Thanks to Lori of Chasing Fitness for this great guest post.
There’s always a lot of buzz going around about eating clean. But what exactly does that mean? Eat organic? Low carbs? Low Fat? Eggs or no eggs?
“If it didn’t come from the Earth or have a mother, don’t eat it.” ~Jillian Michaels
Clean eating is choosing to eat whole, unprocessed, unmodified and unrefined foods. Sources of these foods include lean meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables, coconut, avocado, olives and pressed oils.
Here are a few tips to help make it easier:
*Organic- Of course foods that aren’t sprayed with chemicals and pesticides are always going to better for you to consume. But if organic isn’t available or affordable, I’d rather you eat conventionally grown foods that are healthy for you instead of not eating them. For example, conventionally grown broccoli is still better for you than eating a large French fry.
*Lifestyle: Part 1– Eating clean is a lifestyle not a diet. Clean eating is a great way to ditch the dieting world forever. The difference between a diet and clean eating is that normal diets have an end date. Have you ever said, “No thanks, I’m dieting.” Eventually you’ll stop dieting and worst of all slip back into your old eating habits. With clean eating there is no expiration date…it’s a continuous journey.
*Lifestyle: Part 2- Yes, the lifestyle part is important enough to have a part 2! Since eating clean is a lifestyle, you will soon come to a mindset that there is no starting over on Monday. As Jill Coleman with JillFit Physiques says, “You’re always one meal away from burning fat.” Basically, if you mess up at breakfast you can start over right then and there.
*Plan Out the Week BUT- I suggest trying to plan out your meals and training for the week. It sets you up for success. BUT, you must be flexible. Things pop up unexpectedly and if you’re in the “ALL or NOTHING” mindset, you could be setting yourself up for failure and worse a major setback.
I hope what I’ve shared helps make you’re decision about how to incorporate clean eating into your lifestyle. I’d love to hear how you make clean eating a lifestyle.

I LOVE THE CRAP -VS- FOOD! I need to think about this more often, I guess sometimes I like the “crap” too much
Great post – I love all the information. Pinned the graphic!
I am one to plan out my meals. My husband only gets paid once a month so we actually only go shopping once a month. That is a lot of meal planning ahead of time.
I really like the graphic about CRAP vs. FOOD, it helps make it easier to remember. I love this whole idea of eating cleaner but it seems hard, you make it seem easier! Thank you!
Very good information!! Thanks for sharing!
Love the info. Thanks!
I’ve been trying to practice clean eating for a little over a year I think now and it has definitely helped my overall wellness in many ways.
I know I have to be more organized in this department – I think I can i think I can
Great post! Clean eating is not impractical or difficult. It is how our grandparents ate their entire lives before food began to be mass produced.
i am going to get a glass of water right now!! π
xo,
Sandy
Sandy a la Mode
Thanks, Great article!
I have a question. I see people say that they are eating clean or on the Whole 30 diet and post their pictures to social media with the tag #cleaneating next to things like Clif bars and the like. Aren’t those processed foods? Are things like meal replacement shakes or programs like “diets to go” “clean”? It makes me wonder what’s healthy and what’s not.
Love Omega-3 Fatty Acids! π Soo Soo Much!
I’ve got most of the CRAP out, just need to work on processed foods. It’s amazing how much better one feels when they make these changes; though the body may be a little shocked at first!
That’s an excellent graphic! I pinned it!
Love It! Awesome Awesome Info. Thanks!