Health is an inside job. If you want to feel healthy and energized, start on the inside—with what you put in your body. Skip the diets and the gimmicks and instead focus on clean eating.

What Is Clean Eating?
Clean eating is a long-term lifestyle rather than a short-term diet. It’s more of an idea or concept than a specific list of rules. Defined simply, clean eating refers to choosing real food—the stuff that grows in the ground as opposed to the stuff that comes in a package.

Sounds simple, right? It is—but unfortunately, what is simple is not always easy. Life gets busy and we reach for food that is fast and convenient—and not so clean.

Why Eat Clean?
What’s so important about clean eating? We are faced with an epidemic of lifestyle related conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. We pop pills for depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. We marinate in a chronic sea of stress. It has never been more important—or more complicated—to take impeccable care of our bodies. And it starts on the inside.

Clean Choices
Want to take charge of your health and feel great? Start with what you choose—or don’t choose—to put in your mouth. Here’s how:

• Choose whole foods that occur in nature, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and some animal products.
• The shorter the ingredient list, the better.
• Avoid foods that contain artificial flavorings, artificial coloring, or sugar substitutes.
• Use moderation. You don’t have to ban sugar altogether; just use common sense and consume sugar moderately.
• Choose organic fruits and vegetables when you can, in order to avoid pesticide residue.
• Choose grass-fed meat and dairy when possible. Grass-fed isn’t just a fashionable trend—meat from grass-fed cows is lower in saturated fats and higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Choose organic animal products whenever possible. Organic animal products will be free from antibiotics and growth hormones.
• Avoid fried foods and trans-fats.

Want to learn more about clean eating? Come learn from the master. Sarah Seppa, St. Luke’s Registered Dietician, will give a free lecture in the Zenergy lobby on Thursday July 11th at noon.