What is "clean" eating?

[dianet]

Hi Everyone -

Is there a book or guideline out there that can help me to try and eat "clean." I think I understand the general premise to eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats, but I am not sure what that looks like as far as a menu for lunch and dinner. If anyone has a particular book they use to find snack and meal ideas, please let me know.

Also, I eat out every week day at for lunch so it is hard for me to eat "clean." My boss seriously does not allow us to bring our own lunch to eat at our desk so that we can go out and "network" at restaurants - we get in trouble if we are eating at our desk. I like salads fine for lunch, just not every single day. Any suggestions for other lunch time restaurant meals other than salads?

Thanks!
- Diane

 

[lorrayne]

RE: What is

I highly recommend the Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman. She has a three phased approach to eating clean. Phase 1 is to remove the toxins from the body and you don't eat anything to which you could possibly be allergic. Phase 2 starts to gradually reintroduce some complex carbohydrates into your system. Phase 3 is your lifetime eating plan. The nice thing about the book is that explains what it means to eat clean and also has a nice 2 week meal planner for phase 1. She also has sample meal plans for phase 2 and phase 3. She has a companion cookbook as well.

Hope this helps.
Lorrayne

 

[Imafitnessfreak]

RE: What is

Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible.

If that were my boss...I'd be packing my lunch and sitting in my car to eat it in some parking lot away from the office. I hope he is paying for all these meals!

You could do that...pack your lunch, eat it in the restaurant parking lot, go in and order a salad or veggies and ice water, network and everyone is happy!

 

[kathryn]

RE: What is

>You could do that...pack your lunch, eat it in the restaurant
>parking lot, go in and order a salad or veggies and ice water,
>network and everyone is happy!

Good idea!

 

[dianet]

RE: What is clean eating?

I will look into the Fat Flush book, thanks! It looks good from some reviews on Amazon.com, though I may be hard for me to follow anything very strickly because I eat out so much.

As for the lunch issue, I am an attorney that has to bill by the hour, so every hour I am away from my desk is just another hour I have to stay at work to meet my yearly billing requirement. That is another reason I hate long lunches at restaurants. I wish I could just eat at my desk to save some time, money and bill more hours, but my boss actually walks around and checks to see that people are out at lunch. I usually just go with my friends who are also attorneys, so it is fun to go out to lunch, but it wrecks my diet! I have recently been taking lunch-time spinning classes a couple times a week at the gym in our building downtown so that I am at least out of the office when he walks by, and then picking up a quick lunch later at 1:30 to eat in my office when he is not patroling the hallways.

Plus we are a big firm that recruits tons law students during the summer and fall, and always take them out to lunches and dinners at fancy restaurants. While it is fun to go out to expensive restaurants all the time, it is very hard to eat healthy at these types of places. It is the kind of thing where you each get your own appetizer, salad, entree and dessert, topped off with lots of wine and a cappuccino, probably at total of 3,000 calories or more a meal! At least those I don't have to pay for! It is just hard to resist getting a steak and a dessert when its free! The first year I was at the firm, I gained 10 pounds during recruiting season!

Anyway, sorry to ramble. It is just hard to stay on track when I am basically "forced" to eat at restaurants on an almost daily basis. I have been watching my portion size when going to restaurants and didn't gain much weight, if any, during the past recruiting season. Now that recruiting season is over, I want to drop a few pounds and I feel like my restaurant lunches are holding me back.

 

[ColleenM]

RE: What is clean eating?

At restaurants, I order a plain grilled, baked or broiled chicken breast with a plain baked potato. Maybe a salad with dressing on the side. Of course, I don't think I could eat that every day. I also would try the same with steak and eat a smaller portion.

Colleen