8 cleaneating.com
editor's letter
What Is Clean Eating?
The soul of clean eating is consuming
food the way nature delivered it, or as
close to it as possible. It is not a diet;
it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its
preparation. It's about eating real food,
for a healthy, happy life.
Eat when hungry, stop when full. Find
out what macro values reflect your health goals
and strive to eat within them. Experiment with
various ways of eating, and when you find a
diet your body responds well to — be it a clean
take on high fat/low carb, Paleo or flexitarian —
stick with it.
Choose organic whenever possible.
If your budget limits you, make meat, eggs,
dairy and the Dirty Dozen (ewg.org/foodnews)
your organic priorities.
Drink at least 2 liters of water a day,
preferably from a reusable canteen,
not plastic; we’re friends of the
environment here! Limit your alcohol intake
to one glass of antioxidant-rich red wine a day.
Get label savvy. Clean foods contain
short ingredient lists. Any product with a
long ingredient list is human-made and not
considered clean.
Avoid processed and refined foods
such as white flour, sugar, bread and
pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole
grains instead.
Know thy enemies. Steer clear of trans
fats, fried foods or foods high in sugar. Avoid
preservatives, color additives and toxic binders,
stabilizers, emulsifiers and fat replacers.
Consume healthy fats (essential
fatty acids, or EFAs) every day.
Learn about portion sizes and work
toward eating within them.
Reduce your carbon footprint. Eat
produce that is seasonal and local. It is less
taxing on your wallet and the environment.
Shop with a conscience. Consume
humanely raised, local meats and ocean-
friendly seafood. Visit seachoice.org for a
printable pamphlet.
Practice mindful eating. Never rush
through a meal. Food tastes best when
savored. Enjoy every bite.
Take it to go. Pack a cooler for work or outings
so you always have clean eats on the go.I’ll never forget my first Whole30. It was in May of 2015. I got our entire office,
several friends and my husband on board, and let me tell you, we meant
business. We read the book cover to cover and made sauces and condiments
to have on hand for “trying” moments of flavor desperation. I was the leader
of our Whole30 wolfpack and circulated the daily emails from Whole30 to
the rest of the group to cheer us on.
After just days, my friend Paul took notice of our glowing skin one night
when we went to see the cherry blossom trees in full bloom here in Toronto.
Shortly after, we started to notice the unbridled energy we had, clear focus
and renewed sense of positivity – as well as the really cool silver lining of our
focus and attention being on so many more (important) things than just food.
But the challenge was not without its trying moments. A night out without a
glass of wine? It had never been done! Extreme stress without something to
“calm and soothe” (read: order pizza). There were a couple of nights when
I nearly straight-up quit. But something in me told me to stick it out despite
the daily stressors and urges to indulge – as hard as it was.
We all made it to the end with success. I attended a wedding a couple of
weeks later, and at the time, didn’t notice much in the mirror, but looking
back at the photos, I’d easily shed 10 pounds. No wonder my clothing fit so
well! It was the best I’d felt and looked in more than a decade! Since then,
I’ve attempted to complete another Whole30 more times than I care to admit
but often fall off somewhere between day 15 and 25. Recently, the Clean Eating
team tried again, and I made it to day 20, while our Creative Director, Stacy,
made it to day 27. Even though we didn’t quite get there, all the same results
from 2015 were consistently present. I may never get to the full monty again,
but I did once. And to be fair, it’s not about doing it over and over; it was
about what changed in me when I completed an entire round successfully
once. My relationship with food definitely improved by several notches. My
biggest takeaway was simply becoming more aware of my eating patterns
and crutches, good or bad. And the more you’re aware and reflective, the
closer you are to positive change.
So, are you up for the challenge? Can you make it 30 days on nothing but
clean, real food? This issue has everything you could possibly need to get
through it with ease! Even if you aren’t considering trying the Whole30,
the recipes inside are so tasty and healthy, they fit perfectly into whatever
January plan you’re following.
Happy, Healthy New Year!My First Whole
Alicia Tyler
Editorial Director
Follow: @lishtyler
Write me: [email protected] cleaneating.comPHOTOBYPIERREGAUTREAU,^ HAIRSTYLING&^ MAKEUP^BY^VALERIA^ NOVA,^ FASHIONSTYLIST^REPRESENTEDBYJUDY^INC.^ RACHELMATTHEWS^ BURTON