I can't eat. What CAN I eat?" The biggest thing that has helped me find new, exciting, and tasteful clean recipes has been Pinterest. It's super accessible and easy to find recipes that suit your personal tastes/ needs. You also don't have to pay for recipe ideas like you would with a clean eating cookbook (or 6). If you are interested in finding clean eating recipes, you can just type "clean eating" into the Pinterest search bar and TONS of ideas will pop up for you! Can't get much easier! I have learned over the past three years or so that there are, in fact, tons of super yummy clean eating recipes and you WILL NOT be stuck eating salad at every meal. It just takes some time to research and find recipes that look appealing and a little courage to try them out. If you would have told me five years ago that I would drink smoothies with kale in them, I would have called you crazy. I now CRAVE them! Goes to show that you never know how something tastes until you give it a try. I don't always hit a home run on new recipes but for the most part, they usually turn out really well!
I want to give some practical ways that you can begin cleaning up your diet. Like I said, it's not an overnight change. You don't wake up one day and completely change your eating habits. For most people, your eating habits are something that have been engrained in you since childhood (not something that is easily changed,) but I'm here to tell you, it can be done. I will admit, it took a few tries of certain foods for me to get a taste for them, but now I eat them right up! Sometimes, it's just the way that I have prepared it that doesn't taste great to me, so it's a little bit of trial and error to find a way to cook it to suit my tastes. Here are some easy swaps you can begin making to work your way to a cleaner diet! It may take a few tries (or many) to gain a taste for these new foods if you aren't used to them but one day, you won't even remember what your old food tasted like!
1. Swap pre-sweetened/flavored yogurt for plain greek yogurt sweetened with honey, berries, and granola (I honestly can't even eat pre sweetened/flavored yogurt anymore because it tastes soooo sweet and fake to me now.)
2. Swap canned cream of chicken/mushroom for a homemade version. It's super simple (only about 4 ingredients) and tastes WAY better than the canned. You can still enjoy those creamy casseroles, just without all the preservatives!
3. Swap your pancake "syrup" for 100% pure maple syrup. Yes, I know, it's more expensive, but I can't even begin to tell you how much better it tastes and how much better it is for you.
4. Swap white bread/pasta for a whole wheat version/Ezekiel bread. I know sprouted breads(ex-Ezekiel brand) are better for you, but if you are used to white bread only, a whole wheat version is better than its white counterpart.
5. Try a green smoothie. They really aren't as scary as they look! Actually, my family thinks they are pretty darn delicious!
6. Swap white rice for quinoa. I use quinoa in TONS of recipes. It works as a filler just as rice would but packs a huge nutritional punch, unlike white rice.
7. Make your own condiments/seasoning mixes. I make our bbq sauce, ranch dressing, salad dressings, taco seasoning, and lots more! It is, a lot of times, much cheaper and WAY healthier. It almost frightens me to read the mile long ingredient list on bbq sauce and ranch dressing (to name a couple.)
8. Swap pre-packaged oatmeal for a homemade version in the crockpot. It is just as easy to throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook overnight as it is to open a packet and microwave it. In fact, it is EASIER in the mornings. You just scoop it out and eat it! You can control the sugar level and there are no weird preservatives.
9. Swap french fries for homemade sweet potato fries. These are our favorite!
10. Use your slow cooker. A big reason people don't put forth the effort to eat clean is because they think it will take too much time to prepare a meal from scratch. There are many recipes that I just throw in the crockpot in the morning and we have a nutritious meal ready for supper (or I put oatmeal in at night, and we wake up to an awesome breakfast!)
There are many more "swaps" that you could make, but it's best to try a few and get used to them, rather than trying to change everything overnight. Yes, sometimes it does take a little longer to prepare a meal when eating clean but there are PLENTY of quick, healthy recipes out there! I have also found that it makes grocery shopping much easier. We generally eat the same things (in different combinations, or with slight variations) each month, so it's easy for me to make a list. I know the things we like as snacks and breakfasts so I just alternate them throughout the week and choose different suppers to make (we eat leftovers for lunch a lot.)
My hope is that someone will read this and realize that they may benefit from a clean eating diet. It honestly makes me sad when I am in the store and I see people's carts loaded up with pre-packaged frozen meals, soda, boxed meals, potato chips, cookies, etc. I want them to reap the benefits of eating well (and FEELING well because of what they eat.) I understand that not everyone has the time to put in to making elaborate meals and may feel that the time they are using to prepare clean meals would be better used elsewhere but I would argue that your health is WELL worth the time you put into making healthy meals for yourself and your family. I really want to inspire others to see that their health is worth it! It's worth taking an extra five minutes to make something from scratch rather than opening a can/box and putting that into your body. You will be amazed at how much better you feel when you fuel your body with the right foods!
There are many other topics relating to clean eating that I would love to talk about like cost, easy recipes, pantry items to keep on hand, etc. I'm hoping to make a few more blog posts in the coming weeks to help those people who are interested! Disclaimer- I know I sound like a crazy person most of the time (my family/friends make fun of me a lot for my crazy ways,) but I am just very passionate about healthy eating and how it can transform your health! I'm sure some people are like "just shut up already," but I'm hoping reading this sparks the interest of at least one person and they can begin their new lifestyle soon!
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