Clean Eating

Was it only last month that I was extolling the virtues of cheese? We'll, I still love cheese, but sometimes when I’m feeling sluggish (or my pants are feeling snuggish), I “eat clean” for a few weeks, and every time I do it, I feel incredible.

My brain is clear, I don’t need as much sleep, my skin looks rosy, and I have so much energy I feel like I could climb Mount Everest! It’s worth it just to give it a try and see if it works for you. (Obviously, if you have any health issues at all, please consult your physician before trying it).

What is clean eating?

The Mayo Clinic explains here that eating clean is when you “consume more whole foods — such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats — and limit highly processed snack foods, sweets and other packaged foods.”

Pretty easy, right?

I like Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s version of clean eating, which he calls a “nutritarian” lifestyle. His book, Eat to Live, makes the case that if we eat whole foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) in their generally unprocessed states, we are giving our bodies the fuel they need to run like the miraculous machines they are.

His book is full of testimonials of his patients recovering from lifelong chronic conditions and feeling amazing in the process. (And, as a former member of the US World Figure Skating Team, Dr. Fuhrman credits clean eating with his success as an elite athlete).

I’ve found that the easiest way to eat clean is to choose foods that come in their own wrappers (bananas, oranges, avocados, etc.) and foods that don’t have wrappers (celery, broccoli, apples, kale, etc.). That means shopping mostly in the produce section of the grocery store. No pasta, no white rice, no sugar, no white flour. That might sound difficult, but there are so many choices of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, that I didn’t even miss the processed starches.

The beauty of clean eating is that fruits and vegetables have so few calories (especially salad greens, kale, collards, chard, and spinach) that you can literally eat as much as you want.

Whole head of cauliflower at one sitting? Check.

Entire family size package of strawberries as a snack? Check.

The fiber in these foods will keep you full, and you will be giving your body every kind of micronutrient and phytochemical that it needs to operate in its perfection. I usually drop a few pounds when eating this way, but honestly, its the high energy and clarity that is much more compelling than losing weight.

Clean eating means that foods are prepared with no added oils, salt, or sugar. In addition, I like the version of clean eating that excludes dairy, eggs, and animal protein.

Did you know that onions and mushrooms (and other vegetables) don’t require oil in the pan to be sauteed?

I didn’t either until I read Eat to Live, which recommends a process called “water sautéing.” Instead of using oil to sauté vegetables, just add some water to the pan if it gets dry. It keeps the food from sticking to the pan and keeps the plaque from sticking to your arteries.

In some ways, clean eating is so much easier than preparing processed foods, because the fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw, or they can be thrown in a pan together and water-sauteed, or roasted in the oven (with no oil). I think they taste better with a little crunch, which usually means a shorter cooking time.

Here are my favorite clean eating meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert - I hope you try them out and let me know what you think!