Clean Eating 101 and Money Saving Tips

I first learned about clean eating from some pins on Pinterest from HeandSheeatclean. Then we watched the documentary "FOODMATTERS" on Netflix. From there, I read Bob Harper's book The Skinny Rules and was hooked. Clean eating isn’t a fad diet. It’s a permanent, healthy way of eating that, with a little practice, can (and should) become a way of life. Clean eating is eating for the sake of nourishing your body with food as close to it’s natural state as possible. There is no math, no point systems, no insane calorie restrictions. When you begin to replace the processed, fried and unhealthy foods from your diet with whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean protein, your body will respond in amazing ways.

1. Your muscles will respond to the added lean protein by growing which will speed up your metabolism.
2. Your body will respond to the whole grains by regulating itself.
3. Your body will also rid itself of water weight caused by excess sodium that is PACKED in processed food.
4. If you struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental struggles - cutting out all the dyes, sugars and artificial ingredients will help A LOT! Out lives are drastically different now. We don't do it to be weird and  strict. We do it because of how we feel! And we want our children to grow up feeling that way. 

To make getting started on a clean eating path as simple as possible, I learned this acronym;

• C- COUNT your meals. You should aim to eat 5-6 times a day (3 meals and 2-3 small snacks). Shoot for every couple of hours. This will keep your metabolism burning all day long!
• L- LEAN protein! Each meal should contain about a palm-sized serving of lean protein (white-meat chicken/turkey, fish, black beans, egg whites, etc.) Find your favorites and keep them on hand.
• E- EAT your fruits and veggies! They’re delicious, filling and packed with what our bodies need.
• A- AVOID processed and refined foods. White flour, sugar, bread and pastas are no-nos. Replace them with complex carbs such as brown rice and whole-wheat . Also, read ingredient lists. A long list means ‘not clean’. If it has sugar in the first 5 ingredients, keep walking! 
• N- NEVER eat mindlessly. Too often, we tend to grab a food and toss it back with out even a thought. The next time you go to eat something, ask yourself, “Will this do anything positive for my body?” and “Will I regret this choice later?”.

I know that people tend to think that Eating Clean will be super expensive! I can assure you it doesn't have to be and there are plenty of people struggling financially that make health a priority. You don't have to be RICH to eat healthy. It just takes a little extra planning and perhaps some saving.. but making it a priority in your budget will help. If your health isn’t a priority in your life.. it should be! You DESERVE to be healthy! =) Here's some tips for saving money:

• Stop eating out! Start making all of your own food at home and you will save considerably!
• Make a budget!! If you go through your finances and divide up your needs, you will know how much you have for groceries and you can stick to it!
• Make a menu each week and a grocery list and stick to it! Don’t buy things you don’t really need.
• Do NOT go to the market hungry.. you will wind up buying things on impulse, not because you truly need them!
• Some products are smart to buy in bulk at places like Costco or Sam’s Club, because they can be frozen or stored for long periods of time and will not perish. They may also be cheaper at these stores.
• If you think you won’t be able to get through all of something like fruit, veggies or lean meats, buy them frozen.. (or if the meat is not previously frozen, you can freeze the fresh stuff and it will keep for quite some time).
• Always purchase produce in season. When you start buying off-season produce, the price is MUCH higher.
• Buy generic, not name brands. You might have to double check the labels though to be sure they are of the same quality.
• Clip coupons and take advantage of sales. If something you eat frequently is on sale, buy more of it. Although the time it takes to clip the coupons and the immediate cost will be higher, in the long run you will save more! Price Matching is also a big help!
• Sales go for supplements as well. Sites like Bodybuilding.com offer discounts on supplements regularly.
• Sign up for newsletters about sales and deals at the stores you frequently shop at (including online and supplement stores)
  
  
  
   Remember: “What you feed your body can either be the BEST medicine or the SLOWEST form of POISON”