I have been practicing the clean eating principles for a few years now. If you put effort into exercising then you need to put effort into eating clean. It helps greatly that I have a wonderful person Brandon Steen who loves to cook and prepare meals for me. However, he follows the clean eating principles too. Some of my clean eating principles are due to food allergies but many people without food allergies follow the same principles. What does clean eating mean to me?
Jane Trains 10 Clean Eating Tips
1. My morning starts with warm water and lemon. My grandfather practiced this and I have adopted it. Cleans out the system!
2. Eat a good balanced breakfast such a protein shake with homemade almond milk (we have a Vita Mix so we use filtered water and raw almonds and blend it as we make the smoothie), Vega protein powder (made from peas and hemp), cod liver oil (lemon flavour), frozen fruit, spinach or sprouts. I take my protein shake with me to work and drink it while I am getting ready for a busy day in a kindergarten classroom. On the weekend we often have fresh fruit, eggs, oatmeal or a whole grain toast with some organic all natural nut butter.
Jane Trains tip: I NEVER EVER miss a breakfast, it is the only way to start to a good day.
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| Fresh summer salad with mint from our garden |
3. I enjoy my green tea in the morning sipping it on my way to work as I drive the highway into Toronto and then finishing it calmly as my kindergarten students are quietly reading on the carpet at the beginning of the day.
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| I love my teas! |
4. Snacks between meals are very important to keep the metabolism going. They are also important to teach young children the principles of healthy eating, when my students have snack I sit down and have snack. This is one of the only times you will see this kindergarten teacher sitting during the day. My morning snack is usually fruit with cheese or sunflower seed butter (no nuts at school is really hard for my healthy eating plan). My afternoon snack is often vegetables with homemade bean dip.
Jane Trains tip: I always pack at least 2 snacks, you never know when you many need one.
4. Eat a good size lunch as you still have most of the day to use all the nutrients. My lunch always is a large salad full of a variety of vegetables with homemade oil and vinegar dressing (I keep a bottle of salad dressing at work), and a serving size of a lean protein source (chicken, fish or eggs) and occasionally a healthy grain such as brown rice, spelt pasta or quinoa. I try to save my carb intake for after a strength training workout and that usually is after I get home from work. Jane Trains tip: I always bring my lunch to work, I never go out for lunch, pick up lunch or skip lunch.
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| One of Brandon's awesome salads with fresh figs |
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| This was my birthday salad and it was delicious. |
5. Everyday I take a extra large reusable bottle of water (40 0z), you can tell it is used daily from the dents and scratches on my bottle. It is harder in the winter to drink as much water. On warm days in the early summer at work when the classroom is a steam bath I take 2 extra large bottles and have to slow down at the end of the day to make sure I don't run out of water before home time. Sometimes when I am at home on the weekends, I will fill my water bottle making sure I drink it all if I think I may not be getting my daily consumption of water.
Jane Trains tip: I never leave home without my water bottle filled.
6. Dinner is always awesome as it is created with love by non other than Brandon Steen. Always consisting of a protein source with another good size salad and sometimes a healthy grain. This meal often becomes my lunch for the next day. I usually end my day with an herbal tea after dinner. My favourite herbal tea is peppermint, it is a nice way to soothe the stomach and relax at the end of a long day.
Jane Trains tip: I try not to eat after 7 p.m.
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| A healthy dinner of fresh Ontario yellow beans, simple salad and organic meat with blueberry compote |
7. I don't consume: processed or prepared foods, fast food of any kind, junk food, white flour and most wheat flours (allergic to wheat), sugar or any sugary drinks including most juice (allergic to sugar), dairy (except for goat milk and cheese as I am allergic to dairy), soy products (allergic to soy), caffeine (exceptions can be made), more then one alcoholic drink a week (and it is usually one a month)
8. I always make sure that our fridge and cupboards are full of good healthy foods from our awesome grocery store Michael-Angelos. Remember to buy your foods along the outer walls of the grocery store (fruits and veggies) and less on the inner shelves (this is where the processed foods are housed). We always have something healthy we can eat that is made by us and we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies. We aren't consuming chemicals and preservatives, I won't eat something that has words I can't pronounce.
Jane Trains tip: The money you spend to go out to restaurants can give you a nicely stocked kitchen from your favourite grocery store or health food shop.
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| Brandon always has it stocked. |
9. I only eat organic meats and have for many many years. I was a vegetarian over 15 years ago but that didn't work well for me health wise. When I began eating meat again I only ate organics and have never gone back. There is a huge difference in the taste and texture and the life experience of the animal that you are consuming. I don't eat meat outside of my home and I am happy to have had amazing butchers in the cities I have lived in. I recommend you find a local butcher and begin buying meat from the butcher shop.
Jane Trains tip: Protein is important to the body especially for muscle growth, eat organic meat.
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| Organic meat prepared for dinner with fresh herbs for seasoning. |
Jane Trains tip: Pick a day of the week and make it your day for a treat day. Don't consume treats on the other days of the week. You may be surprised how often your having treats!
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| Last weeks treat was a divine birthday cake topped with berries. The cake was wheat free, egg free, dairy free and had no cholesterol. Homemade by Brandon Steen. |
You may be wondering why I am eating so much food? If you want to be healthy and keep your metabolism going you must eat food. In fact you must eat food every few hours which is why snacks are so important. People think they need to starve themselves to loose weight. You can starve yourself and loose weight but you will not be healthy. If you want to be healthy than you must eat food at least 3 meals and 2 snacks a day.
This is not a diet, this is a way of life. Diets don't work. Diets set you up to fail. You don't eat this way to reach a goal and then stop. You must be consistent and make this your way of healthy eating for life if you wish to be healthy and fit.
Later in my journey of healthy eating I was informed of this awesome woman, Tosca Reno and began reading her articles, books and online websites. She was on the cover of a fitness magazine at 50 in a bikini and follows many of the same exercise and eating practices as I do. If you would like to read more about Tosca here are her links:
http://www.eatcleandiet.com/ and http://www.toscareno.com/
I was lucky to meet Tosca this past fall in Mississauga at one of her book signings and learned that she is also very personable giving Brandon and I many awesome compliments. She signed my book "To your best body now. Eat Clean." She is an amazing woman and is a great inspiration to me on my "Be Strong" journey. I leave you today with the picture I had taken with her.
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| Brandon Steen, Tosca Reno and Miss Jane Fall 2010 |
Be Strong and Eat Clean!
