Clean Eating- How you will eat for 21 days...and the rest of your life

Clean eating isn't just a way to eat, it is a lifestyle. You want to live CLEAN, and eat all food right from the source. Truly, it is that simple.  You want your meals to be made with 5 ingredients or less. Use spices to enhance flavor, not lots of butter and added fats. Think of Clean Eating as a means to eat how we should...eat real food that is not full of names we can't pronounce. 

There are a number of proven benefits of Clean Eating:
1.    Lower Body Fat
2.    Increase Muscle Mass
3.    Improve Energy
4.    Decreased risk of types of diseases like diabetes, stroke, heat disease and cancers
6.    Less consumption of pesticides, artificial food additives, and preservatives sodium and sugar
7.    Eating Clean is Eating Green: the foods you preference in Clean Eating lifestyle are minimally processed, using less energy and produce less waste than highly-processed food
8.    Less expensive and locally supports the economy. Clean Eating involves lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. Local farmers markets are key to buying food in season, thus helping the economy you live in.
9.    Sustainable. Unlike fad diets, Clean Eating is a holistic approach to eating that a person can practice their entire life. It is not a die, but how you eat to live.
10. Food is Fuel, and Clean Eating helps you be fueled with the most nutrient dense food possible.

The challenge of TIME is often the biggest obstacle. But this is where To-Do list come into play. Incorporate them into your daily life, especially on weekends.  Use Sundays as food prep days.  After a few weeks you’ve altered some of your cravings to adjust to living and eating clean…since it is what your body needs.  Try to do your food prep, plan and shop on the same days of the week.  Additionally, you can journal to meal plan.  Create a Clean Eating Journal with recipes, what works for you and doesn’t, shopping lists, and also include photos of yourself doing the active events Clean Eating gives you energy for.  Talk with your friends who eat clean and ask to share recipes, ideas and also advice on what works for them.

Food Choices For EATING CLEAN!

Non fat Milk – Organic preferred
Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt- Trader Joes is less $
Soy Milk, Rice Milk and/or Coconut Milk
Avacado!!
Edamame
SPINACH!!! Add it to everything
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Coconut Oil
Fresh Fruit In Season (try to go local and Farmers Market, Market Hall, Alameda Market Place, Whole Foods)
Fresh Vegetables (same as above- from the farm to your table)
Salsa- make some of your own with tomatoes, cilantro, scallion, lime juice, red pepper, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (add pineapple or mango to flavor it too)
Eggs
Firm Tofu
Whole Wheat Noodles (elbow/fusseli/spaghetti)
Lemons and Limes
Nuts- Almonds, Walnuts, Peanuts (all unsalted and without sugars or seasonings)
Olive Oil
Whole Wheat Bread – enriched with fiber and protein a plus
Spinach wrap breads/whole wheat wrap bread
Lundenberg rice cakes
Tea
Whole Grain Crackers- Kashi TLC and Garden of Eaten are good
Whole Wheat Pretzels- Trader Joes or Honey Gold are fine
Gluten Free Options of Rice Crackers, Tempeh crackers, Brown Rice Snacks
Natural Peanut Butter- Trader Joes/Adams
Natural Soy Nut Butter- Trader Joes good option
Whole Fruit for jam (sliced strawberries, mashed blackberries, banana)
Hummus – make own with garbanzos, timarac, cayan pepper, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro
honey
Beans- Black beans, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Fat Free Refried Beans
Cheese- String Cheese, goat cheese, feta, swiss --- all have less fat than Gouda/Cheddar/Brie. Try for 7 grams or less per serving.
Lean Deli Meats—Turkey & Chicken
Trader Joes Vegetable soups- Tomato/squash/pepper
Fresh Fish – Salmon, Mahi Mahi, Ahi, Trout
Shrimp
Basil, Cilantro, Rosemarry, Thyme
Seasonings!!
Balsamic Vinegar
Dried Fruit- Apricots, Cranberries, Raisins, Apple, Figs, Mango
If you have bars – Remember 5 ingredients or less--- KIND and LARA Bars are good options
WATER!!  100 oz daily!!

Ways to incorporate vegetables into your diet:
Add them to your breakfast, lunch and snacks!  Add Spinach and tomatoes to eggs, cucumber and bell peppers to sandwiches, chard and scallions to frittatas, fresh mushrooms to tomato soup, lettuce wrapped around bell pepper slices with goat cheese, bell peppers baked and stuffed with barley/basil/sundried tomatoes and smidge olive oil.

Snack ideas:
•    Goat Cheese Medallion and Sliced Pear or Apple
•    Fiber enriched Lundenburg Brown Rice Cake dipped in 1 tb peanut butter, apple slices, cinnamon
•    carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli with 2 tb hummus
•    ½ cup nonfat greek yogurt with 1 cup berries and 1 tb sliced almonds/1 TB Almond Butter or walnuts
•    ½ PB & Fruit wrap – half wrap with 1 tb PB & sliced strawberries


Dinner ideas:
Frittata over spinach salad
BBQ Vegetables & Fish
Rissoto with tofu and grilled vegetables
Fish Tacos
Grilled kabobs, fish burgers, corn salad
Peanut Veggie Stir Fry
Pumpkin Curry Soup with Tofu

Please contact to request any recipe- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com

For additional questions, ideas and thoughts, please contact Erin Kreitz Shirey and
Power Fitness PDX – www.powerfitnesspdx.com  and powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com 





Food References for Clean Eating:
Online Resources:
The Gracious Pantry - www.thegraciouspantry.com
Clean Eating Magazine - www.cleaneatingmag.com
Eat Clean Diet – www.eatcleandiet.com


* Many thanks to Sandra Koulourides, MS, RD of Fuel Plus Fitness, Clean Eating Magazine for and Danielle Paskins of West Linn Fitness for some additional food choices and ideas. Refer to them in addition to Power Fitness PDX, they are fantastic resources.

Have fun and be creative,  YOU know the rules of Clean Eating, YOU know what to buy, YOU know you have to plan your choices...so now DO IT!  YOU CAN and YOU WILL feel incredible from the inside out.