Thursday, October 29, 2015

Fresh Start | CHANGE YOUR DIET, CHANGE YOUR LIFE, BY EATING THE CLEAN FOOD WAY

By Dominick H. & Katie G.



Given the recent findings from the World Health Organization this week, it got us thinking. In this day and age, there is an overload of information everywhere on what it means to be "healthy." All of the terms, names, and forms can be a lot for anyone. There are so many books, websites, articles, opinions on everything regarding food and wellness. And to top it all off, there are all these different diet types to add to the confusion: high-protein, Paleo, vegan, etc. But, we at project: CLEAN FOOD are about clear, concise information to help you find the lifestyle that is suitable for you and your unique life. We get that not every diet is going to be for every person. Each of our bodies is very unique. Each of our reactions to foods and beverages is very unique. So it is important that we find the right balance–and mix–of foods and beverages that will not only enhance our performance in our daily life, but will also invigorate us to live a pure lifestyle of eating, living and enjoying every moment with passion.

So as you can imagine, we're going to add to the mix with a diet for you to consider. But hold on there; it's not just any diet–it's an entire lifestyle. The reason why most diets don't work is because most of them don't really paint out what that diet and lifestyle combination looks like. The resistance we experience with dieting is that we try so hard to hold on to an idea of who we want to be that we don't allow ourselves to transform into something new, expanded, and powerful. With diet regimes, we have to be open to allowing ourselves to become what we don't know. Of course not even we can tell you that. But we can guide you and give you a few things to embrace while taking on this super-powerful project: CLEAN FOOD Diet. So remember: smaller meals conscious choices. Here we go:

THE DIET
This is based on 5 smaller meals a day. If you are more of a 3 meals a day type of person, the percentage breakdowns remain the same: just adjust your intake accordingly.


THE BREAKDOWN
foods
  • Fruits &Veggies: 60%
  • Grains: 20%
  • Pure Dark Chocolate: 5%
  • Dairy (or Alternative, if allergic): 5%
  • MISC: 10%

beverages
  • Water: 70%
  • Misc Beverages: 30%


THE DEETS


Fruits & Veggies: 60%
No one is saying that you have to become a vegetarian or vegan. But our daily eating regimen should consist of mostly fruits and vegetables. According to recent medical research, eating a diet comprising of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts is associated with preventing the onset of depression [and other body ailments], according to research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. So, yeah. It's legit.


  1. Breakfast: Let's say at breakfast you're an oatmeal or yogurt type person. You should have fresh fruit with these things always: bananas, berries, peaches. If you're more of a bagel, croissant, or danish type person, think about having a smoothie. Or possibly a small fruit salad. If you're all about eggs or pancakes, think fresh fruit cut up. Starting to make sense? 
  2. Lunch: Sandwich or soup type of person? Have a small salad with it. Or better yet, consider having a more vegetable-based sandwich: sautéed mushrooms, roasted peppers and eggplant, with a little hummus and veggies on the side, or maybe just a veggie burrito. If you like a big lunch with rice, meats, etc, try reducing the portion size to make way for more energizing foods like smoothies, fresh juices, a salad (of course), or maybe a small selection of fruits like avocado, nectarines, apples. You get it. Right?
  3. Dinner: Big dinner type of person? Regardless of what you normally eat, eat smaller portions and maybe try to have an entirely vegetarian meal. If you love your meat, try a leaner cut. Instead of 5 pieces, try 2. Instead of a whole chicken, how about a one quarter? Reduce the portions in other places to have more of the energizing, healthy foods mentioned here.
  4. Snacks: A whole piece of fruit and raw veggies (with peanut butter, too) is really a no-brainer here.
Grains: 20%
You know, we all love our breads. I love bread. Bread loves me. Is it "bad" for us? Not technically. But just like anything else, too much bread can slow us down and make us sluggish, and diminish our energy. So if you struggle with eating a lot of bread and grains, you may want to consider our lovely week-long Bread Cleanse. That said, should we decide to keep eating bread, we shouldn't eat much of it at all. I know, I know. We all grew up with bread at the table and at every meal. So don't jump down our throats when we say "20% of your diet should be bread". Let's take it step-by-step. What does 20% bread and grains even look like? In all honesty, it's really once per day and very little at each meal. Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner, you choose. But you can't eat grains or breads at every meal. So let's approach it like this...
  1. Breakfast: Think oatmeal, half a muffin, whole wheat toast with peanut butter. You get our drift.
  2. Lunch: Think maybe a small piece of bread with your salad or a sandwich of sorts. It could be pasta, if you want. Just be prepared to feel a little sluggish come dinner time.
  3. Dinner: Think rice, pasta, maybe a little bread before dinner. Just don't go crazy and have every meal be a massive pasta dish or rice dish. If you come from a culture where rice and pasta is a staple and a given at most sittings, consider gluten-free or whole wheat alternatives.
  4. Snacks: Think granola, mini muffins, crackers, or pita and hummus. Just enough to stave off hunger, but not fill you up.
Pure Dark Chocolate: 5%
Should you stuff your face with chocolate because it's a part of our diet regimen? Absolutely not. Should you eat a small amount of chocolate because it's good for you? Um, yes. Dark Chocolate is very good for the body, as it has digestive enzymes. Dark chocolate has also been known improve blood circulation when taken in small doses: and as a result it improves brain activity and heart functionality. This is also the same reason why many indigenous tribes consider dark chocolate to be a food of the gods and an aphrodisiac (yum). And when might you have that dark chocolate...
  1. Breakfast: Try pairing yogurt with cocoa nibs
  2. Lunch: Maybe a dark chocolate bar as dessert in one meal
  3. Dinner: We don't advocate chocolate for dinner, but maybe as a dessert.
  4. Snack: It goes without saying here that a small dark chocolate bar satisfies your snacking sweet tooth (and your weekly requirement).

Dairy (Or Alternative if allergic): 5%
As in dairy product as food: not actual dairy as a beverage here. So yogurts, creamy desserts, or milk based foods or where milk serves as a main ingredient. Believe it or not, too much milk in the diet can create digestive issues, skin problems like eczema or others, and problems with allergies. So if you are an allergy sufferer or a sufferer of one of the other issues, you may want to consider cutting back on dairy in a drastic way: or possibly eliminating it completely. For the rest of you, no one should be having too much dairy, however the body does well with a little bit of it. Where and how? 
  1. Breakfast: Maybe a yogurt and granola with fruit, toast with cream cheese, smoothie with yogurt, etc.
  2. Lunch: A sandwich or salad with cheese, pizza, etc.
  3. Dinner: Baked goods, pastas, mac-n-cheese, or anything with cheese. Desserts. Then again, there are many foods out there that require a dairy base. So choose wisely here as well.
  4. Snack: How about string cheese or yogurt? Or maybe even a little ice cream? They seem like good snacks.
Misc: 10%**
Ok fine. We'll give you permission to have whatever food you like. Remember: moderation. It is important to have a little freedom in your diet. Healthy has everything to do with restrictions and regimens. However, it is also very important to balance out your diet with your very own pleasing meal choices. So if you ever catch me nibbling on warm chocolate chip cookies and milk, no judgment.




  1. Breakfast: Good ol' American Breakfast. Or maybe your favorite danish or croissant. Or maybe your favorite green juice or carrot juice. Eggs?
  2. Lunch: Um. Yea. Have fun. Just be be mindful.
  3. Dinner: Same thing here. Anything you like. Your favorite cultural food. Meat and fish. Maybe take a page out of my book and have some good Indian Food with all the trimmings. Anything you like.
  4. Snack: Don't go overboard and eat a tub of ice cream (that's all we ask).

Water: 70%
A water based diet is a hopeful ideal. For may people, drinking mostly water and no other beverage at most meals seems unrealistic. Let's be honest, we love our variety drinks. However water is the most powerful and most easily digested beverage: even more than any other fresh juice or smoothie. While healthy drinks like smoothies, juices, and other mixed elixirs are good for you, water is what the body requires most for cleansing, purification, rejuvenation, and transformation. Our bodies are made up of mostly water. So it is very natural that the body constantly replenish what the body is mostly made of.
 



Misc Beverages: 30%**
Yup. Again you are allowed to have a wee-bit of whatever other beverage you want. Wine or other alcohol? Juice or soda? smoothies or fruit veggie juices? Have anything you want. No more than 6 times a week.





THAT'S IT!
We're excited for you to start eating consciously and transform your life. As always, share your comments with us on Facebook. Happy #eeeeeats.

**These are the foods and beverages that you enjoy to the fullest (and without any sort of attachment to them). It can literally be anything you want. So long as you consume these things in a balanced and moderate way.
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