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Copyright 2014 by Rockridge Press, Berkeley, California

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ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-62315-465-3 | Softcover 978-1-62315-401-1 | eBook 978-1-62315-402-8

Photo Credits: Anna Williams/Off set, p.ii; Gareth Morgans/StockFood, p.vii; Shutterstock, p.1; Aran Goyoaga/StockFood, p.2; Marla Meridith, p.10; ISTL/StockFood, p.22; Shutterstock, pp.35-40; Joy Skipper FoodStyling/StockFood, p.42; Valerie Janssen, p.52; Jennifer Causey, p.66; Richard Jung, Photography/StockFood, p.84; Michael Paul/StockFood, p.96; Ian Garlick/StockFood, p.108; Peter Cassidy/StockFood, p.122; Andrew Purcell/Off set, p.140; Yelena Strokin, p.152; S.C.Burt Fraser/StockFood, p.172; Chris Warren, Food and Drink Photos/StockFood, p.186.

Introduction

W hat did you eat for breakfast this morning? More importantly, how much of that meal contained actual nutrients? It seems like a simple question, but eating has become a complicated subject. Although the majority of consumers are more informed than ever before, more information has not necessarily created healthier eaters.

Several decades ago science began to bombard people with recommendations about what nutrients to eat for long-term wellness. The problem with this proliferation of research is that recommendations kept changing, leaving people more confused than ever about what to eat. Every day another study pinpoints a specific benefit of a nutrientwere talking about you, acai berriesand people scramble to add doses of these nutrients into their diet, at least until the next transformative study comes along.

Riding closely on those scientific proclamations are the food manufacturers peddling processed foods to concerned consumers in the name of good health. The push to alter foods that were already nutritious has led to the average North American consuming approximately 150 pounds of food additives a year. This slide towards processed products started decades ago, and a dwindling of real food in supermarkets made it difficult to make healthy choices. If you glance at the aisles in the grocery store the labels lead you to believe that nearly every item is a healthy choicethink organic, gluten-free, low-fat, sugar-free, added vitamins, fibers, and nutrients, the list goes on. The truth is, if you eat whole foods you get a dose of nutrients in their most beneficial state, their natural state, no added nutrients needed. The idea that water requires extra doses of vitamins and nutrients is laughable; it already is a nutrient.

Fortunately, a back-to-basics clean eating food movement is on the menu du jour. Clean eating is simple; it eliminates additives by promoting natural, whole foods with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce. The rules? Eat foods in their natural state. Eat food that looks like foodits not that complicated.

Clean eating involves taking a closer look at the quality of the products you consume. Is what you ate for breakfast a meal that nourishes and sustains your body? Everything needed to support a strong immune system, prevent chronic disease, and provide the energy required to live a full active life can be found in the clean eating diet. The added bonus of this lifestyle choice is that the ingredients are delicious, easy to find, and will actually accomplish what food is supposed to do, nourish you.

Clean Eating Made Simple provides the basic principles to clean eating without overcomplicating your diet. A guide back to the basics, youll learn the fundamentals of the clean eating diet, discover tips and techniques to easily implement the clean eating plan into your daily lifestyle routine, and start enjoying delicious recipes.

Eating doesnt have to be so difficult. Best conveyed in the words of Michael Pollan, food activist and author of In Defense of Food, The Omnivores Dilemma, and Food Rules, Dont eat anything your great-grandmother wouldnt recognize as food.

PART ONE

Clean Eating Basics

CHAPTER ONE

Fundamentals of Clean Eating

Clean eating does not have a specific definition because it is not a specific diet. Clean eating is choosing to live your life in a healthier way. Choosing to eat clean means filling your plate with natural, wholesome foods and excluding anything processed or refined. The idea is not deprivation in the interest of weight loss, as with some other diets, but rather rediscovering and embracing fresh, unaltered food that nourishes your body.

Your relationship with food will forever change when you understand that what goes on your plate is fuel for your body. The quality of fuel directly affects the way your body performs, so why not provide the best possible food choices through clean eating? Your clean eating plan will follow certain principles, such as eating smaller, more frequent meals and staying hydrated, but the plan is flexible and you are an individual. A clean eating plan will not be the same for everyone. Life happens, and if you can eat clean at least 80 percent of the time you will reap wonderful health benefits and feel energized.