21-Day Eat Clean Challenge Wrap Up!

So, yesterday was Day 21 of the 21-Day Eat Clean Challenge we did on Facebook. What a great experience! It was nice to chat with people about what clean eating means to them, and to share ways to fit clean eating into real life.

Many of the people doing this challenge were learning to Eat Clean for the first time, or were trying to get "back on the wagon" after maybe not eating very well for a while. The Challenge was sort of a "kick start" to forming some healthy food habits. But now that the 21 days are up... where do we go from here?

I think it's really important to address how to turn clean eating into a lifestyle, realistically. This is will be different for every person, of course, just as what defines "Clean Eating" varies. But the important thing to remember is that it doesn't have to be "all or nothing." For me, there are certain things I never eat (artificial colors and flavors, chemical additives, GMOs, HFCS, animal products) things I eat on rare occasions (sugar) things I enjoy once or twice a week (flour, wine) and then things I eat daily (pretty much everything else) This is a balance that works for me, because in real life there are birthday parties where you might want a piece of cake or celebratory dinners where you might want a glass or two of wine. And that sort of thing can definitely fit into a clean-eating lifestyle. As long as you're making good choices and feeding your body the very best stuff most of the time, the occasional treat won't hurt, in my opinion.

I'm really grateful to all who have participated in the challenge, and who have been kind enough to share their difficulties and triumphs with me. It's been a wonderful experience for me, and I hope it was positive for you, too. I look forward to applying some of the insight you've given me as I continue to work on my book, The 21-Day Eat Clean Challenge, which will (hopefully!) debut this fall. More info will be posted here on the blog, as it happens.