Eating Clean 101

Over the past week or so I’ve had people approach me asking me to post my low carb diet, at first I said “yeah I’ll do it” but when I sat down to write it I had a change of heart! The reason I haven’t posted my meal plans is I believe people do not understand the concept of eating clean! Personally I’d love to tell the world eat this eat that etc but when people don’t get the results they want they don’t blame themselves, they blame the person who told them what to do! So instead I’m going to lay down the fundamentals regarding eating clean!

"Eating clean" means, basically, eating the right kinds of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

For those of you out there who just want to live a healthier lifestyle carbohydrates are still an important energy source for your body and brain, this is why when you do go on a low carb diet you find it extremely difficult to concentrate!


There are good and bad carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index shows you how quickly your body metabolizes foods into sugars.

High G.I foods turn into sugars quickly, causing an insulin spike! Now insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to detect increases in blood sugar. Insulin also controls glucose homeostasis (i.e., keeps blood glucose levels constant) by stimulating the uptake of glucose into skeletal muscle and, to a lesser extent, into liver (e.g. in the case of fructose) and adipose tissue.

I know it’s confusing but I’d rather give you too much information than not enough!

In laymen's terms - it is essentially responsible for storing away the latent energy in the calories you consume. Insulin drives glucose into your cells - it feeds your muscles.

Foods that are high on the glycemic index (e.g., dextrose, or other "simple" carbs) stimulate a strong spike in insulin - "spike" just means that insulin levels rise and fall rapidly (good for a quick burst of energy but not for sustained endurance). Foods lower on the glycemic index (complex carbs) stimulate a much slower insulin response allowing for a constant release of energy.

Generally speaking - bodybuilders desire an insulin spike only after a workout (they generally combine simple sugars with protein) because they want the insulin surge to "feed" their muscles as quickly as possible

Proteins are important as they are the building blocks of life; everything from muscle tissue to your hair is made up from protein in some shape or form! Proteins are pretty straight forward, you need it to grow, when you lift weights you tear muscle fibres (hence why you feel sore the day after etc) and without sufficient protein those muscles won’t repair properly and eat away at the protein already stored in your muscles to aid in recovery!

Examples of Good Protein Sources:
 

Lean Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Lean pork
Cottage cheese (it’s not the work of the devil I swear)
Whey protein
Fish, particularly tuna, salmon, and cod
Eggs, particularly egg whites (yolks in moderation)

Now fats aren’t bad for you regardless what you might have heard but there some to avoid. You need certain fats in your diet to keep you going and again I’ll just keep it simple for you. You need to get the Essential Fatty Acids into your body (Omega 3, Omega 6) you could take supplements for this or just get it from your food!

Examples of good fats:

Fish and fish oils - polyunsaturated, best source of Omega 3's - tuna, salmon, cod
Flaxseed oil - some Omega 3, good Omega 6
Olive Oil - monounsaturated fat
Avocados - monounsaturated fat
Nuts - mono, poly, and Omega 6s best are walnuts and almonds

Examples of Bad fats:

Baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, pies)
Margarines
Fried foods (chips)
Crisps
Salad dressing
Some breakfast cereals

I think that pretty much covers the basics of eating better, if you don’t already eat clean try it for a few weeks and see if you look or feel better about yourself!

It would have been so much easier for me to post my low carb diet but we are all different (body types, weight, goals etc) and things need tweaking before you try low carb diets. For now just try and lower your carb intake a little and see how you go, then if you feel comfortable go a bit lower etc. Some people get on fine with no carbs but others have no carbs for a few days then they raid the cupboards looking for anything to satisfy the craving, I’m pretty lucky in that sense as I have the discipline of a Shaolin monk!

I wasn’t always that way but over time you adapt and eventually you can freely change your eating patterns then go back to another without even thinking about it!

I hope you found this helpful..............until next time!