You are interested in clean eating but you don’t know where to start? We will try and help you with some simple, easy tips!

Clean Eating: Getting Started

Check out our eBooks and workout plans.
Go through your pantry and throw away all processed food (do not GIVE it away, THROW it away...no one needs to eat it).
Read the ingredient label and nutrition facts on everything you purchase. If it has more than 5 ingredients, you probably shouldn’t buy it (there are exceptions, of course).
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store…this will ensure that you are buying fresh produce and meats that are not loaded with preservatives and unhealthy ingredients added to “enhance” the flavor.
Kick your sugar addiction (again, read ingredient labels! You may be surprised at what products contain added sugar)!
Find recipes that are easy to make…prepare your food in bulk and store in your refrigerator or freezer for convenience.
- We will be posting more recipes on this blog but there are also a lot of cookbooks on clean eating. Tip: Make a trip to your local library if you just want to try a few recipes or you can purchase the cookbooks here.
Eat every 2 - 3 hours. Eat lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal. This will boost your metabolism and guarantee the results you are seeking. Read more about your metabolism here.
Drink water! To help measure the amount of water you are drinking, buy a CamelBak bottle or large Nalgene so that you can keep track of your consumption. Read more about water intake here.

Eating clean is common sense, it is not rocket science, nor does it have to include bland foods and short-lived diets, but it has been lost in our society today. In our opinion, society has placed too much emphasis on convenience, pleasure, and entitlement that healthy living has become unimportant. Basically, just think about what your grandparents ate when they were your age.

Let’s face it – there are no shortcuts or magic diets to get that body that you’ve always wanted; it takes time and effort and there will be speed bumps (lack of motivation, life events, etc.), but when times get tough, work harder! It will make you stronger and boost your confidence.

“This isn’t a complicated message. In fact, Eating Clean is as simple as it can get. So what’s the bottom line? Eat a variety of wholesome, natural foods by combining lean protein with complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Kick out the crap, invite in the good, throw in some water and you are on your way to excellent health and a better body than you’ve ever imagined. Is this information new? No. It’s the same information we’ve heard from our ancestors time and time again.” Just the Rules by Tosco Reno

Be sure to read these helpful hints & tips!

Remember, this is a lifestyle and not a diet!

Good luck with your journey and keep eating clean!

- Scott & Whitney

Our Story: Scott & Whitney

January 10, 2012Most Popular, Getting Started, EducationWhitney Carlson105 Comments

We are very excited to finally be able to put all of our information and thoughts into one place and hopefully help others! We are often asked what we eat or what workouts we do, so what better way than a blog to help as many couples (and individuals) as possible discover the joys of eating clean?!

We decided for our first post we would basically just tell our story. So, here it goes….

We are Scott and Whitney and we are high school sweethearts. We got married in December of 2007. We were both at a healthy weight when we got married; however,

We gained a lot of weight in the first year we were married

(around 20 lbs each) by dining out frequently at places like On The Border, Chick-Fil-A, Zaxby’s, and McDonald’s, just to name a few. In September of 2008, we took a trip to see the Cubs in Chicago and once we saw the pictures from that trip we knew that something had to change. Scott started going to the gym in the evenings and after making it part of his daily routine – he was then hooked. Typical of anything he becomes interested in...

He started reading EVERYTHING he could about nutrition and weightlifting.

A few years later, Whitney started paying attention to what she was eating but still was not eating clean enough or following a consistent workout routine. She would do workout videos at home because she was too shy to go to the gym.

He finally convinced her to the gym and she has been hooked ever since!

Clean Eating Transformation | He and She Eat Clean

What have we been able to accomplish with eating clean (combined with lifting weights)?

He went from a waist size of 38” to a waist size of 32”
She went from a size 10 to a size 4

The most important results are that we are both much happier, much stronger, and have much more energy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you eat?

The best (and easiest) way to describe it is that we eat clean, natural, whole foods that have not been modified or altered once they have been harvested or slaughtered. No fried foods, no GMO foods, no chemical preservatives, no refined or added sugars, and no highly processed foods (limited processing is sometimes necessary – e.g. Greek yogurt). Or, for those familiar with the concept,

We eat clean.

Both of us eat every 2-3 hours (6-8 meals a day). Our meals consist of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vegetables. You can view a sample of our meals here.

The second most common question we are asked is...

What workouts do you do?

We do weight training with a mix of cardio & HIIT. Excessive cardio is not the answer if you want a lean body...you MUST lift weights!

UPDATE: We now have our very own 12-week transformation plan available!

Eating clean is definitely a team effort for us and the mission is to help other couples (and individuals) with tips and tricks to achieve this lifestyle.

Both of us work full time and spend about an hour in the gym five days a week and several hours in the kitchen each week. We don’t watch much television but to us, it’s worth it! Whitney does most of the cooking and Scott does most of the cleaning. ;-)

Sundays are the days that we normally prepare all of our food for the week. Remember, this is a lifestyle and not a diet! Good luck with your journey!

- Scott & Whitney

Sports Drinks - When do I REALLY Need to Refuel?

January 9, 2012EducationWhitney CarlsonComment

If you watch TV, you have probably seen the ads for the suped-up water or that famous Florida swamp drink, featuring uber-healthy and attractive athletes zipping around the track, the football field and even the ski slopes. And... have you thought to yourself, "Wow! I wonder what type of athlete I could be if I was properly fueled?" Thankfully, as I was renewing my Personal Trainer certification recently, I had the opportunity to take a course in Sports Performance and got the answer to this very question.

First of all, fueling your body the right way is REALLY important! That doesn't necessarily mean that you should be intaking sports and performance drinks on a daily basis to do that. It means eating the proper nutrients to make sure your body can convert those and your fat stores (not your muscle! see this post on maintaining a high metabolism for more information on that) for energy. It also means eating enough (yes - I want you to eat calories!!) to fuel your body through your daily functions and through your workouts, practices and games. That's for another day, but make sure you are eating right (lean proteins, whole grains, veggies and fruits and good fats) before you even think about adding a supplemental sports drink.

Here are some simple hydration rules for liquid fuel before and during workouts:

ALWAYS drink 17-20 oz of water 2 to 3 hours prior to exercise. This is an incredibly important step in preventing dehydration and allowing for optimum performance throughout your workout.

If your workout lasts less than 60 minutes, generally, you need to hydrate with ONLY water. H20 is enough unless you are sweating profusely or you are working out in the Mohave desert or somewhere with super high temperatures.

If your workout is 60 to 90 minutes, you will need to hydrate with water and electrolytes. This is not the same as many sports drinks. To accomplish this, consider one of the enhanced waters, such as smartwater by Glaceau.

When your workout is more than 90 minutes (think 1/2 marathon, marathon, etc.), you will want to refuel with water, electrolytes and a carbohydrate source. This is when you would need the sports drink!

Of course, we are not fans of the sugary, syrup-like sports drinks to refuel that 90+ minute workout. Since the sugar is not making a large impact on your performance, try making your own sports drink and use natural fruit to sweeten and tweak the taste. Experiment with all types of your favorite fruits for a yummy, clean and healthy sports drink, starting with this base: