how do you define "clean eating"?

[Michele S]

Hi all!

I'm trying to fix up my eating/snacking habits and was wondering what everyone felt was the most important aspect of "clean eating." I'm not trying to lose weight (okay...five pounds wouldn't be bad ), but would like to see improvement in my complexion, cellulite, etc., and am starting to think that my diet could be the culprit!

Thanks in advance!

Michele

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-04-00 AT 03:09PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Michele! I'm sure everyone has their own interpretation of "clean". Mine is basically eating foods in their most natural unprocessed state. The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier and more nutritious it is. The further away it is, the less nutritional value it has.

For instance take apples. The "cleanest" level of apple is the whole apple itself. Then the next level would be apple sauce, followed by apple juice. After that it would go to a whole other level which is not very clean but nonetheless still contains apples. That would be apple pie, apple bread, apple butter, etc.

 

[kathryn]

"clean eating"?

When I think of "clean eating", I think of omitting refined foods (white flour, refined sugars, added oils). Also, as was already mentioned, sticking with foods as close to their natural state as possible.

 

[Nancy C]

Ditto from me on Cathes and Kathryns comments. When I try to eat clean;-), I base my diet on whole foods...foods in their purest form( they have one ingredient...it) and I try to eleminate processed, refined and chemical foods.
Big emphasis on TRY...I am surrounded and tempted daily with "unclean" foods but if I eat cleaner...it does make a difference for me...weight, skin, attitude..you name it.

http://members.aol.com/naconfer/images/vf sport banner.jpg

 

[Debra]

Adding energy & stamina to Nancy's list of benefits.

 

[Michele S]

Thanks, everyone!

Thanks for the advice and suggestions on eating clean. Although I'm not a big junk food junkie, I know that I don't eat as well as I should, i.e., enough fruits and veggies. The funny part, though, is I have a 2-year-old and I'm such a nut about what I let him eat! I keep thinking if I made myself follow the same diet he does, there'd be no problem eating clean!

I've tried in the past eliminating caffeine, but have found that I'm better off just limiting my coffee intake to about 2-3 cups a day, and that's mostly whenever I pass a Wawa!

Michele