CLEAN DIET

[Jonimom]

I saw a mention on one of the posts about eating a clean diet.  I know that it involves fruits and vegetables, but can someone give me an example of what you actually eat at meal times during the day? 

[Margee]

Hi jonimom - This could be a start! Lots of information! Hope it helps! Sincerely, Margee

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/

[Jonimom]

Margee,
Thanks for the link.  Have you tried this?

[Margee]

Yes jonimom -I  am basically following it right now. I did it before (a year or so ago and felt like I could 'fly'!   I suggest you sign up for the 'newsletter' - it's great!  Let us know how it goes for you! Margee

[Nannycat]

I love to eat 'clean'. When I eat garbage, I feel like garbage! Good choice Jonimom!
Good luck!
Nannycat

[blogster]

That might of been me who posted that. 

My diet is very repetitive, very boring, but I find it maximises my energy levels and mood.

I do not eat any processed foods - essentially 'raw' materials.

I eat five servings of vegetables a day (mushrooms, greens, tomatoes, carrots etc.) and 1 serving of fruit (e.g. blueberries, which have strong anti oxidant properties).

I eat two servings of oats per day for digestive purposes. 

I have a high percentage of good fats in my diet - almonds, macadamias, olive and flaxseed oil.  Your body requires these fats, can use them as a source of energy instead of processed carbs and they have strong anti-cancer properties.  For example, having 50ml of olive oil per day has been linked to a 40% reduction in likelihood of many cancers in Mediterranean countries.

I do have carbs (sweet and normal potato) but try to limit them to before 5pm as I've heard they can affect the sleep process.  I try not to eat sooner than 45 minutes before going to bed.

I do not drink coffee monday to friday - too much coffee can contribute to anxiety and lost focus.  Instead I have a range of teas around the day: morning - Really Russian Caravan (a stronger black tea), during the day - green tea, which has less caffeine and strong antioxidant properties, with dinner - white jasmine, which has less caffeine again and then camomile before bed which acts as a relaxant.

LIke olive oil, 5-6 cups of tea per day has been associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of many cancers.

[Jonimom]

Blogster,
Is regular black tea okay to drink?  I don't really like the herbal teas, but would give them a try.  Do you eat any proteins?  When you said you eat oats -- is that something you pick up at a specialty store or would regular grocery stores have them.  Thanks for your reply.  I do think it may have been your post that caught my eye.  I have to agree with you that when I really try not eating processed foods (even though I do crave them), I feel so much better.

[blogster]

Jonimom,

Personally, I would recommend constantly drinking black tea - I only have it in the morning to start the day - it has higher caffeine levels than the other teas and without the same associated health benefits as the other teas.

Oats I just get from the supermarket, but you can go organic stores too I guess.

I have protein, usually in the form of white meats (turkey and chicken) and fish.  I also have kangaroo, which is lean, with little fats or sodium (don't think you'll be able to get it!).  I also have protein powders.

While it generally goes against our culture, long term heavy meat eating (particularly red meats) is not recommended - I do not believe humans are designed to consume as much meat as we generally do!

If you want some great tips of healthy eating and long living, I recommend studying some of older/smaller cultures famous for long life.  Having spent time in Okinawa, Japan it was amazing to see so many older, healthy active people.  Areas of Okinawa have some of the highest proportions of people reaching 100 y.o. in the world and in huge way down to there diet.

Since eating clean I've been amazed at its impact on my mood and energy levels, which are both crucial when you are an introvert.

[Jonimom]

Blogster,
Thanks for your help.  I'm giving the clean diet a try. 

[pyro13g]

Here's my plan for the day.

Breakfast
2 Egglands Best eggs
1/2 cup egg beater
2/3 tablespoon Canola oil
40gr Langostino meat
1oz white onion
Chili Powder
Coffee with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk.

Lunch
4oz Tilapia
1oz Almonds
Banana

Mid day meal:
4oz Tilapia
1oz Walnuts
Banana

Finger food for snacking:
300gr Honeydew Melon

If I do an Insanity workout tonight:
2 scoops Endurox R4 Recovery formula in water

Dinner:
277gr Grilled Chicken Breast
1quart veggie soup if I do insanity (Tomato stock, corn, peas, seasoning)
1 quart cooked cauliflower/broccoli If I don't work out.
The soup is high glycemic load.  I only do HGL after workouts.

Drink for the day.  About a gallon of roasted Oolong tea.
Either Matcha from green tea powder or a couple beers or big glass of red wine.

I follow a pretty strict Paleo Diet.  If you like to read, it's a good book.  Technically there is no calorie counting.  I rarely get hungry on it. 

[Jonimom]

Thanks Pyro13g...This helps me to see how someone actually puts the food into meals.  I will look into the Paleo Diet.  This is the first time I have heard of it.  How many days per week do you workout?  I try to do 40 minutes a day/5 days a week of some kind of exercise.

[radames]

I try to detoxify my body pretty frequently and I take fish oil capsules, a multivitamin, and vitamin C.  I try to drink as much water as I can each day (usually a half gallon to a full gallon).  When eating meals I try to optimize for a large percentage of protein with a heaping portion of some vegetables or salads for my fiber.

I have a high percentage of muscle mass which makes me different from the typical body.  I build muscle rather quickly yet find it a bit difficult to cut down the bodyfat.  I have had a lot of success with losing fat over the years but it had the most effectiveness when I controlled my diet.  I think it starts with the mind then gets manifested in your behavior and dietary decisions.

[pyro13g]

Thanks Pyro13g...This helps me to see how someone actually puts the food into meals.  I will look into the Paleo Diet.  This is the first time I have heard of it.  How many days per week do you workout?  I try to do 40 minutes a day/5 days a week of some kind of exercise.

I try to keep it 4 times a week so I have time for other things.  Two HIT Weight Workouts and two Cardio Interval.  I'll throw in a core targeted  workout every 2-3 weeks.  In the winter about 16 hours of snowboarding a week on top of it.  I currently use INSANITY for the cardio Intervals.  I personally think the workouts are very good.

My diet is also very repetitive.

Meals are real easy to put together.  If you stick to a healthy protein + Veggie/Fruit + Healthy Oils/Nuts you'll never go wrong.

 Fish oil supplements are so good for you it would be silly to not add them.

[Jonimom]

Just got back from a week's vacation, but kept all the clean diet rules in mind when eating out.  Went shopping today for the foods you have all suggested.  Thank you for letting me know what works for you.