Clean Eating September 2015

Clean Eating Fans Have Spoken How often do you pack a lunch? What is your favorite midday meal to pack? "Just about every day. Arugula with fresh strawberries or grapes, dried cranberries, chèvre or Gorgonzola, candied pecans or pistachios, raspberry vinaigrette." – Dawn Bentley "Leftover dinner is my fave." – Delia Robertson "I always prep all my work lunches on Sunday. I usually do veggie frittatas or some kind of turkey veggie casserole, so it’s easy to divide into individual servings, and then add a vegetable like Brussels sprouts or broccoli on the side. Snack is some kind of fruit." – Kim Smith Harty Follow us on:…

The old adage that failing to plan is planning to fail couldn’t be more true when it comes to clean eating. We’ve all been there – you forget your lunch in the fridge at home and then get so hungry that you find yourself impulsively ordering that bursting-at-the-seams burrito instead of the more sensible, energizing salad you promised yourself you’d stick to that day. Full disclosure: Even the Clean Eating team is guilty of this on occasion. We go into the week with the best intentions, but the minute we work a little too late to prep lunch for the following day, the next thing I know we’re all filing back into the office after a moment of weakness at the sandwich shop, the burger joint or worse, the decadent…

The soul of clean eating is consuming food the way nature delivered it, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time. Eat five to six times a day – three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long. Choose organic whenever possible. If your budget limits you, make meat, eggs, dairy and the Dirty Dozen (ewg.org/foodnews) your organic priorities. Drink at least two liters of water a day, preferably from a reusable canteen, not plastic; we’re friends of the environment here!…

Q: When it comes to diet vs. exercise, what is the best way to lose weight? — MICHAEL WINTERS, SAN DIEGO, CA A: While exercise is beneficial for your body and mind, its ability to lead to significant weight loss if you’re not also reducing your calorie intake is minimal. A one-hour workout burning 500 calories can be quickly undone by an indulgent meal, so it’s crucial to consume fewer calories overall. A 2013 research article in Psychological Science examined the perceptions people have about exercise’s role in weight loss. Those who believed exercise was most effective ate more chocolate and weighed more than those who believed in making dietary reductions. Spur weight loss by reducing portion sizes and replacing empty calories with nutritious choices like fresh fruit and nuts. — HEATHER BAINBRIDGE Our…

Tell us what you thought of this issue by emailing us at CEeditorial@aimmedia.com. Plus, get bonus recipes and more cleaneating content on social media. WRITE US AND ASK! IS BLUE CHEESE GLUTEN-FREE? In the June 2015 issue, you have a Blue Cheese Apple Slaw recipe labeled as gluten-free in the recipe index. My understanding as a highly sensitive celiac person is that blue cheese is often cultured with or on bread mold and should be avoided unless it is guaranteed to be gluten-free. Can you shed some light on why you don’t consider this significant? – Jane Steinhauser, Tilden Lake, ON Editor’s Note:Thanks for your letter, Jane. After looking further into your concerns, we are happy to report that blue cheese is safe to consume for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities, according to…

CANDICE KUMAI RESIDENT CULINARY ADVISER/CHEF/COOKBOOK AUTHOR NEW YORK, NY This issue debuts wellness journalist and chef Candice Kumai’s first column for Clean Eating (p. 30). The Top Chef alumna has appeared as a judge on shows such as Iron Chef and has authored five cookbooks including Clean Green Eats (Harper Wave, 2015). Of following her passion, Kumai says, “I believe in hard work, positivity and not passing up on great opportunities because of finances or fear.” DARREN KEMPER PHOTOGRAPHER TORONTO, ON Photography has always been Darren Kemper’s favorite pastime. As a kid, he would get his family and pets to pose for photo sessions around the house. "My parents would get their roll of film back and be upset that I had shot 22 frames of my hamster," he says. Today, the “Healthy On-the-Go” (p. 46) photographer’s…