Eating Clean

Clean eating begins with colorful eating

Clean eating has become a trend in the past few years. A simple definition of clean eating is building a diet around whole, unprocessed foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, whole grains and lean proteins. Clean eating will require you to change the way you shop, as well as the way you see food in general. It doesn’t mean, however, that you’re stuck eating bean sprouts and wheatgrass. Here are five quick tips that can help you eat clean and enjoy every bite you take.

Proteins: Think outside the box

The Standard American Diet has changed drastically over the past few decades: a timeline published by the New York Times shows how industrialization has made foods full of refined sugars and fats cheap and widely available. The modern feedlot method has also made meat cheap to produce and buy, which means that American eaters tend to build meals around high-fat animal proteins.

Whole Perspective

Burger and fries - "SAD" diet of the past

by guest blogger Joseph Baker

I was raised on a Midwestern diet of hamburgers, French fries and frothing glasses of ice-cold milk. I once tried to go vegetarian. I gave up that weekend, when a friend unknowingly made me a steak dinner, causing me to promptly cave on my resolutions to eat healthier. This "meat and potatoes" attitude followed me throughout college, until last winter.

I was working out at the gym, and my trainer noticed that I was congested and unable to draw a full, deep breath without coughing. After questioning me about my diet, he recommended that I cut dairy completely out. I started to notice a difference within a week—namely, I felt less sluggish and congested. After researching the negative side effects of dairy, I stopped consuming dairy altogether, except the rare snack of cheese.

Forget Counting The Calories This Thanksgiving

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Did you know the average Thanksgiving dinner is 3,000-3,500 calories? That’s nearly two days worth the calories eaten at one meal! You can forget counting calories and enjoy seasonal favorites with these Thanksgiving ideas.

First, look at what you’re serving and see if a lighter version can be made. Do you add cream cheese and butter to the mashed potatoes? Forget them and don’t tell anyone. Instead add a couple of chopped turnips or parsnips to the boiling potatoes and whip with the potatoes for a slightly sweet flavor and a nutritional boost. Prepare roasted vegetables by cutting any combination of potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and beets in ¾” chunks and sprinkle with rosemary and/or thyme and salt. Roast in a 425° oven for 30-35 minutes until tender tossing occasionally. A low calorie alternative to candied sweet potatoes is whipping cooked sweet potatoes with just a dash of cinnamon added.

What about the green bean and mushroom soup casserole topped with fried onions? A calorie-reducing alternative is to cook green beans in salted boiling water until crisp-tender for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, sauté onion and sliced mushrooms in a little vegetable broth. Add the green beans and toss. Put in serving dish and top with sliced almonds. Carrots will become a favorite by cooking sliced carrots in a little orange juice and finish with some chopped dill. A new salad idea everyone will enjoy is mixed greens with walnuts and dried cranberries tossed in a dressing of pureed raspberries with 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.

Limit the number of desserts offered. A welcomed dessert after a big meal is tossing some toasted coconut in a variety of diced fruits of your choice such as pineapple, bananas, apples and berries.

You will keep the waistline in check and still enjoy a feast this Thanksgiving with these guilt-free ideas.

Jody Perrecone is a corporate manager for the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). CHIP is an international wellness program focusing on lifestyle interventions to create a healthier workforce and reduce overall health care costs. Jody works with hospitals, corporations, and communities to offer CHIP programs throughout the U.S.

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by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

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