DECODING DORA: EAT CLEAN - No, it's not eating while you are cleaning!! :)

What's clean eating? A lot of people asked me that question quite often lately. Some people think it's a passing "trend", the flavor of the month, or just one of those diets that come and go.

I'm not sure what clean eating will be for you, but for me it's my new way to eat. It's not a diet and shouldn't be a passing trend, because clean eating can save a lot of people from diseases that will claim their lives sooner or later.

Why am I passionate about this? Because it really works and changed my life forever. Why am I sharing this information with you? Because I care about my friends and family and if something has the potential to better their lives, you better believe I will be looking for different ways to let them know about it. So, this is me saying it OUT LOUD, CLEAN EATING is pretty AWESOME. GOT IT? OK, let's get to the details!

Clean Eating is a very simple concept, just like the name itself, but it requires knowledge, discipline and will power. Especially at the very beginning of the process. What I will try to do in here is sharing a very basic guidelines of what clean eating is, few start-up steps and some links to educate you on the subject.

CLEAN EATING DOESN'T MEAN

CLEANING YOUR FOOD BEFORE EATING IT!

Clean Eating is the act of basing your diet on whole, unprocessed, preferably organic foods. In other words, when you eat clean, you try to eat as low on the food chain as possible. By focusing on whole foods, your diet automatically become higher in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals and lower in refined sugar, bad fats and food additives.

The basics of the eating clean lifestyle are:

Eat whole, unrefined and unprocessed foods that are low on the food chain.
Eat a wide variety of unprocessed foods. (Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Healthy Fats, etc.)
Avoid artificial substances, including artificial flavors and colors, preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
Cut back on sugars, especially processed sugars like high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners.
Avoid trans fats and artificial fat substitutes.
Choose low fat, or non fat, dairy products.
Choose foods that are nutrient dense.
Combine proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fat at every meal for the most satisfaction.
Drink lots, lots of water.
Eat five or six mini-meals a day rather than three large meals.
Practice portion control, especially when you eat more than three meals a day.

I know what you are thinking... "Dora, that's not easy." And I will be brutally honest with you here, it's a little difficult at the beginning, and that's mainly because you are not only changing old (bad) habits, you are also learning something new while you are making all those challenging changes.

Cutting processed foods is like detoxing from a drug addition. It has been describe like that by many experts and I think it's pretty accurate. That's why I'm recommending for you to read about clean eating first, know what's going to happen, what you need to change and how you overcome the challenges.

It can be done, it's just a matter of discipline, will power and a true desire to better your life for good!

CLEANING YOUR DIET WILL CLEAN YOUR LIFE!

Eating clean is a lifestyle change, not a diet. To be successful, you have to think about food and eat differently, which will no doubt prompt changes in other areas of your life. Remember that these changes won't happen overnight. But if you have been relying on a diet of heavily processed foods, with refined sugar and flour and lots of additives and preservatives, you may see dramatic results in a short period of time.

As you adopt an eating clean lifestyle, you may also notice:

Weight loss.
Clearer skin.
More energy.
Healthier hair and fingernails.
Stronger muscles.
Lower blood pressure.
Stronger immune system.
Lower cholesterol levels.
Clearer thinking.
Feeling like a million dollars, for real!!

In my experience the first two weeks were the most difficult ones, I was breaking my addiction to processed foods, and most importantly starting to cut sugar out of my diet. Sugar is the most difficult component to let go, but I can guarantee you, it will change the way you eat for ever.

I noticed changes on my energy levels within the second week. It was a pretty amazing feeling! A feeling I want you to experience.

Do I still eat processed foods? Do I drink alcohol? Do I eat sugar? The answer to all those questions are YES! But my taste buds have change so much, I can't really eat much of those foods anymore. Not even wanting to. (Seriously!)

I do eat processed foods very seldom, during the holidays, vacations or special occasions. Those foods don't satisfy me the way they used to months ago. So, I became very selective about the kind of processed food I decide to eat. It has to be VERY GOOD!

I love having a glass of wine once in a while and for those who knows me well, more than a glass! :) Even that changed after adopting this lifestyle. I can still drink but I can't drink as much as I used to. Another interesting thing is the kind of drinks or wine I'm able to drink. I used to love semi-sweet wines, now I just drink dry wines. Why is that? My tolerance to consume drinks high on sugar content changed as well. It's something that gradually happens with time as you get used to your new eating style.

Hope this blog clarified some questions about the clean eating lifestyle and maybe motivates you to learn more about it. At the bottom of this blog I'm including some resources to help you start this process. You won't regret it!! Good luck!