Not raw, but clean.

A few days back I was bragging about dropping some pounds, and I said something like, “Let me know if you ever want me to talk about clean eating, because that’s what worked for me.”

A few people responded and said they want to hear about it, so I sat down to write this really long post full of directions and examples and chemistry and then I put myself to sleep.

This is what I did (on and off but mostly on) for the weeks during which I was determined to drop weight.

I ate nothing but unprocessed foods. AND, I forgave myself a lot for not being a wizard.

I went to the grocery store and bought fresh produce. When I wanted something like chips or hummus or anything that isn’t fresh produce, I read the ingredient list. If ANYTHING listed was something that I couldn’t easily find in the store, I didn’t buy it. Anything hard to pronounce? I didn’t buy it.

I chose a good time of year to eat clean, because:

Squash!!!

(Fun Fact: This bowl of squash is sitting in front of me right now. How did I fix it? I threw it into the oven for 30 minutes at 400. I drizzled a TINY bit of maple syrup over the top along with sea salt and pepper.)

When I needed something sweet and an apple wouldn’t do, I mashed a banana up with a cup of oats, formed it into four cookies, and baked it at 350 for 15 minutes. (You can drizzle a bit of maple syrup (or honey) over the top. I know I did.)

I was never hungry, I felt decent, and although I’ve managed to eat something like 47 Tootsie Rolls in the past four days, the thought of eating a Ding Dong makes me cringe. (It’s very unusual for me to turn away from a Ding Dong.) In other words, my tastes have changed and I’m down something like 14 pounds now and All is Well.

A lot of people have rules about clean eating. I sort of made it up as I went along, as I tend to do. I didn’t eat cheese, mainly because I’m trying to avoid dairy when I can. I stayed away from bread and sugar. I had a martini, but I’m not saying you have to because that would be pushy and weird.

If you need guidelines, you can look here:

What is Clean Eating? (She says to include meats. I didn’t. AND, the thought of grinding up meat? Well, let’s just say I’d rather eat a Ding Dong.)

This site has seasonal meal plans!

How to get started. (Here are some rules you may (or may not) want to follow.)

So, that’s pretty much it. I usually let food be the boss of me, but I’m slowly getting it under control. (Example: Last night Harper offered me a Junior Mint and I declined. Instead? I ate some of this granola, because it’s BETTER THAN A JUNIOR MINT.)

Full Disclosure: I smell like patchouli and I’m drinking the tea this guy sells.

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7 thoughts on “Not raw, but clean.”

  1. Mmm, that squash looks amazing. For dinner tonight, my husband has requested a trip to our new favorite vegan restaurant in town. Needless to say, I’m completely on board with that.

  2. I’ve been eating clean for the last 2 years (1 year Paleo and 1 year Vegetarian). I have not lost any weight (in fact I have gained) but I am trying to be okay with that since eating clean (fresh, whole foods and NO preservatives or artifical ingredients) does make me feel healthier and “cleaner”. I just really wish the magical weight loss thing would happen to me as well. :-/

  3. The hubby bought a Nutribullet, we stocked up on fresh fruit and veggies, and enjoying pureed food (aka smoothies) which means if we ever have our jaws wired shut, we at least know you can puree just about anything and it tastes pretty good.

  4. Ultra-simple butternut squash ravioli w. three (vegan!) sauces recipe at that site. Adding it to my “Practice these recipes before veganistas return for Thanksgiving” list, ASAP :-)

  5. In my house we just call it “eating.” If you practice ‘clean eating’ most of the time, then occasional indulgences (like a nice martini) won’t be a problem.

    One note, though: make sure you are getting an appropriate amount of calcium (and Vitamin D). It’s trickier if you’re forgoing dairy.

  6. I love that you did a post on this. Your explination of what you did sounds exactly like how I’d approach it. Thanks for the links!!

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