Eat Clean Basics
It is very important when exercising and trying to lose weight that you eat 6 small meals per day. This helps you to keep your blood sugar levels steady. It also helps you body maintain its muscle mass and fuels your body for your daily activities.
I recommend that everyone who is trying to lose weight or get healthy, buy and read Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Recharged Book. It is my bible. I bought it after having a few friends recommend it to me and I'm so glad I did. She really explains the entire history and science behind eating clean and why you should pair your foods strategically together to get the results that you want!
Tosca's main principles are as follows:
- Eat more - 6 small meals a day!
- Each meal is 2.5 - 3 hours apart
- Here's what it looks like:
- 7:00 am - breakfast
- 10:00 am - snack
- 1:00 pm - lunch
- 4:00 pm - snack
- 7:00 pm - dinner
- 10:00 pm - snack
- Make this work for you. Adjust the times as needed but DO NOT go more than 3 hours without eating! You want that metabolism to stay high!
- Eat breakfast EVERY DAY!
- It's preferable to eat within an hour of waking up. It starts your metabolism and gets your body ready for the activities you have to do during the day.
- Eat a lean protein and a complex carb at every meal - 6 servings of each!
- There is a HUGE difference between a simple carb and a complex carb.
- Eat enough HEALTHY fats!
- Almonds, avocados, cashews, cold-water fish, flaxseed, hazlenut oil, nut butters, olive oil, pecans, pumpkinseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and many more!
- Drink plenty of water!
- A good rule is to drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. Ex: a 150 pound woman *should* be drinking 75 ounces of water each day.
- Carry a cooler packed with clean eats!
- That way, you are NEVER without your good food! No Excuses!
- Depend on fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains for complex carbs!
- Simple carbs = WHITE foods (think white flower and white sugar). Fruit is also a simple carb but a good one because it has fiber that slows digestion.
- Complex carbs = amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgar, cream of wheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, wheat germ, whole grain pasta, bananas, carrots, chickpeas, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes, split peas, lentils, yams, artichokes, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, lettuce, okra, spinach, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, zucchini, apples, berries, citrus fruits, dried fruits (in moderation - no added sugar!), grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, lychee, mango, melons, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, pears, plums, pomegranite, and many more.
- Stick to proper portion sizes!
- Proper portion of protein = what you can fit in the palm of one hand.
- Carbs from fruit and veggies = what you can fit into two cupped hands.
- Starchy complex carbs = what you can fit in one cupped hand.
- Healthy fats = a scant handful of nuts (ex - 14 almonds), or 1 - 2 tablespoons of a healthy oil.
So now that you have the principles, what does a meal plan look like? I try to drink a big glass of water with each small meal. Here's what I typically pick my meals from:
- Each meal is 2.5 - 3 hours apart
- Here's what it looks like:
- 7:00 am - breakfast
- 10:00 am - snack
- 1:00 pm - lunch
- 4:00 pm - snack
- 7:00 pm - dinner
- 10:00 pm - snack
- Make this work for you. Adjust the times as needed but DO NOT go more than 3 hours without eating! You want that metabolism to stay high!
- It's preferable to eat within an hour of waking up. It starts your metabolism and gets your body ready for the activities you have to do during the day.
- There is a HUGE difference between a simple carb and a complex carb.
- Almonds, avocados, cashews, cold-water fish, flaxseed, hazlenut oil, nut butters, olive oil, pecans, pumpkinseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and many more!
- A good rule is to drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. Ex: a 150 pound woman *should* be drinking 75 ounces of water each day.
- That way, you are NEVER without your good food! No Excuses!
- Simple carbs = WHITE foods (think white flower and white sugar). Fruit is also a simple carb but a good one because it has fiber that slows digestion.
- Complex carbs = amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgar, cream of wheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, wheat germ, whole grain pasta, bananas, carrots, chickpeas, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes, split peas, lentils, yams, artichokes, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, lettuce, okra, spinach, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, zucchini, apples, berries, citrus fruits, dried fruits (in moderation - no added sugar!), grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, lychee, mango, melons, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, pears, plums, pomegranite, and many more.
- Proper portion of protein = what you can fit in the palm of one hand.
- Carbs from fruit and veggies = what you can fit into two cupped hands.
- Starchy complex carbs = what you can fit in one cupped hand.
- Healthy fats = a scant handful of nuts (ex - 14 almonds), or 1 - 2 tablespoons of a healthy oil.
Breakfast
- Oatmeal of some type
- Shakeology
- Protein waffles
- Egg whites and Ezekiel break (I detest eggs so this is NEVER an option for me...)
Snack #1
- Apple and 1T of nut butter
- Plain, non-fat greek yogurt with 1T of honey
- Jamie Eason's pumpkin protein bars
- Apple and string cheese
Lunch
- Shakeology
- Grilled chicken salad with carrots (and any other veggies you want) w/1T olive oil and balsamic vinager
- Avocado Chicken Salad on a whole grain pita
- Chicken breast wrap
Snack #2
- Carrots and hummus
- Protein shake
- Low-fat cottage cheese w/fruit
- Whole wheat tortilla or wrap w/2T nut butter and 1/2 banana
Dinner - typically some type of chicken and veggies
- Salsa Chicken
- Cauliflower Pizza
- Chicken Marsala
- Grilled Chicken w/veggies
- TurboFire Chili
Snack #3
- Shakeology Balls
- Apple and cheese stick
- Jamie Eason's Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread
- Protein Shake
- Shakeology
All the snacks are interchangeable. Please feel free to take a look at my Eat Clean Recipes page for more meal plan ideas :)
<3,
Kell
<3,
Kell
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