{"id":64534,"date":"2018-01-04T07:15:46","date_gmt":"2018-01-04T12:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=64534"},"modified":"2018-01-07T16:50:51","modified_gmt":"2018-01-07T21:50:51","slug":"clean-eating-tips-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/clean-eating-tips-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to Start Eating Clean? Avoid These 6 Common Mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Want
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Come January, it\u2019s out with the old and in with the new. And for many of us, that includes habits that are (literally) weighing us down.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve resolved to cut out the processed junk and nix unhealthy convenience foods, welcome to the world of clean eating<\/a>. While the term can mean something slightly different depending on whom you ask (and which social media feeds you follow), the general rule of thumb is to say \u201cyes\u201d to whole foods<\/a> and \u201cno\u201d to foods with binders, preservatives, added colors and\/or chemicals.<\/p>\n

To help you navigate the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts of eating clean, we turned off Instagram (vegan fat bombs<\/a> and majik smoothie bowls<\/a> be damned!) and tuned in to what nutrition experts had to say.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Your 4-Week Meal Prep Guide to Start Eating Clean<\/a><\/p>\n

Clean Eating Mistakes (And Easy Fixes)<\/h2>\n

1. You\u2019re thinking \u201cdiet\u201d instead of \u201clifestyle.\u201d<\/h3>\n

Clean eating received negative press in 2017 from people concerned that it was promoting extreme ideals or unfairly casting some foods as \u201cunclean.\u201d Not so, say the nutritionists we spoke with. \u201cEating clean to me is just another way to describe putting a focus on consuming whole foods,\u201d says Caitlyn Elf, RD and blogger at CaitsPlate.com<\/a>. \u201cDon’t think of it as a \u2018diet\u2019 or a restrictive plan, but rather fueling your body with what it needs in order to perform all its (many!) tasks optimally.\u201d In terms of whole ingredients<\/a>, focus on lean proteins, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, brown rice, ancient grains<\/a> and quinoa.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 Days of Clean Eating, Made Simple<\/a><\/p>\n

2. You\u2019re letting Instagram be your nutritionist.<\/h3>\n

When it comes to eating clean, fads shouldn\u2019t have a seat at the table. \u201cIn the world of Instagram, \u2018clean eating\u2019 has come to mean eating only organic or vegan or gluten-free<\/a>,\u201d says Ashley Mooney, RDN and Clinical Dietitian for Morrison Healthcare at Yale New Haven Hospital. \u201cJust because something has the term \u2018organic<\/a>\u2019 or \u2018vegan\u2019 on it does not necessarily mean it is the healthy choice.\u201d Taylor Johnson, RDN, LDN, and founder and CEO of Roots Reboot<\/a>, couldn\u2019t agree more. \u201cPeople are tending to go for the \u2018gluten-free\u2019\u00a0or\u00a0\u2018vegan<\/a>\u2019\u00a0labeled products\u00a0because\u00a0these are\u00a0\u2018healthy\u2019\u00a0buzz words right now. Unfortunately, neither of these labels mean it\u2019s a nutrient-dense and\/or a minimally processed product.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. You\u2019re limiting whole food groups.<\/h3>\n

This is where trends can really do damage. From going gluten-free for non-medical reasons to consuming coconut oil with everything you cook \u2014 extreme eating is never a good thing. \u201cI think people lose the forest through the trees, giving so much attention to the details of whether a particular choice is \u2018acceptable\u2019 that they forget about the big picture,\u201d says Mark Sisson<\/a>, author of The Keto Reset Diet<\/em><\/a> and founder of Primal Kitchen<\/a>. \u201cThey approach nutrition from a defensive position \u2014 \u2018Can I eat this item or not?\u2019 \u2014 when they should be asking, \u2018What do I want my nutrition to look like today?\u2019 If we\u2019re constantly working from a reactive stance, we can end up eating 20 \u2018acceptably clean\u2019 choices in a day that add up to very little nutrition,\u201d Sisson says.<\/p>\n

\"Top
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. You\u2019re counting calories.<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s be clear: Calories<\/a> do<\/em> matter. However, instead of focusing on your overall tally for the day, pay attention to the quality of the calories you consume. \u201cCounting calories and being overly restrictive are just not realistic,\u201d says Johnson. \u201cAlso, [it] doesn\u2019t always work. There are plenty of high-calorie foods<\/a> that are healthy and nutrient dense.\u201d So while that 100-calorie snack pack might help with portion control<\/a>, it\u2019s not necessarily a diet fix. \u201cIt is more important to make sure your snacks are packed with nutrients like protein and fiber,\u201d Mooney explains, \u201crather than worry about keeping them under a certain number of calories.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Is Weight Loss Really As Simple As Calories In, Calories Out?<\/a><\/p>\n

5. You’re eating granola, energy bars or protein bars.<\/h3>\n

If there\u2019s a common enemy among health professionals, it\u2019s whole grains masquerading as health food. This includes granola, energy bars, protein bars and trail mix. \u201cI think there\u2019s a big misconception when it comes to energy bars,\u201d Elf says. \u201cSome can contain more sugar than a candy bar.\u201d She recommends reaching for products made with ingredients you can pronounce, with no more than 10 ingredients<\/a> overall. Her picks: KIND Fruit & Nut Bars and L\u00e4rabars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. You\u2019re overestimating your needs.<\/h3>\n

Regardless of how healthy a food may be, it\u2019s still a matter of calories in and calories out. \u201cMy clients commonly sabotage their diets when it comes to overestimating how many calories they burned in their workout,\u201d Johnson says. The biggest culprit? What you\u2019re drinking \u2014 especially large smoothies and energy drinks. (And, ahem, these fast food calorie bombs<\/a>.) \u201cI\u2019d also point out how I see folks overdo the \u2018healthy fats\u2019 concept,\u201d Sisson says. \u201cThey read that butter or ghee is OK again, or that they should be eating more of these nuts or this oil, but they don\u2019t bring perspective to it,\u201d he says. \u201cThe result? Each day they end up with 500 extra calories they didn\u2019t need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read More<\/strong>
\nEverything You Need to Know About the Top Diet Plans<\/a>
\n50 Resources to Help You Lose Weight (the Healthy Way)<\/a>
\n30-Minute Meals for Quick, Healthy Dinner Ideas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clean eating means cutting out sugar, alcohol and processed foods. But it’s easy to slip up and make these common mistakes. Here’s what it really means to eat clean \u2014 and how to make your healthy eating routine stick. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":64551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,18],"tags":[201,291,41,51,52,71,80,341,388,306,215,285],"class_list":["post-64534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-carbohydrates","tag-clean-eating","tag-diets","tag-food-choices","tag-fruit","tag-nutrition","tag-protein","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition","tag-vegetables","tag-vitamins","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}