What's the Deal with the Eat Clean Diet?

A diet fad that is becoming more and more common these days is the “Eat Clean” diet. Rather than focusing on calorie intake, the clean diet promotes the quality of ingredients being consumed. Those on the diet emphasize the importance of eating “like humans would in the wild.” Many small meals throughout the day are encouraged, and no calorie counting or periods of fasting are required. You also aren’t required to work out while on the diet, so you can stop looking at all of those treadmill review sites and just forget about the whole exercise component!

Basically, anyone trying to eat clean must not eat food that has been processed or refined. Sugars and oils are kept to a minimum, and almost anything that comes out of a package, bottle, or box falls under the category of “do not eat.” Some foods that meet the approval of the diet are include: unsalted nuts, lean chicken, whole grains, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Fruit and veggies make very large part of a clean diet, so if you don’t like these items, you may want to think twice to committing to this eating regimen. If you love condiments, you will have to learn how to make your own, as they definitely fall under the processed category. Sugary snacks are now out of the picture for you. You may go through a detox process when you begin to eat this way, but it will be worth it, probably.

Before you eat anything, just think to yourself, would I find this food naturally in the wild? If the answer is yes, then consume the food. If the answer is no, then get it far away from yourself before you accidentally ingest it.

Though this diet shares many similarities with the raw food diet, you are allowed to cook and prepare your food with heat, as long as you are starting out with the clean food that you should be eating.

No more stopping at McDonald’s or Wendy’s for dinner. The eat clean diet calls for a strict avoidance of these over processed fast food types. But, the list of approved foods is so restrictive, that you can pretty much cross off any other restaurant as a possible dinner idea. Heaven forbid you accidentally order something containing sugar, or even ketchup. Though, as with most diets, this lifestyle allows for one “cheat” meal per week. So if you just have to have your Cafe Rio, then go for it. But only one time during the week! No additional cheating now!

For some people, the eat clean diet is the way to go. No doubt that it really is a very healthy alternative to what most Americans are currently consuming. However, it will require a very big change for most people, so make sure that you are ready to commit and follow through before getting started!

About the Author

Emma Green Emma Green is a resident of Southern Utah. She is passionate about dogs, and health. You can visit Emma on her blog at emergencyfoodstorage101.com, or on Google+. Feel free to contact her with any questions at emmagreenie@live.com