Natural Foods

Are you tired of diets that work in the beginning but lack long-term results? Shockingly enough, the secret to losing weight isn’t a fad diet or miracle pill. If you want something that will work now and in the future, you need to make a lifestyle change.

The concept of clean eating is fairly simple; you should strive to eat natural, unprocessed, unrefined foods. However, this isn’t a quick change that can be made overnight. Clean eating is a lifestyle change that will affect the way you look at food forever.

In order to eat clean the right way and ensure you’re getting the proper nutrients, you must have the proper knowledge and appropriate goals. To help you begin your new clean eating lifestyle, consider the following tips:

Ditch the Packages

One of the main goals of clean eating is eliminating processed foods as much as possible. You may not be able to cut out everything, but you should make an effort to eliminate what you can.

Processed foods are full of unrefined sugar and fat, and these are some of the biggest causes of weight gain. The best way to cut out processed foods is by avoiding items that come in a package or box.

If you do need to get something that comes packaged, find the cleanest possible option by reading the ingredients. If the list is short, and you can pronounce all of the words, then it’s a good purchase. If it has more than 10 ingredients, and ones you haven’t heard of, then put it back on the shelf.

Eat More Veggies

Do you get your three suggested servings of vegetables every day? It’s really not as difficult as you might think! Vegetables are high in vitamins, full of fiber, and low on calories. If you choose to fill up on healthy, hearty vegetables you won’t add unnecessary inches to your waistline.

Furthermore, vegetables are about as clean as it comes, as they only have one ingredient. Consider adding peppers to your morning omelet, having a salad with for lunch, and some steamed asparagus with dinner, and you’ll easily your daily goal.

Limit Unhealthy Beverages

To reduce both your sugar and calorie intake, try limiting your drinks to water and green tea. Water plays an important role in balancing your health, detoxing your body, and boosting your immune system.

You should especially aim to eliminate energy drinks, soda, and alcohol from your diet, since they have no nutritional value and introduce unhealthy toxins to your system. Also, consider substituting milk for almond milk, which is much lower in calories, carbs, and sugar.

Get Support

Clean eating isn’t easy. It takes a lot of willpower, especially the first few weeks. It may be in your best interest to hire a health coach or join a support group where you can discuss your goals and receive constant reminders and affirmations regarding your ultimate weight-loss goals.

Make a Weekly Meal Plan

You should begin every week with a solid meal plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Make a grocery list, get everything you need, and even do a little meal prep on Sunday night. If you have a plan written down and food already prepared, then you have a much better chance of staying on track.

Remember to include healthy snacks in your plan, so you don’t feel hungry or deprived. Here’s an example meal plan for one day:

  • Breakfast: Grapefruit and whole-wheat toast with peanut butter
  • Mid-morning snack: 1 serving almonds
  • Lunch: Whole wheat pita with chicken breast and vegetables
  • Mid-afternoon snack: Apple slices and organic peanut butter
  • Dinner: Simple Turkey Chili
  • Evening Snack: Berry Smoothie

Furthermore, find healthy recipes that you can use for your meals and add them to your list. New recipes will make your meal plan more exciting and it will be easier to stick with it.

With your clean eating goals and a solid meal plan in place, you’ll be well on your way to a long-lasting and truly healthy weight loss program.