Guest Post: Clean Eating 101 with the Conscious Cleanse
Hey there! We’re Jo and Jules, founders of the Conscious Cleanse, and we’re huge fans of PiperWai and their commitment to clean beauty.
The Conscious Cleanse is a 14-day online real food cleanse that teaches you to make smarter choices with a proven step-by-step formula to clean eating. It's realistic, easy-to-follow program, and not an all-or-nothing approach. You won’t be choking down expensive supplements or drinking only liquids. Instead, you’ll eat whole foods and learn what foods work best in your body to achieve long-term results and feel better. You'll become part of a community of real people who are backed by a personalized support system and expert health coaches that are easily accessible, responsive and knowledgeable. There is no pressure to lose weight (if that's your goal, however, we support it!), just a commitment to eating more healthy, detoxifying foods.
What you put in your body is just as important as what you put on your body, so we’re here to help you learn how to eat clean and glow from the inside out.
Detoxing and clean eating may be all the rage these days, but it can be hard to decipher exactly what or what not to eat on a daily basis. In world of healthy eating and nutrition it can be confusing to figure out what’s the "right” thing to eat or drink because there are so many conflicting messages.
Should I do a juice cleanse?
Should I drink only lemon water and cayenne pepper?
Should I eat paleo?
Should I try keto?
Should I go vegan?
For us, clean eating isn’t about labels or obsessing over a number on a scale. Eating clean is a holistic, sustainable approach to reframing food as fuel and medicine.
Clean eating is simply focusing on eating whole foods. Whole foods can be defined as something unprocessed that comes directly from the earth. Think to yourself, “would an animal eat this food?” Can you imagine it growing on a tree or from the ground? Think fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, beans, and non-gluten grains.
Through eating a clean diet void of common food allergens (gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, sugar, alcohol, caffeine), your body will naturally cleanse itself of toxins without any drastic calorie restriction or deprivation.
For us, clean eating on the Conscious Cleanse means going back to the basics. Start with just 14 days and you’ll nourish your body by eating REAL food. Put whole foods into your body, like an apple, an avocado, a bowl of leafy greens, or quinoa, and you can revolutionize your health. Keep it simple and you’re on your way!
Not sure where to start? Below are our top five tips to get you started on your clean-eating journey!
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Drink more water: One of the easiest ways to start cleansing your body and flushing toxins from your system is by drinking water. Make sure to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces plus a little more if you are at altitude or exercising vigorously.
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Make veggies the main event: Make veggies the center of your meals. Dark, leafy greens (like kale, spinach, arugula, collard greens, and chard) help reduce inflammation and are an essential part of a cleansing diet. We like to fill our plates two-thirds of the way with greens and veggies, and the remaining half with a non gluten grain or veggie protein. Be sure to check out our Quinoa Beet Arugula Salad for a delicious veggie-centered meal.
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Be aware of food sensitivities: Think about the food or foods you love and crave the most. Foods we love and crave can often be the root of inflammation and other health problems. Consider cutting out one of your favorite foods for a week or two and slowly reintroduce it into your diet and see how your body reacts. If you’re not sure what to look for, we’ve listed the top ways to identify a food allergy here.
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Make your own food: You may feel like you are too busy to cook at home, but restaurant food and take-out can often have hidden additives and sugar. Start by focusing on packing healthy lunches, menu planning for the week, and batch cooking on the weekends. Cooking can be intimidating and we’ve been there ourselves, but it’s one of the single most important parts of clean eating. For some more clean cooking tips, click here
- Focus on eating whole foods: Think about where a food came from. Did it come from the earth? Can you imagine an animal eating this food out in the wild? Focus your diet on fresh vegetables from the produce section, and non-gluten grains in their simplest form. Try to cut out processed foods like frozen dinners, mixes, bars, etc.
Looking for more guidance on your journey to clean eating or need help identifying food allergies and sensitivities? Join us for our next live Conscious Cleanse beginning June 13. We’ll take you through our step-by-step formula to healthy eating. With meal plans, personal coaching, and a welcoming community, the Conscious Cleanse offers a realistic, easy-to-follow blueprint to achieving a healthier, more vibrant and sustainable lifestyle. For more information on the program, click here
Your partners in health,
Jo Schaalman and Jules Peláez
