My Clean Eating Program Helps me Stay Healthy

the instatripper on Sao Miguel

Even though my Instagram is not about fitness, I do get a lot of questions about my fitness routine and exercises. I live a healthy lifestyle. I work out four times a week and I try to exercise while I travel too. Most of all, I try to be conscious of what I eat. In my experience, what you eat is totally essential to staying fit and healthy. I try to eat vegetarian as much as possible. And my diet is based on a clean eating program.

Clean Eating

The basic principle of clean eating is to eat whole, fresh and unprocessed foods as much as is possible. I mean natural food as it occurs in nature, food that has not gone through extensive processing. When I’m home, I cook myself. It is much easier to stick to a healthy diet if you cook yourself. A clean diet can be a little different for everyone who lives by its principles.

But there is one thing that all clean eaters agree on: white stuff has to go. That means all white sugars and white flour products. These foods provide absolutely no nutritional value. Whole foods actually fill you up and fuel you, whereas white stuff and anything with added sugar fills a mental craving but does not help you physically. These foods also make it very hard to keep your blood sugar levels stable. When your blood sugar is too high or too low it will cause cravings and may also cause symptoms like irritability and fatigue. This will make staying on a clean eating plan more difficult.

Jan Willem having a healthy breakfast on Koh Lipe
Having Breakfast on Koh Lipe

Yes, I Cheat

So does that mean I do not eat anything unhealthy? Especially if you watch my Instagram stories, you already know the answer. I absolutely love ice cream and really do eat it often. I don’t eat a lot of it when I do, but I do eat it pretty regularly. So yes, I do cheat and I do eat unhealthy things too. But I try to keep it to a minimum and don’t eat it all day long and will never make something unhealthy my main meal of the day.

Ice cream is not part of a clean eating program but it certainly is delicious
Having an ice cream is my guilty pleasure

My Clean Eating Program

I always eat enough and on a regular basis. That is not always easy while travelling, but if you stay focused you can do it. I don’t want to get too hungry or else it will be really hard not to cheat and grab some high energy convenient food. Eating on a regular basis helps regulate blood sugar levels. It’s all about balance and what I eat reflects that. So I make sure I get enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates with every meal. I eat as many vegetables as I want and then add quality sources of protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. This kind of diet gives me all the nutrients I need and helps me stay fit. Whole foods contain all the vitamins and minerals you need, like Vitamin A, C, D and K, B12, magnesium and calcium.

When I travel, I bring some supplements with me to make sure I have enough. Sticking to my diet whether at home or travelling is what helps me stay fit and healthy.

a clean eating program contains many vegetables

The Program I Use

If you want to try a clean eating program that really works, you can find it here. My diet is based on the recipes and guidelines in their program. The recipes contain meat and chicken but are set-up in such a way that those can easily be substituted for those who prefer a vegetarian meal. I will tell you more about my fitness routine in the future. In the meantime, here are some exercises I do at home and on the road.

28 day clean eating program