Eating Clean....

    Eating Clean. Ok...Ill admit that I THOUGHT I knew what this was about. Turns out I knew very little. I cant believe how many things we all eat on a daily basis that are processed. Dont blame yourselves though. Practically EVERYTHING out there is processed. I am determined. I really need to rid my body of toxins.

   So how did I arrive at this conclusion? Dont laugh, but I was shopping at WalMArt (dont judge...theres NO target here) and as I was checking out I glanced at the magazines in the checkout lines. You know, the ones that you know are rubbish and shouldnt buy because they are just a waste of money. There was this one that said "Lose 22 lbs in a week"...Naturally I glanced over it. While 22 lbs is a huge stretch I could help but become more interested in the WAY that they said it was possible. It turned out that it wasnt even the article in the magazine that really inspired me. It was this idea of eating things that had no unusable fats, salts and sugars...ie...Everything that is yummy and bad for us. BOO! After doing a little more research I became absolutely shocked that what I thought was good for me was processed. How is frozen chicken, frozen green beans and anything else thats frozen...even if they are veggies bad for you??? Then I thought...Man this is going to be veryyyyy expensive and a TON of work. FRESH EVERYTHING! Thats cool n all, but do you realize how hard it is to keep things from rotting here? Not to mention feeding a family on a budget? Healthy diets do not cater to budgets btw.

  Anyways here is a list of food that cant be eaten on this "diet"...

• canned foods with lots of sodium
• white breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains
• packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
• high-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli
• frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
• packaged cakes and cookies
• boxed meal mixes
• sugary breakfast cereals
• processed meats

Thats just the short list

 Here is an extended "uber freaky" list

Baked goods
White flour
White rice
Salt
Baking powder
Bread
Macaroni
Pasta
Cakes
Cake mixes
Pies
Pie crust mixes
Cookies

Processed fruits
Canned fruit
Frozen fruit
Fruit sauces
Jellies
Jams
Pie fillings
Fruit juice

Processed vegetables
Canned vegetables
Frozen vegetables
French fries

Convenience foods
Pizza
Precooked foods
Frozen dinners
Breakfast cereal
Granola
Energy bars

Processed meat
Canned meat
Cured meat
Ham
Lunch meat
Sausage
Bacon
Gelatins
Fresh meat with additives

Processed Dairy Foods
Cheese
Cheese food
Milk (homogenized, pasteurized, skim, low-fat, etc.)

Processed fats and oils
Refined oils
Cooking spray
Margarine
Salad dressing
BBQ sauce
Mustard
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Peanut butter

Drinks
Soft drinks
Fruit drinks
Instant breakfast drinks

Confections
White sugar
Brown sugar
Corn syrup
Rice syrup
Honey (unless raw)
Syrups
Candies
Soft candies
Pudding
Dessert mixes
Ice cream
Frozen desserts
Whipped cream
Chocolate
Marshmallows
Shredded coconut
Sugar substitutes

   Yes...this is the list of food you cannot eat. I think the list of foods you CAN actually eat would be shorter lol... So yeah, this is what I am going to attempt. Im not really calling it a diet. It is more of a change in what I am eating...I know( pretty much the same thing) but I cant think that I am "on a diet"...that KILLS me. It just makes me want to cheat lol....

   Some foods you can eat.... Basically think "vegetarian" with FRESH meat!

   Here is an article in case you are interested...

Why Eliminate Processed Foods

1. Highly processed foods are foods that have taken many steps from their original form to your table. Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," notes that a good rule of thumb is to avoid foods with more than five ingredients. Obviously, there are exceptions to this, but it is a good starting place. Another good idea put out by Pollan is to avoid eating foods that your grandmother would not recognize.

How To Start

2. Plan for this lifestyle change by eliminating as much stress as possible and making certain you will be able to avoid eating out at restaurants at first. You will want to be able to choose what you eat and when as much as possible. Plan to take your lunch to work with you, for example. As an added benefit, you may also choose to eliminate sugar and caffeine from your diet.

Foods to Include

3. Five servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended per day. Try to go beyond that. Fill your refrigerator with in-season vegetables and fruits, and think about preparing enough for the day in advance, so you will not be tempted to reach for a processed snack when huger strikes. For the long term, think about joining a Community Supported Agriculture group, where you share in baskets of produce from a locl farm. Try to look for fresh, grass fed meat
   Also include berries and other fruits rich in anti-oxidants. They help your body detox by eliminating free radicals, which occur when a molecule splits and has an extra electron. It then tries to bond with another molecule, resulting in a chain reaction. When antioxidants "eat" the free radicals, this stops the chain reaction. Including antioxidants will help give your body a boost as you change your diet and lifestyle.

Foods to Avoid

4. Avoid foods with a high glycolic index, such as sugar. Also avoid caffeine and alcohol if you can. Read labels to get an idea of how processed your food choices are. Foods with preservatives in them should be avoided as well. Try to consume only foods that are fresh and prepared by you or someone you know well. Essential fatty acids are an important part of a healthy diet, so either take a fish oil supplement or try to eat large amounts of coldwater fish like salmon. Grass fed butter and heavy cream are other good sources of essential fatty acids.

Other Lifestyle Changes

5. Drink at least eight glasses of filtered water per day, though this can be modified to your taste. Some people need more, some less.
   As you change your diet, you may experience headaches and either extra energy or fatigue. Try to be patient with your body as you change your diet. Consider warm Epsom salts baths to detoxify your body and help it ease into a new lifestyle.