Eating Clean

Here are some tips (thank you Caryn) for eating cleaner and healthier. The other day I got irritated because all of our knives were dirty (and I swear I had just cleaned them) and all of our measuring cups were dirty too. In the midst of my irritation, John reminded me that they are all dirty because we measure out everything we eat, make about 85-90% of our food from scratch, and we're constantly using our knives to cut up fruit/veggies for almost every meal!!! So it's a good thing! It's amazing how good you feel when you're not eating processed foods. Clean, healthy foods are the way to go!

Principles:
1. Eat 5 to 6 small meals every day. This is the best way to provide fuel for your body. It takes a bit to get used to eating smaller meals! You're used to seeing a large plate that is full of food. I really like to use smaller plates/bowls, that way it still seems full!
2. Eat every 2-3 hours. This keeps your blood sugar levels stable. When your blood sugar levels drop you get too hungry & almost always eat more than your body needs.
3. Combine lean protein & complex carbs at every meal! They are the optimal combination so your belly gets the perfect fuel & the food gets digested the slowest possible, which is awesome! It gives you energy for longer periods of time & keeps you full.
4. Consume adequate healthy fats each day. Your body, especially your brain needs essential fats. Sources of healthy fats are: almonds, avocados, cashews, flax seed, hazelnut oil, olive oil, pecans, pumpkinseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. About 15% of your diet should come from healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds & healthy oils. This works out to be about 25% of your daily calories. TIP - when reading nutrition labels remember the word "hydrogenated" means trans fat, so stay away!
5. Drink at least 2 liters or 8 cups of water each day. Many times when your brain sends a craving or a signal to eat, we are miss reading that signal. The body is really just needing water. When your belly is full of water you will eat far less each day & still feel wonderful satisfied!
6. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast!
7. Carry a cooler loaded w/Eat-Clean foods to get through the day. There are many stylish coolers nowadays that look like purses. Anytime I go anywhere, I make sure to pack a healthy snack for all of us!
8. Avoid all over-processed, refined foods, especially white flour & sugar. You'll discover these foods often make you feel gross, unmotivated, moody, irritable, and lethargic shortly after eating them. And, may I mention they are addictive.

Any thoughts?