Clean eating is about no junk, no preservatives, no fillers, etc. Many people write to me wondering what clean eating means and where they should start. Here are tips to eating clean for beginners.

1. EAT REAL FOOD: Just real whole foods is all you need to be eating clean. In fact, avoiding boxed food, or pre-made food is best since a lot of times they include fillers or preservatives or too much saturated fats/trans fats, salt or sugar. Also avoid artificial ingredients and colors. A good guide to clean foods is here: Clean Eating Food List
2. CLEAN OUT THE JUNK: Go through your cabinets, pantry, fridge and cupboards and clean out the junk! Use the guidelines and food list mentioned above and anything not on those lists or guidelines should be out of your house! Whether you donate it, give it away or throw it away – if you want to eat clean you will do this!
3. DRINK CLEAN TOO: water is best, of course. But really you should just avoid sugary drinks like soda or store bought juice. Tea and coffee are ok as long as you don’t add tons of sugar and processed creams. Stick with unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk instead. Also, fresh squeezed juices are great!
4. HAVE A PLAN: A lot of times we say were going to do something, then we don’t follow through. Having a set plan with goals can help. Even if you start out slow, take baby steps, get rid of one thing a week, this is good and you’re moving in the right direction of clean eating. This clean eating meal plan might help keep you on track.

As you can see, clean eating doesn’t have to be that bad. It’s a matter of being mindful of what is in your home and what goes in your mouth! Learn to love healthy foods and you’ll be on your way to good health and possibly weight loss with clean eating.

Tell me your clean eating tips in the comments below!

• fruity smoothies
• green smoothies
• protein smoothies
• dessert smoothies
• nutty smoothies
• meal smoothies (these are more filling with oatmeal, tofu or eggs included)
• quick smoothies

All you need is an iPhone or iPad, a blender and the ingredients and you can use our smoothie app. It even comes with a shopping list too, so you can add smoothies you like to your list which will make shopping for them easier.

Smoothies are tasty, fun and pretty easy to make. I make one daily, so having a variety of types to choose from is important. Buy the [app_link app="Smoothies" platform="iOS" text="200+ Smoothie" location="Blog Post"] app today.

Here are a couple smoothie recipes you’ll find in our app:

Mango and Cherry Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 cup mango chunks
1/2 cup cherries, pitted
1/2 cup apple juice
DIRECTIONS: Blend everything together in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Apple Green Smoothie

1 banana, peeled
1 apple, cored
2 cups spinach
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water
1 cup crushed ice
DIRECTIONS: Add everything to a blender, blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Almond Joy Smoothie

8 oz coconut water
4 oz almond milk
2 TBSP flaked coconut
1/2 TBSP cocoa nibs
10 ice cubes
1 tsp coconut extract
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
DIRECTIONS: Blend everything together in a blender. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Ok so it won’t actually make the recipes for you, but typically following Paleo requires the knowledge of what’s allowed or what’s not allowed, finding recipes that are Paleo and planning meals for the week ahead. With work, school, kids activities, and a social life to focus on, who’s got time for all of this? Well, look no further because we’ve done it ALL for you!

Paleo is essentially eating foods the way nature intended. Food must be real, unprocessed and natural. So we’ve done the hard part and gathered delicious Paleo compliant recipes and put them into meal plans just for you. A healthy and balanced selection of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes right at your fingertips. This app is all you need to succeed on this diet.

Not only that but every week you’ll get a new meal plan hand-picked by us, just for you. There’s even a shopping list for your convenience, plus the app has been designed to work great on both the iPhone and the iPad.

There’s nothing to lose because the app includes a free trial with dinner recipes for a week. If you choose to subscribe for just $0.99 a month – a ridiculously low price – you’ll receive personally curated & balanced recipes every day of the week with an auto-renewable subscription plan.

So make life easier and get the results you want with the Paleo Meal Plan app today!  

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 4-8 cups chicken broth
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, anise seed, fennel seed, dried oregano, and dried basil

Instructions 

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and add garlic until fragrant.
2. Add onion and season with salt. Heat the onions for about ten minutes , stirring constantly.
3. Add the bell pepper and heat until tender.
4. Add the shredded carrots and mushrooms and cook for five minutes.
5. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken, and seasoning to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the flavors blend.

This recipe will make about 6-7 servings totaling around 150 calories per serving. 150 calories may sound like nothing for a meal but trust me this soup fills you up. I like to have it for lunch as it keeps me full for hours after I eat it for a fraction of the calories.

Breakfast
Veggie omelet: Whisk together one egg and three egg whites with 2 tablespoons each of sliced peppers, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Pour mixture into a skillet over medium heat. Cook for about five minutes turning after three minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce.

Lunch
Chicken and broccoli: Combine steamed broccoli with a grilled chicken breast and top with a low sugar condiment such as soy sauce, hot sauce, or rice vinegar.

Dinner
Grilled chicken salad: Top 2 cups of salad greens with chopped tomatoes, a slice pepper, mushrooms, and a sliced grilled chicken breast. Dress the salad with your favorite fat free balsamic vinaigrette.

Snacks:
Baby carrots dipped in a mix of nonfat plain yogurt, chopped garlic, and a multi spice seasoning.
1 serving nonfat plain Greek yogurt topped with 1 cup fresh or frozen berries.

Looking for similar meal plan ideas? We’ve released a meal plan app for 17 Day Diet onto iTunes for you iPhone or iPad. Each week we send out hand-picked meal plans that are balanced and fit the guidelines of the diet. This diet is healthy in general and recommended to anyone wanting to lose some weight.

Brain Games
Whole eggs are a great source of choline (30% of your RDA). Choline regulates brain and nervous system function.

Save the Tata’s
According to research, women who consume a high-intake of choline (about 6-8 whole eggs weekly) are 24% less likely to get breast cancer.

Sharpen the Eyes
Packed with antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, egg yolks fend off macular degeneration and lower the risk of cataracts.

Shrink your waist 
A study by Louisiana State University found that obese women who ate two eggs for breakfast five days a week lost 65% more weight than women who had bagels due to the satisfying proteins.

Available Amino 
Eggs are a complete source of protein and packed with amino acids making scrambled or hardboiled eggs an ideal post workout snack.

UV-Free Vitamin D
Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.

Cosmetic Appeal
Heard of using prenatal vitamins to boost hair growth and strengthen the nails? No need to buy an extra supplement, eggs will do it for you. Eggs are high in sulphur and B12 which boost hair and nail growth.

EGGcellent Recipes
Click the links below for some diet friendly egg recipes!

Egg Muffins - 17 Day Diet Compliant (cycle one)

Broccoli and Avocado Omelet  - Flat Belly Diet Compliant (cycle one)

Portobello Mushroom Benedict - 17 Day Diet Compliant (cycle one) if you sub nonfat greek yogurt for the mayo

Avocado Egg Cups  - 17 Day Diet Compliant (cycle one)

The last great benefit of Greek yogurt is its versatility. Read on to find out all the ways to use it.

1. The obvious-eat it
2. Substitute  it for sour cream. Making a taco salad, use nonfat, plain Greek yogurt mixed with salsa for a dressing.
3. Recipe call for buttermilk? Use Greek yogurt instead just add a little water to thin it out.
4. Use it as a marinade like this recipe here
5. Use it instead of oil when baking. Next time you make banana bread skip the oil and use the yogurt.
6. Replace the fattening mayonnaise. Try this lighter version of a chicken salad sandwich.

Detoxification
Drinking lemon juice in the morning detoxifies your liver and cleanses the kidneys by helping the body remove unwanted toxins.

Digestion
Lemons improve digestion by keeping bacteria away. You can add freshly squeezed lemon juice to food or drink a glass of lemon water after each meal to stimulate the creation of stomach acid. They are also proven to give your regular bowel movements.

Balancing pH
You might think acidic when talking about lemons, but that is just the taste. Lemons are actually one of the most alkaline foods and restore pH balance in the body which fight off cancer and other illness.

Fight the Flu
And the cold. Packed with vitamin C and flavonoids that work against infections.

Reduce Inflammation 
Lemons are believed to have pain-relieving qualities. Their smell helps to open up blood vessels which produce anti-inflammatory effects.

Hangover Blaster
Gatorade has nothing on lemons. Packed with more electrolytes, lemons are the prefect cure when you had a little too much to drink the night before.

Photo courtsey of http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html

Speaking of pumpkins… Have you ever wondered what the health benefits of eating pumpkin is? Here are 10 health benefits just for you:

1. Orange vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots and butternut squash carry the antioxidant Beta-Carotene. This has been known to possibly play a role in cancer prevention. PLUS, the seeds of the pumpkin have sterols in them that have been linked to fight off some cancers, too! So save the seeds and roast them for an extra tasty treat plus extra health benefits.
2. Speaking of seeds – Pumpkin Seeds (along with other nuts and seeds) contain phytosterols that have been shown in studies to reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
3. Pumpkin seeds are also a rich source of protein. One ounce of pumpkin seeds contains approx. 7 grams of protein.
4. One more benefit of pumpkin seeds is the amino acid Tryptophan – I am sure you’ve heard of this being in turkey and it making you sleepy, but that’s not all it does. It also is important in the production of seratonin which helps raise our spirits and puts us in a good mood!
5. Pumpkin has 7 grams of fiber per 1 cup serving or pumpkin puree. This is also only about 83 calories. Fiber has been known to help people feel full longer, so you have the desire to eat less, which in turn helps with weight loss. Fiber is also really good for digestion and keeping you “regular”, if you know what I mean.
6. Pumpkin is an excellent source of Vitamins A and E. Both are great for immunity – and keeping you well!
7. Speaking of your immune system – 1 cup mashed pumpkin contains nearly 20 percent of the 60 milligrams of Vitamin C that is recommended for women daily.
8. Pumpkin is high in iron – this also helps keep you from getting sick by supporting a strong immune system.  For women, a 1 cup serving of pumpkin gives you 20% of your daily required iron intake.
9. For smooth skin – pumpkin contains carotenoids which can help keep the skin wrinkle-free and may also keep cancer cells at bay according to Health Magazine.
10. Pumpkin has more of the refueling nutrient potassium than bananas! After a heavy workout, potassium can help restore the body’s balance of electrolytes and keep muscles functioning at their best.

Here is a simple yet tasty pumpkin smoothie recipe for your enjoyment! Great for cycle 2 of the 17 day diet.

PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Toss everything in blender, blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I love BSN Vanilla Ice Cream)
• Zest from 1 key lime
• 1 tablespoon key lime juice (about 3 key limes)
•  5-10 ice cubes
• 1 cup almond milk, water, or coconut milk, unsweetened
• 1/2 teaspoon stevia
• 1 teaspoon sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup spinach (to make it green)

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into an large glass or mason jason and top with a crushed graham cracker and nonfat whipped cream (optional).

On the 17 Day Diet? Use water not milk and Greek yogurt in your smoothie.

On the Flat Belly Diet? Add a tablespoon of chia seeds before you blend to get your MUFA’s in.

Photo courtesy of skinnymom.com