Clean eating is the topic of today’s 31 Days of Clean Eating, Meal Planning and Prep series.
I can tell you there are a number of reasons why starting to eat clean is not only a smart choice for you, but a decision you will thank yourself for.
To begin I would like to share a little bit about what clean eating has done for me personally.
When my son was three he could not talk, he acted like a rabid animal, and screamed most of his days.
My journey to clean eating started five years ago when I decided to take my family gluten free to help my little boy.
The journey was a slow one with clean eating because a part of me misunderstood exactly what it was.
I thought taking all the processed that had gluten and replacing it with gluten free meant I was on the right track.
While taking gluten out of our lives was a good thing, the processed gluten free was not any better due to high sodium counts.
Fast forward to the summer of 2013 I was very sick and not healthy. I was trying to feed my family healthy, but I still did not have it all together.
In December 2013 I decided to take back the reins of my life and starting to workout regularly.
Then in February a new program came out called the 21 Day Fix and it had a clean eating portion control system – that is when I truly learned how to fuel my body with the right food groups.
I went from being 20 pounds over weight, blotchy skin, and depressed to a woman who felt good in her own body again.
Eating clean and drinking water every single day helped me with more energy, it made my cravings less, and I began to see food in an entirely different light.
Food no longer had to have cheese covering it to taste yummy, I could use herbs and spices, I could change the little things like using zoodles instead of noodles, but most of all clean eating taught me that food is really the key to my long term health.
Why You Should Start Eating Clean Today?
It is GOOD for you!
It is HEALTHY for you.
Our Grandparents did it – why can’t we. Before there was processed our grandparents ate from the farm.
Clean food is NOT BORING – nope not at all. If anything I have created several wonderful recipes that not only taste good, but look beautiful as well.
Eating clean is actually EASY. Yes I know it seems like it is not, but if you look at it as going back to basics fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts and healthy fats you are good to go.
CHEAP – yes if you meal plan and watch sales on meats, cheeses, and sometimes even fruit you can feed an entire family pretty economically. Example: Dried beans are a lot cheaper and go farther than a single can of beans.
Eating clean is NOT GROSS – if you looked at some of the stuff used to create processed foods you would lose your dinner.
Eating clean allows you to know exactly what is going into your family’s bellies. It gives you the power to make better choices.
I hope hearing a short version of my journey has given you the courage to start your clean eating journey as well.
If you are struggling and not sure where to begin please reach out. Know you are not alone. I feel so strongly about what food can do for your body and mind.
Come back tomorrow to dive into learning how to read labels because understanding that is key in being successful with eating clean.