image credit: cronfeld

There is no doubt about it - whole foods are always the better choice when deciding between them and supplements. What many people fail to realize is that supplements are just that - supplementing your diet. For example, you wouldn’t cut out protein in foods to only take it in powder form. Many times bodybuilders or strength trainers incorporate whey protein powders into their diets as a convenient way to consume protein until they can get it from their food.

The same goes for vitamins. It’s always a good idea to seek your vitamins from the foods that you eat and supplement with a multi-vitamin rather than depending only on the vitamin supplements. I conducted interviews with fitness professionals on my other fitness blog and they provided great advice about supplements:

What role do you feel supplements play in getting fit?

NOT A BIG FAN OF SUPPLEMENTS - I EAT REALLY WELL. ONE THING I TRY TO DO IS FIND WHAT THE SUPPLEMENTS ARE SELLING (INGREDIENTS) AND THEN FIND THE FOODS THAT NATURALLY HAVE THOSE COMPONENTS IN THEM. YOU WOULD BE SUPRISED THAT BY JUST EATING MANY VEGETABLES, LEAN MEATS, NUTS, BERRIES, FRUITS HAS EVERY THING YOU NEED. [Stew Smith - CSCS, former Navy SEAL]

Could you describe your diet? Do you take supplements as well?

Only clean fresh food. Having a busy schedule keeps me from eating home less than I would prefer. However, I watch what I eat and stay completely away from sweets, fats, and junk food. I eat lean meat, fish, vegetables and fruit. I don’t add any sugar, salt or cheese to anything.

Not too many supplements; nothing replaces real foods. I take fish oil capsules, flaxseeds and Amino Vital energy gels as needed. I drink at least a gallon of water a day. [Rick Seedman, PT]

Another thing to think about is how much do you trust the supplement manufacturers? Do you really know what all goes into creating some of these supplements? That is just something to consider. As for myself, I do take flax seed oil daily as well as whey protein every now and then. Once you begin eating clean, you will definitely increase the amount of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed on a daily basis.

image credit: jackol

There is no fitness goal which you can achieve without first cleaning up your diet.  Changing your diet is one of the biggest challenges when faced with improving ones health.  A majority of people are used to eating highly processed foods on a regular basis and breaking away from that can be difficult.  The good news is, it isn’t impossible and once you make it a habit to eat clean, it becomes a part of your life.

In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “if man made it, don’t eat it.”

A person that eats clean generally practices the following:

• Eliminates refined sugar
• Cooks healthy meals
• Packs healthy meals
• Makes healthy choices when dining out
• Drinks a lot of water
• Eats 5-6 small meals per day
• Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it)
• Always eats breakfast

Eating clean can be a major transition for a majority of people due to addictions to sugar, white bread, and fast food. It takes discipline in order to make eating clean a habit but it is possible and has so many long-term health benefits.

I am excited about starting this blog because I have struggled with weight issues for most of my life.  I created this blog in order to spread the benefits of a clean eating lifestyle as well as motivating myself to stick to it.

No matter what type of fitness program you may try, it will not work unless you clean up your diet.  Eating clean does work and I hope as I learn how to eat healthier, others may learn from this site as well as contribute their ideas and opinions about eating clean as well.