Take on the task of eating clean for 30 days to get your eating habits back on track.
While your genes and training routine contribute 20% to your fitness goals, proper nutrition is the deciding factor at 80%. When you start providing your body with the food it needs to function properly, it releases the fat that is no longer needed for storage, revealing your muscles. Following a clean eating routine is an excellent approach to providing your body with the nourishment it needs.
When you make HEALTH your number one priority, the rest comes naturally.
What is clean eating?
First of all: clean eating is definitely not a diet. In particular, it does not advocate cutting out entire food groups or keeping track of calorie intake in any way. No matter what your fitness objective is—gaining muscle or losing weight—you’ll need to put in more time and effort in the kitchen to achieve it. Thankfully, a comprehensive meal plan and preparation procedure aren’t always necessary for clean eating.
Tosca Reno, a health and wellness advocate, popularized the concept of clean eating after she underwent a dramatic transformation in her body and life at the age of 40. Eating clean foods—those with little processing and no added chemicals, sweeteners, or preservatives—is at the heart of her Eat-Clean Diet®. In essence, you should avoid any artificial ingredients and stick to nutrients that are grown from the ground up.
Your shopping list will take on a new appearance once you begin eating clean for every meal. Raw, complete meals, such as a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean meats (chicken, for example), and healthy fats (olive oil, for example), will gradually replace the processed food. Although it may be referred to as a “clean eating diet,” it should not be interpreted as a restrictive eating plan. Eating healthily does not imply reducing caloric intake. Mealtimes for clean eaters can be filled with nutritious recipes made with basic ingredients.
Why 30 instead of 21?
You’ve probably heard that you can develop new habits within 21 days. You’ve also probably heard that this theory has been shattered. But, I would disagree that it’s absolute nonsense because week after week of new habits in any case pays off. Giving up junk food, or processed food that you’ve been used to for years requires willpower and enough motivation. And once you’ve been down this road, I don’t think you’ll want to go back to processed fatty and unhealthy foods. The energy boost and glowing skin will 100% help you keep going and keep eating healthy.
So why not 21 days? Because for 21 days you’ll be changing your habits, and week four will help you reinforce them. By the way, you’ve probably seen 30 day challenges in many areas. So why not try it yourself to see if this one works?
The principles of clean eating
Tips for sticking to a clean-eating diet
1. Planning
The power of planning and accountability to shape daily decision-making and impact outcomes is truly remarkable. If you have nutritious snacks on hand, it will be much easier to follow your diet. Make sure to set aside some time to prepare items when you bring a load of shopping into your home. This includes pre-cutting vegetables and washing berries, for example. When you have a nutritious snack on hand at your desk, you won’t feel the need to use the sugary vending machines. Keeping a food journal is the simplest way to observe your progress, so try it if you’re having problems holding yourself accountable.
2. Break up goals
While big goals are okay, it can be useful to divide them into more manageable, shorter-term targets. Create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) objectives for yourself every day or week. With these tweaks, you’ll be more likely to stay the course and see significant progress over time.
3. Is it hard to pronounce the word? Put it away
Eliminating processed foods’ nasties like chemicals, artificial colors, and preservatives is the holy grail of clean eating. If you’re trying to eat clean, you need to check the ingredients list on EVERYTHING. Take a look around your pantry first. You should usually avoid putting anything on your body that sounds strange or is difficult to pronounce if you see it on a nutrition label. Some people who adhere to a clean eating regimen put the subject of natural vs. synthetic food into context by asking themselves if their grandma would recognize the component. Many of the unfamiliar terms appearing on a product’s ingredient list are actually shorthand for sugars, chemicals, additives, or trans fats. Keep an eye out for added sugars and chemicals in otherwise nutritious meals, such as fruit juice. Also, keep in mind that simpler substances tend to be those with fewer than six items on the ingredient list.
4.Treat, don’t cheat
When we start a new diet, we often cut back too drastically, which makes it impossible for us to stick to the plan. Although food has the power to evoke strong feelings, it is not the intention of clean eating to make you feel bad about indulging, even on occasion. To avoid feeling like you’ve ruined your success by shame-eating your favorite foods, it’s better to plan for treats in your diet. Start your clean-eating adventure by committing to eating clean 80% of the time. On the other 20%, treat yourself to a slice of your favorite dessert. Do not be too hard on yourself if you do slip up occasionally. Recognize the truth and mount up again; you can do it!
I’ve prepared a handy tip sheet for you to print out to hang in a prominent place. Just follow a new one every day and you’ll see that clean eating is not a difficult thing to do.
