Healthy Living: The Do's and Don't's of A Clean-Eating Lifestyle

This is not a diet, this is not a phase, this is not temporary. This is a lifestyle change. I don't want to see myself or anyone else lose the weight and then go right back to their old eating habits. This lifestyle is permanent and needs endurance and persistence to keep it up. But, believe me, you'll get used to this new life. You'll begin to realize that this is your life. You'll get used to it, and soon clean eating will simply be your way of life.

Do: Know that this should be permanent! Don't just simply lose the weight and stop. I've made this mistake once, and I don't want to see myself gain all the weight back much faster than it came off. If you stop clean eating and exercise completely, you will probably gain the weight back (and maybe even more on top of it!)

Don't: Avoid your favorite foods altogether, as this can cause a relapse. If you simply cannot live without pizza, then you don't have to. Cheat meals or cheat snacks can really help. Schedule a cheat meal bi-monthly, and plan ahead. Make sure you know what you want for that meal so that you'll feel extremely satisfied after eating it. But make sure you don't go overboard. Overeating can cause bad tummy pain, especially after you're pretty used to eating clean.

Do: Keep healthy food close, and clean out your cupboards/fridge. Anything with high saturated fat can go, along with almost anything that's in a package, processed, or deep fat fried. Keep anything protein-packed. Keep things that are lower in calories and packed with nutrients your body needs.

Don't: Buy only room-temp items. Fresh produce will not do you any harm, unless it's contaminated. Be sure to wash fresh produce before use.

Do: Shop smart. Read labels. If you prefer canned or packaged foods because they're easy to grab for work or school, make sure you're buying low-sodium and low-fat items. Great on-the-go snacks are Nutrigrain bars, meal-replacement protein shakes, dried fruit, and plastic fruit cups.

Don't: Drink your calories! If you read the label on a bottle of Sunny D or sugary lemonade, you'll realize that these drinks don't fill you up and yet their calories are enormous. Drinks that you could be mistaking as healthy may be the exact opposite. If water has gotten boring, try V8 juice or protein shakes. These are packed with nutrients that your body needs, and lack most of the unnatural sugars that fruit juices are concentrated with.

Do: Buy fresh produce. Just do it! Pinterest recipes are very helpful. Search their health and fitness category for easy, healthy recipe ideas that you can prepare in a rush.

Now that you know how to eat clean, you're ready to start buying your groceries or eating out a lot differently! Begin to choose healthier items on the menu or in the aisle. You do have control of your life, especially the foods that go in your body.