Eating Clean

Brown rice, salmon, and asparagus

Wheat toast, apples with cinnamon, and egg whites and chicken breast

Brown rice, avocado, grilled chicken breast, and broccoli

A lot of people think that if they add exercise to their daily routine, that gives them the liberty to eat whatever they want. It still works down to losing weight at the end of the day doesn't it? Not necessarily. Clean eating is just as important (if not more) as exercise for a healthy and fit body. You want to feed good, natural foods to refuel and build your body. It's difficult to cut some of those cravings at first and lose the junk food, but it's SO worth it! And you'll feel so much better about yourself once you start consistently eating clean, I promise!

For optimum metabolism, it's best to eat small meals every 2.5-3 hours. The photos above are great examples of portion sizes and nutrient distributions. A balanced amount of good, complex carbs, protein, and fiber is essential. Brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and any other grains are great examples of good carbs. Try to keep your protein as lean as possible if you're a meat lover. Chicken breast, turkey, fish, or tofu are great options. And of course, fruits and veggies are a must!

When cooking, try to use as few ingredients as possible, and even with seasonings, it's important to keep them clean. I 100% stay away from butter in my cooking. A little olive oil does just the trick. A lot of salt also leads to bloating making it another thing to limit in your cooking. Of course I use a little salt, but again, I limit it. There are plenty of seasonings you can use to make your food flavorful and delicious. It's definitely an adjustment swapping some things in your diet, but honestly, you'll learn to love the foods that are good for you to the point where you won't crave those salty, fatty foods anymore. But when it comes to sweets, that still an urge I have to fight. :P

"Do unto your body as you want your body to do unto you."

CLEAN EATING AND CRAVING CONTROL

• Eat small meals every 2.5-3 hours, about 6 meals/day
• Drink LOTS of water
• Stay away from sugary or alcoholic drinks
• Meals should have a balanced amount of good carbs, protein, and fiber. And of course good fats (olive oil, nuts, fish, etc...) are an essential part of a diet as well
• Try and keep your foods as natural as possible
• When shopping at the grocery store, the less ingredients a product has, the better
• Don't grocery shop while hungry

• Remember: Eating Clean and having a healthy diet is just as important as exercise for a healthy lifestyle! Your body is something to be nourished so make sure you're feeding it things that are good for it. You only have ONE body! Take care of it. <3