How to Read Food Labels
Eating clean…what does that exactly mean?
Food is the fuel that keeps your body running smoothly, looking and feeling sexy and free from pain and illness.
When you eat clean, you eat food that is anti-inflammatory (lots of dark leafy greens, veggies, fruit, quinoa, lentils, nuts, seeds, etc…)
You know, real, whole food.
I keep Michael Pollans’ book, Food Rules, by my side as a reminder (very well-loved as you can tell by the torn cover!).
Mr. Pollan has various tips that get me smh YES!
Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.
Don’t ingest foods made in places where everyone is required to wear a surgical cap.
Buy your snacks at the farmer’s markets.
Lots of great advice, but we need to keep it real life here. Sometimes food in boxes and bags make way into our kitchens.
And that’s okay. You just gotta know what’s inside.
There’s lots to know, but I make it easy for you. I broke down the key components in a video series, explaining the top 3 steps to living the clean life.
Click the video to find out the very first step to eating clean:
In the video, I go over the basics so you can start throwing out (or donating, but do we really want to give yuk food to others?) items that will interfere with your clean eating journey. I know me, if something tempting is in the house, I’ll eat it! So checking labels is gonna be key.
Decoding labels is tricky, but this guide spells it out for you.
Always start with the serving size…that’s where companies will trick you. You can really add up the calories, fat, sodium quickly if you aren’t careful. And pay attention to the ingredients. Clean eating relies heavily on real food. Usually in packages, it’s hard to find, but stay the hell away from certain ingredients like MSG, table salt, and a very long list.
Speaking of things to avoid like the plague, I made a handy list you can refer to while you are doing your pantry clean-out.
I also give you healthy swap items and brands to buy so you are armed with healthier choices.
Like the continuum with the oats mentioned in the video, go at your own pace. Taking action, even if a small step, will do wonders for your health.
It’s taken me some time to get to the clean life, so take my tricks and implement step by step. You got this!
I want to hear from you. I’m curious. What item did I use for the label? See if you can name it! Also, list any tricks you can share in regards to keeping your pantry clean. Take a few moments to share in the comments below. Your share can be the exact thing to help someone with their clean living journey.
Bookmark this post for easy reference and if you liked the info in this post, share it with your clean and sexy friends.
PS. Special thanks to Clean Sexy member and my dear friend, Jennifer Barret, for letting us film in her gorgeous kitchen and borrow her hen, Ana. AND thank you to my partner in crime, Kate Ryan. She’s obsessed with Jimmy Fallon‘s EW skits.
Big big big thanks to Alison Harbaugh, Sugar Farm Productions, for the amazing video magic.
* Enrollment for the Spring Clean Sexy Detox and Community starts March 23rd!
Link to this post!
