Recently I've been on a health kick to change the way I eat and get healthier as I get older. I have a lot left to accomplish in my life. My bucket list goals have not been reached. I was derailed by stress and bad eating habits. That has changed drastically in the past few months. My stress has diminished and I've lost a great deal of weight and am not done losing weight. I've learned so much while on this new journey. Some very important rules that I'm practicing are: Never eat Fats and Carbohydrates in the same meal, Eat your Carbohydrates for Breakfast and Lunch and Protein for Dinner, Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water every day, Don't eat after 8pm, Eat at least 4 times each day which includes a Protein snack at either 4pm or 7pm. Here are some additional guidelines that can help to live a clean and healthier life:
Start with water
You’ve probably heard a lot of people recommending that you start each day with warm water and freshly squeezed lemon juice, but consuming just water is good too. Waking up with water is a great way to start the day, as it wakes your system up in a way and gets things moving around. Lemons contain vitamin C and natural enzymes and they've been associated with boosting tissue regeneration and cleansing the liver.
Choose fruit instead of refined sugar or artificial sweetener
Instead of consuming processed foods with added sugars or artificial sweeteners to satisfy your sweet tooth, you should eat fruit instead. If some of your recipes call for sugars, then you should see if you can substitute fruit juice or puree for the sugar. Removing sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet helps to expand your palate, reduce headaches or migraines over time, and may even help you drop a few pounds.
Stay hydrated
Having water by your side throughout the day is an important habit you can develop to accelerate your health and jumpstart your clean eating lifestyle. The human body is composed of 50 - 75 per cent water, so it's paramount to replenish your body with fluids, for proper functioning. Proper hydration also helps the heart circulate blood throughout your body; plus, muscles depend on water to effectively remove waste. Make it a habit to refill a water bottle throughout the day to ensure that you get the recommended 2.2 to 3 liters of water everyday.
Lightly steam your starchy/cruciferous vegetables
The ancient ancestor of modern humans, were anatomically designed specifically to masticate plant matter and hard foods. With its sagittal crest and massive jaw, this species of hominin were able to practically juice all that they consumed, extracting the most nutrition.
However, anatomically modern man has evolved without these features, and we cannot effectively masticate plant foods. So, we either need to chew for hours on end or utilize a technology that made humans what we are today: fire. Steaming (a technique that retains most vitamins and minerals in foods) breaks down their inherent plant fibers and minimizes the amount of time you need to chew your food, thus minimizing your chances for getting intestinal blockage or digestive upset from excess fiber. In turn, you gain optimum nutrient uptake from the food that you consume, especially starchy, cruciferous vegetables.
Include protein in your diet
Many clean eaters, Vegans and Vegetarians forgo animal products, so it’s important to consider protein intake. You might want to consider introducing raw protein powder into your diet. You will notice an increase in your energy. Plus, You will no longer have insane cravings for carbohydrates. This is completely anecdotal, but many other fellow Vegans and Vegetarians , including Dietitians, all agree that protein is a necessary dietary nutrient. Sprouted grains, beans, nuts, or seed proteins are all prime sources of protein.
Eat the rainbow!
Antioxidants are abundant in highly or diversely pigmented fruits and vegetables. Each day, pick a wide variety of produce to consume, but take into account the colors that are present or absent on your daily produce picks. If you want to get all the antioxidants your body needs to function, eat foods from every color of the rainbow — yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, and more. For yellow, eat lemons or bananas; orange, eat mandarins or bell peppers; green, spinach or peas; blue, blackberries or blue corn; purple, blackberries or beets; and red, apples or pomegranates. Not only will this way of eating diversify your palate, it will also augment the amount of antioxidants and vitamins in your body.
Clean eating doesn’t have to be an ethereal, unreachable ideal that can never be attained or followed. If you follow these guidelines, you can easily ease your way into a clean eating lifestyle to change your taste preferences and detoxify your body.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
