Ten Minutes With a Trainer: Eating Clean

by Josh Perez

The majority of people will feel a big difference in the way their body 'feels', once they have begun eating foods without a lot of sodium, preservatives and processed sugars. They feel less sluggish and more energized. Also, if portion control is also practiced, many people often find that burning fat is much easier.
Eating clean is not difficult once you understand that the only thing you are giving up is the packaging and taking a few extra minutes to prep your meals.

• Choose whole foods. Whole foods consist of nutrient rich produce, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish, chicken, sea food, and beef.
• Eat 3 meals and 1-2 smaller snacks to keep blood sugar stable and to avoid overeating and binge eating. Choose snacks like nuts, low-fat dairy, and fruits and vegetables. Include a protein, veggies or fruit, and a complex carbohydrate in each meal.
• Steer clear of refined (processed) sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white breads, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. Get most of your carbs from fruits, vegetables and whole grains such as quinoa, oats, and brown rice.
• Trade unhealthy fats (saturated and trans fats) for healthy fats (essential fatty acids). Use nut oils, coconut oil, avocado oils, and stick to nuts, tuna and salmon for your healthy fats. Remember you need positive fat to burn fat!
• Eliminate high sugary drinks such as sodas, juices with added sugars and energy drinks. Eliminate or limit alcohol.
• Read your labels. If you are going to purchase packaged items, try to pick an item that has minimal amount of sodium, ingredients listed, and preferably the more natural and organic the better.

Josh Perez is been in the fitness industry for 12 years and has been involved with personal training, sports specific conditioning, athletic training, injury prevention, weight loss, muscle gain, endurance athlete training, and elite athlete conditioning. For the past 5 years he developed personal trainers and worked with them to grow and maintain their business so that they could be successful in this industry. Contact him at joshperez@truselftraining.com