lately, it is all i hear. a clean diet appears to be the new diet fad, or is it a fad? clean diet this - clean diet that. is your diet clean? let's be all clean today? how clean is your diet? so, i ask...define clean. i truly have no idea what a clean diet is....of course i got google involved in helping me figure out how to "clean-up" my diet. in a nutshell, here are the basic principals:
- Eliminates refined sugar
- Cooks healthy meals
- Packs healthy meals
- Makes healthy choices when dining out
- Drinks a lot of water
- Eats 5-6 small meals per day
- Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it)
- Always eats breakfast
hmmmmm, let's break this down and see if it is doable in my lifestyle:
Eliminate refined sugar
- ok do not see this as a huge drawback. of course, i love sweets and who doesn't? it totally makes sense to cut it out of your diet no matter what diet you follow - basic diet common sense. refined sugar is not good for any of us. i believe moderation is key and try to save the sweets for special occasions. we do have young children here, so yes we do have cookies and various treats - but even they know they are not to consume at any time.
verdict: DOABLE
Cook healthy meals:
-totally can do this and have been doing it for some time. our house is packed with fresh produce, organics, and low fat/sugar free options. i am constantly looking for recipes to convert into healthy versions to cut back on fat and carbs. keeping it clean, i think, means using low fat options, no mayos, dressings, margarines, etc... NO processed foods. YES to healthy oils like olive and grapeseed. YES to healthy dressing like balsamic vinegar, etc... basically eliminate crap!! so, no ranch dressing, no kraft mac & cheese, no ball park hot dogs, etc...
verdict: DOABLE
Pack healthy meals:
-i do not need packed meals, but my daughter does. she is a little health nut anyway, so her lunches are always good choices with NO sugar treats.
verdict: DOABLE
Make healthy choices when eating out:
-oh man! that could be hard...i mean you go out to eat so you do not have to cook - cut loose and have fun. but, i guess if you are serious about getting fit - it is a change needed to be made. i can do this...
verdict: DOABLE
Drink lots of water:
ok - i will admit it. i HATE the taste of water. yeah, i know there is no taste. but it is just too boring for me - however, i totally agree with this concept and believe in the benefits. i will force myself to chug water and was super happy when mio was developed. enhances your water without any sugar or calories. gives just enough flavor to make it desirable to drink. using this means i drink tons of water.
verdict: DOABLE
Eat 5-6 small meals per day:
that comes out to 3 meals with 1-2 snacks. great idea and i need to work on that. i tend to be a grazer and snacker - bad, bad habits for dieting. this will be a work in progress, but i think i can do it. note the key word "small" meals - i think a normal healthy diet should be somewhere around 400-500 calories - so, the mission is to make them count for the good.
verdict: DOABLE
Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it):
uhhhhhhhh - HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!! OMG - seriously???? i like wine. i mean, i REALLY like wine. it is always that perfect thing to have after a long crazy day. hmmmmmmm, not sure if i even what to give it up - however, i do believe in creating limits. a common rule that is encouraged when drinking is to alternate a glass of water per each alcoholic beverage. i just did this yesterday and it worked wonderfully. was able to enjoy a couple glasses of wine and consumed tons more water for the day. another good rule that i have created for myself is to limit wine to weekends, as a treat. no wine monday-thursday. it is hard sometimes, but it can be done.
verdict: BEGRUDGINGLY DOABLE
Always eat breakfast:
yes, i make sure everyone in the house has a nice, healthy breakfast. what is mine you ask? a double can of diet rockstar....so bad, so very, very bad!!!! today, i did make a green monster for breakfast. very simple to make and packed with so many great vitamins, minerals, and fiber. just need to get back into the habit of doing this for myself.
verdict: DOABLE
WOW! a clean diet does not sound so bad - extremely doable, well except for the no wine part....lol
i also like how there are no points or calories to count. that right there is a stress reliever in its self. according to my bootycamp instructor, changing to a clean diet will totally kick start your diet and those pounds and inches WILL start to come off...so, we will see. just started this form of diet this past weekend. YES - on the weekend. no pizza delivery or chinese take-out. I prepared all our meals. i bought a "groupon" 12 month membership at emeals.com. they will create a year's worth of dinner recipes for you and provide a grocery list. they have a "clean" diet option. i have made three of the recipes - they were fast & easy to make and really GOOD! every the husband had seconds!!!
let see where this takes me....wish me luck!!!!!!
