If you asked 10 different people who eat clean about their diet, you’d likely get 10 different answers. Clean eating is a basic lifestyle that has many variations depending on individual needs.

Some people choose clean eating to deal with health issues, some people want to lose weight, and still others want to avoid chemicals and toxins for overall wellness. There are many paths that lead to clean eating and there are many ways it is practiced.

If you’re ready to add clean eating to your lifestyle, there are some basics things that you can do. You may choose to add more guidelines, but even following these basic guidelines will improve your diet and health.

Eat a plant based diet. Most of your food should come from plant sources. That includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Meat isn’t forbidden, but it should be limited. People today tend to eat far too much meat.

When it comes to eating plants, the best choices are organic. In most supermarkets you can find organic produce but you also can find it at farmer’s markets and natural foods stores.

Choose meats carefully. When you do eat meat, make sure to be picky about it. The best choice is organic grass fed or free range meat. If your budget doesn’t allow for that, choose meats from the butcher and have it cut, trimmed, or ground. Avoid prepackaged meats.

Eat real food. When you go to purchase something that’s packaged, look for a short list of ingredients that you recognize. Try to avoid food that has more than 5 or 6 ingredients in it. All the ingredients should be real food, not chemicals you can’t pronounce or mystery statement such as “natural flavoring”.

Many food labels try to hide ingredients by calling them “natural colors” or “spices”. If you see that on the label, you should avoid it. If you really want to add that product to your life, check with the manufacturer and find out what those ingredients really mean.

Eat often. With clean eating it’s best to eat smaller portions and to eat more often. Most people eat three meals a day. Try to eat smaller portions and eat 5-6 meals a day instead. This promotes better digestion and keeps your metabolism moving all day long.

As an individual you may need to change these guidelines to suit your needs. For example you may have a food allergy or sensitivity you want to address. Or you may just want to avoid meat and dairy. But clean eating can be more specifically defined by you.

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