Hi Aerika:
Clean eating is really more of a method than a diet. It's all about making good nutritious choices with your food.
An example daily choice may be like this:
Breakfast
1 packet oatmeal
1 banana
12 oz water
Snack
1 cup yogurt
12 oz water
Lunch
Mixed greens with tuna and ranch dressing
2 slices whole wheat bread with jam
12 oz water
Snack
12 oz V-8 juice
1/3 cup soy nuts
12 oz water
Dinner
Spaghetti (with whole wheat pasta)
2 T shredded Parmesan cheese
12 oz water
1 cup skim milk
Snack
Granola bar
1 c skim milk
12 oz water
- Now, I haven't ran and calorie, % fat cals or fiber calculations, but this would be a pretty balanced day. If you don't like V-8 juice go for something you do like. If you're wondering why there isn't more fruit in the example, it's because 1 banana counts as 2 servings of fruit and 2 - 3 servings of fruit a day are recommended. Now, for the veggie servings, this example shows about 5 - 7 servings of veggies. Grains, about 8 servings, and lean meats, about 4 servings. A very well balanced diet.
As far as how you change to this method of eating . . . you need to do it slowly. If you do it too drastically, you run the risk of failing . . . plus it throws in there a bunch of diet demons that I'm not so sure that you'll want to deal with.
I'd recommend that you journal (don't curl up you lip - I know it's a pain, but it's very important) for a couple of weeks with your normal eating habits and record how many calories, fat calories and fiber you're getting. Then after you analyze it, make two changes per every two weeks to your diet.
So for example, you've seen that you eat too much dressing which really makes your fat calores run at 60% of your total daily calories. Then one of the changes that you can make is to cut back 1 Tablespoon a week or every two weeks until you're down to 2 Tablespoons. That would be one change to your diet.
Another thing would be that you notice that you eat a lot of enriched pasta. One change that you can make is to introduce whole wheat pastas into your diet. So every week, you're going to increase the whole wheat pasta by one. Let's say M, W, and F you have pasta. So for two weeks on M you'll substitute whole wheat pasta. Then after that, M and W is whole wheat pasta for two weeks and so on. If you don't like whole wheat pasta, then it's time to find out a way to prepare the pasta such that you'll like it. An example would be to cook you're whole wheat pasta as directed and then put some olive oil and cook it with some fresh garlic. Then put in 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to flavor your oil. Then toss your pasta in the heated oil after it is cooked aldenté.
You make think that this is a lot of work . . . well it is. But so is dieting and so is failing. This will allow you to get used to the changes in your diet and provide you with the most success to keep healthy eating habits for life.
This was too long, sorry.
Keta.
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