Tuesday Tip :: 5 Areas of Eating Clean & Real Food

I've been asked a lot recently about what I eat and tips on eating healthy. I love getting asked these questions because I'm super passionate about eating real food and have felt the benefits of it in my life.

Before I start this post though I must disclaim that I am in no way a perfect eater but I always have goals to be better and usually Monday - Friday I'm pretty darn close to perfect but I do like to have fun going out to dinner on the weekends and occasionally during the week. I will say after changing your diet and eating healthier you'll find you don't crave icky junk food as much, if ever, which is so cool!

                

                

If I can offer any advice to those just getting started and trying to change their diet from processed foods to clean, real food... take it 1 step at a time. Start with something you're confident you can change. When that step becomes a habit, move on to the next, but only when that first step taken is a habit, like second nature, no big deal. Taking it 1 step at a time will help to give your body and budget the subtle adjusting that it needs in order to really become a habit. Jumping all in at once can just turn into a disaster where your body will feel deprived and your wallet robbed. 


Here are the top 5 categories of food/nutrition I would say are the most important and straight forward that I started with:

1. Water - find clean spring water or water that is filtered of things like chlorine and fluoride.

2. Organic produce - start with avoiding any produce on the Dirty Dozen list. I like to get all my produce organic if possible because I think it just tastes better but if I can find yummy local or sustainably farmed that is usually just as good and sometimes even better.

3. Dairy Products - Raw milk and other raw dairy products are ideal because they are nutrient dense and contain good probiotics and enzymes to help you digest it. When looking for raw milk sources make sure the cows are raised properly and kindly :) It's also nice to know if the milk is tested properly but if the cows are eating their proper diet (grass) usually the milk will be clean and heathy because the cows themselves are eating clean and healthy. If you can't find a good source of raw milk then this would be my second choice.

4. Meat from Happy Animals - Look for grass-fed or pasture raised, hormone and antibiotic free beef, organic hormone free chicken that is also raised without antibiotics. I rarely eat pork and only do if I know that it was raised organically and sustainably. As far as fish goes look for fresh, wild caught sources, which also taste so so much better.

5. Sugar - try to stick with natural sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup, molasses, coconut palm sugar, raw cane sugar, evaporated cane juice and stevia.

I will be posting more real food tips I try on here so keep your eyes out! I would also love to hear any tips you have taken to eating a cleaner diet.
            

(^^green smoothie and a homemade clean REAL pumpkin pie^^)

Happy Fitnessing!