Anyone Following the Eat-Clean Diet Way of Life?

Hi T.---I'd never heard of the clean diet so I looked it up on the web. I am taking a distance Wellness 101 class and it is very close to what is suggested there.

You will do well with this sort of diet, and we should all think of eating for health, rather than restricting calories or avoiding this or that food. That means we will focus on fruits and vegetables(7 to 13 servings every day, lots of different colors), whole grains and legumes as the biggest part of our meal. We need to minimize animal protein as it is the source of saturated fat and excess cholesterol and contains a high ratio of calories for the nutrients found in it. Think of meat as a condiment or as a flavoring for soups and stews. You'll get plenty of protein from plants. I've also learned that cows milk should be avoided completely. My family doesn't drink it any longer. This was a bummer for us, as we drank LOTS. But there is some great info at www.strongbones.org for you to make your own decision.

This wellness class doesn't suggest that we exclude and foods either. But we need to learn to distinguish between a treat, and food that fuels us and allows our body to protect itself from disease.

The class is offered by a Naturopath who has her PhD in nutrition, and Dr. Pam talks about the need to get more fiber into our diets, for many reasons. Fiber removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream, as well as excess estrogens, which is thought to increase the risk of several cancers. If we eat close to 40 grams of fiber a day, we'll achieve and maintain an optimal weight as well. Can't possible eat too much food with that much fiber. That's why we need to concentrate on those 4 food groups.

I've also learned alot from the website www.pcrm.org. I think you'll enjoy exploring it. If you'd like more info on Wellness 101, just let me know. And I have lots of great recipes to share. What kinds of things do you like?

Congrats on your decision to lead a life with optimal diet and lifestyle habits (don't forget about exercise, drinking lots of filtered water, plenty of sleep and stress reduction as they are an important part of 'optimal' as well). Good luck and feel free to contact me if you'd like to talk more.

In health, D. ###-###-####

1 mom found this helpful

Congratulations on starting a new healthier way of life. Going back to Nature is never a bad idea in this artificial world of ours. I have done a lot of studying about chemicals not only in our food , but in our household products. Right now, at the University of Connecticut, they are researching the effects of all of these chemicals on our thyroids. They think that our thyroids are bombarded with chemicals and that could be contributing to the rise in obesity. I try to eat organic now and I have switched to green products in my home, too. This has made a tremendous difference. Traditional laundry products, personal care items, everything is loaded with chemicals that are negatively affecting our health. Everything is highly fragranced now, and these fragrances are very harmful, too, as they contain phthalates, which are interrupting testosterone in males- yes, feminizing our boys and girls are entering puberty and developing early. I can help you to find great green products if you like- just let me know.
Best Wishes on your healthy new lifestyle!
M.

1 mom found this helpful

I'm not familiar with this diet, but we follow a vegetarian lifestyle for health reasons as well, so try to keep our diets full of fresh ingredients. I keep a recipe blog if you're interested. martasrecipes.blogspot.com

HI T.
I'm happy to see real foods projected as a new diet, more people might try it. I try to make most of my food from scratch for the same reasons. It also helps me cut down on wasteful packaging, all that plastic that's bad of our bodies & the planet.

I Like a marinated veggie salad. Cut all your chunky veg into match sticks, coat w/ a non dairy dressing and let it sit on the counter till wilted a little. Make it in the morning and it's ready for dinner. Raw food is so good for us, I just found it hard to eat a cold salad in the winter.

Lemon tangerine vinaigrette
juice of 1 large lemon
'' tangerine or orange
1/4 - 1/2 c red wine vinegar
salt to taste and shake for a min
Now add 1/8th tsp xanthan gum (binding agent-meijers or health food store will have it)and shake very hard
1/4 - 1/2 c cold pressed olive oil (hemp has omega 3&6, and sunflower oil is great as well)
Shake until blended well. Mine hasn't separated either, but just shake if it needed.
Keeps a week if you don't run out first :)

Have fun with it, A. H

Hi T.,
Sounds a lot like the book I have been reading, What the Bible says about Healthy Living by Rex. Russell, M.D. I find it very interesting. Will have to pick up the Eat Clean diet book and compare. I have started by just eating more fresh vegetables. My body likes that a lot! The first thing I did was make a marinade with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, raw soy sauce and then whatever spices you like..they had cayenne and pepper as suggestions but also encourage trying whatever sounds good to you. Then, cut up lots of veggies and pour marinade over them and let sit on counter a couple hours or put in fridge for overnight. They last great for days! Just a great thing to munch on or put on some greens..yum! Your children are young, great time to get them on the same page with you!..Two of the books I am using are Raw foods for Busy People by Jordan Maerin and Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. Green for life has green smoothie ideas and they sound really good. The one I am going to try today is 1 stalk of celery, 2 cups of blueberries, 1 banana and 2 cups of water. Blend and drink.
I would also love to swap recipes...would be encouraging and helpful.
Thanks,
C.