Hi everyone!
Yesterday, I decided to have my cheat day instead of Sunday (tomorrow) so I will be posting about day 23 (I believe) tomorrow as that workout is being done today.
Now on to the subject- Eating clean and healthy. I really want to start doing this (and counting calories because even clean foods can be high in them) at least most of the time and I have some questions about it. I am a former fast food/junk food addict and I'm noticing whenever I eat these things, I end up feeling like crap. I have already reduced my Diet Coke intake to 1-2 cans a day when it used to be 6+ a day and more water. What I have questions about is the food, since I have to stay to a budget (poor college student).
1. My most burning question: Are canned and frozen vegetables OK? I have a bunch of cans in the cupboard and all the ingredients say are vegetable name, water, and sometimes salt. (I rinse them before eating). No sulfites or weird chemisty language, same with the frozen veggies. I wish I could afford good, fresh organic but at this time it's not realistic.
2. Are whole grain pastas ok? I have a couple of boxes of whole grain pasta with again, no chemistry talk, and I have some spaghetti sauce that is all natural and has no preservatives.
3. Nobody's perfect, I know I will slip up sometimes as everyone does. However on cheat days is there anything that I should absolutely positively ALWAYS avoid? Like any certain ingredients?
4. Is cheese considered "clean"? I do love yogurt, cheese and dairy on occasion (I normally don't have dairy or eggs) and again, organic isn't always an option.
5. I know steel cut oats are amazing for eating clean, but what about the quicker cooking oats? I have some of this around the house too- not flavored or instant, the kind that comes in the big cardboard can.
6. Soy. Oh, soy. So many benefits and health scares. I make a lot of Korean food that involves soybeans and tofu. The tofu they sell at my market is organic and non GMO, and the fresh soybeans are also non GMO. Is this ok?
I think that's it for now. I know a lot of my readers follow the clean diet. I also want to save money and do the Junger cleanse- the deep one- but it's $450. Well worth it, it's just a matter of saving up! Sorry for all the questions, I have done internet research but I get a lot of conflicting info, especially about vegetables! If you have more suggestions on eating clean on a budget- post in the comments below! Any info is helpful to me, as again, I am new at this!
I think I may be able to answer some of your questions.
ReplyDelete1. Any nutritionist would tell you buying fresh is always the way to go, and of course buying organic is a plus if you can too. Obviously, doing this is not always an option. (I would love to shop at a whole foods market and buy everything fresh and organic, too poor!). On that note, if you can't I would recommend buying frozen veges, not the cans. Anything from a box or can usually contains lots of unwanted preservative and of course sodium. It helps to shop around and look for deals also. If you get the weekly flyers for grocery stores, you can check to see what is on sale that week. This is helpful because each week there is usually something new, so it helps to keep variety in your diet. Remember you want variety to avoid getting bored. This isn't just a diet, it is a new lifestyle.
2. Whole grain pasta is fine. You have to remember portion, portion, portion! Anything can be in a sense 'ok' to eat if it's in moderation. While whole grain pasta may not have calories there are still carbs. If not broken down properly in the body it can have a negative effect on you. So to answer your question, YES whole grain pasta is fine. BUT you must keep it in moderation
3. There are many things any health craze person can tell you to avoid. It really depends on your body and what you choose to put in it. My opinion these are the things I would always try to avoid, of course if possible
1. DIET SODA. (ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS SUCH AS):
Acesulfame potassium
Aspartame
Neotame
Saccharin
Sucralose
2. AVOID ANY BOXED FOODS THAT STATE THEY ARE SUGAR FREE OR FAT FREE. IF SOMETHING STATES IT IS SUGAR FREE, YOU CAN USUALLY EXPECT THERE TO BE MORE FAT FOR THE ADDED FLAVOR AN VICE VERSA.
3. TOO MANY SWEETS, I.E FAST FOOD OR JUNK FOOD. IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST, LIMIT THEM TO 250CALS OR LESS.
4. BOXED AND CANS FOOD AS STATED IN YOUR FIRST QUESTION, IF THEY CAN BE AVOIDED. I KNOW I DONT AVOID THEM AS I SHOULD; BUT IF YOU CAN’T ATLEAST LOOK FOR THE HEALTHIER OPTIONS.
4. Dairy is always good for you in moderation. If some may think it is not considered 'clean' try organic. You may not be able to buy all of your food organic, but a little here and there is usually good. Fat free options for cheese or cheese from skim milk are good too.
5. I have the big container of oats. I eat them every morning and I make them with water, not milk. I prefer these over the pre-packaged boxes because there is nothing added to them. I use about one to two teaspoons of organic sugar to sweeten them. (only 15cals per tbsp) You can also add frozen fruit to them like strawberries and blueberries which is nice!
6. SOY- I don't know too much about it other than it does have plant derived estrogen in it. I love soy milk but cannot drink it because I noticed heavier monthly flows accompanied it. I personally don’t find any issues with it. It’s good =)
Lastly, the best thing I can recommend for a successful weight loss journey is this. Always have a food journal. Even if you have days where you slip up, record. When you actually write down what is going inside your body, it is your constant reminder to you of what is going in and you can choose to change it if you don’t like it. Also, keep your calories at 1200 a day. I personally do not suggest going any lower without Doctor Supervision. Consuming fewer calories will lower your metabolism among many other things. Stick to eating 1200 calories a day and you can guarantee successful weight loss. When you arrive to a healthier weight, consuming around 1500 will be ok. I was always told to ensure weight loss try not to consume more than the 1200 though. Also, do not starve yourself. This is horrible! Put yourself on an eating schedule. Meaning, make sure you try to consume something every 4 hours. If you are someone who is constantly feeling hungry eat very tiny portions throughout the day. This is how I always break it up.
ReplyDelete300cals for breakfast, 300cals for lunch and 300cals for dinner. This allows small snacks in between, such as a protein shake, raw vegetables or a cereal bar.
For breakfast I find eating a nice whole grain cereal or oatmeal is good because it is low in calories and has lots of fiber and other benefits that keep you fuller longer. Also, with the cereal you get a little of that dairy that you need if you use milk. Or have fruit on the side!
I hope this was helpful. These are little tips I try to remember before putting anything in my mouth. Eventually it just comes natural like brushing your teeth. Just try not to over think it otherwise you may become overwhelmed and get off track. Just remember, if you are counting your calories and keeping them within the reasonable range of 1200cals, you are keeping everything else such as the carbs, sodium etc. in a reasonable range as well. One last note; remember to include protein, grains and fiber in your every day diet. And try wheat germ!
I would also include Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in your list of things not to eat! Oh yeah and exercise every day! =)
ReplyDeleteThank you soo much! This was really helpful. I know that just to lose weight you only need to watch the calories, type of food doesn't matter, but when it comes to the health aspect the type DOES matter. Not only do I want to lose the weight, I want to increase the other aspects of my health too. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso- I do keep mine around 12-1300 calories for the most part. I am also not one of those people that can eat 6 times a day, I eat breakfast, I'm set for quite a while, so I usually eat 3 meals a day instead. (I also read studies that the small meals doesn't always guarantee "raising metabolism" etc) I do exercise almost every day with a rest day here and there, and I think that is also helping tremendously!
ReplyDelete