6 EASY CLEANEATING RULES

1. FORAGE MORE

Forget the old three squares and mindless snacking—in most clean diets you’ll eat five or six healthy, wellplanned meals each day. This keeps your metabolism consistently fueled throughout the day by preventing your blood sugar from dipping, so you avoid that 3 p.m. energy lag, when you’re most likely to turn to caffeine and sugary snacks for a boost. With a clean-eating diet, each meal or snack contains a balance of quality protein, complex carbs, and healthy fat to keep you satisfi ed. A nutritious breakfast of an egg-white omelet and whole-grain toast might be followed with a late-morning snack of a Greek yogurt and some fruit and nuts. 

2. DRINK UP

Plan to drink a minimum of about 2 liters or eight 250ml glasses of fluid each day. Water is key to helping your system function at its best, from glowing skin to healthy digestion. Think of it this way: You can survive for weeks without food but only a few days without water.

To help you get in all this liquid, aim to consume about one liter before lunch and another before dinner. Keep a water bottle at your desk, on your kitchen counter, or in your car. Try giving it a little flavor by adding fresh lemon, cucumber, or orange slices. You'll benefit in so many ways from drinking water throughout the day.

3. PLAN FOR SUCCESS

It’s easy to talk about eating clean with a full fridge, but if you’re away from home and starving, there’s nothing simpler than hitting the vending machine or grabbing something at the convenience store. Plan out what you are going to eat at every meal, and prep your foods ahead of time. Pick a day of the week when you have time to prepare most, if not all, of your meals for the upcoming week. Cook your proteins, steam your vegetables, make a large salad without dressing, etc. Each night, pack your meals for the next day. If you work or spend time outside the home, stow your food in an insulated bag with an ice pack so you can eat healthy any time.

4. BE A LABEL DETECTIVE

Most clean foods are in their natural state, with few or no additives. When at the store, make a habit of reading ingredient labels. Beware of diet bombs like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which can show up in unexpected places like crackers, cereals, and yogurt. While trans fats are gradually being phased out of the food supply, ingredients that list hydrogenated oils can still contain these unhealthy fats. Also on the no-go list: artifi cial sweeteners, colors, dyes, and other additives. If you can’t pronounce it, there’s a good chance it’s something you should  avoid. Although research is divided about the benefits and riks of foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which have been altered in a laboratory to be given added nutritional value or made resistant to insects or weeds, most clean diets avoid using GMO ingredients.

Although some clean-eating advocates issist on buying primarily organic fare that's not in everyone's budget. But when possible, reach for organic versions of fruits and vegetables like apples, berries, bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and curcumbers, which otherwise typically have the bighest levels of pesticids. Free-range chicken and eggs and organic milk are also worth extra cash, since they don't contain added hormones or antibiotics.

5. DON’T BE A DINING DOWNER

Just because you’ve decided to make a change in your eating habits doesn’t mean your friends and family will follow suit. So don’t turn into that person who makes everyone else feel bad when you’re going out to eat. Almost every dining establishment will have healthy options, and if not you can ask for some simple changes to keep you on track.

Choose salads topped with grilled chicken or lean protein. Ask for dressings or sauces on the side, and use your fork to dip into the dressing before you take a bite so you still get the fl avor without the calories and fat. Or choose a lean protein, grilled, with steamed vegetables and a complex carbohydrate like sweet or regular baked potato, brown rice, quinoa, or whole-grain pasta.

6. REMEMBER, IT'S OK TO GO OFF YOUR PLAN ON OCCASION

One of the benefits of eating clean on a regular basis is being able to indulge in a food that’s not so “clean” once in a while. If the vast majority of your diet adheres to the rules above, give yourself permission to have your favorite cheat meal without guilt. In all likelihood, you'll  feel satisfied but ready to return to your clean-eating regimen.