If you want to kick the sugar cravings you could start with the "South Beach Diet" induction phase.

I just bought a copy (someone stole my original copy) for $3.99 at Borders.

Otherwise eating clean means focussing on good quality protein, mono and polyunsaturated fats and complex carbohydrates.

Its better to prepare your own foods than buy processed foods which can contain excess amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fats.

This is from a thread on another forum. I don't agree entirely with using the glyceminc index as an indicator of the"cleanliness" food. I prefer to use glycemic load. South Beach explains the difference.

Again - I didn't write this. It is one (fairly knowledgeable) poster's idea of clean eating.

Eating clean means, basically, eating the right kinds of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are an important energy source for your body and your brain. Some are better than others. The Glycemic Index describes how quickly your body metabolizes foods into sugars. High G.I. foods turn into sugars quickly, causing an insulin spike. Low GI foods metabolize slowly. Try to keep your carbs lower than 75 GI. You can find the GI ratings here: http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendosagi/nmendosagi.htm,[/URL" target="_blank"> or http://www.glycemicindex.com,[/URL" target="_blank"> or various other sources.
Examples of Low GI Carbs:
Vegetables, Mixed Beans, Oatmeal, Bran, Whole Grain Breads, Whole Grains, Barley, Brown Rice, Low GI Fruits
Lowfat Milk, Lowfat Yogurt (note: while these dairy products have a low GI, they have a high Insulin Index (the reaction your body produces to the metabolizing of these products), so use in moderation)
White Rice (note: while having a higher GI, these have a low Insulin Index, so again, use in moderation)
High GI Carbs to Avoid:
White Bread (includes "wheat bread ( must say "whole wheat" or "whole grain") this means bagels, tortillas, pitas, and all other forms of bread
Potatoes (the worst - very high GI) (sweet potatoes are OK)
High GI fruits (watermelon, dates, raisins, ) and fruit juice - eat raw fruits instead (one glass of orange juice has over three oranges in it, without the benefits of the fiber in the raw orange)
Sugar and processed food with sugar or its many forms (high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, molasses, etc)
Pastas (use in moderation, and never with saturated fats, e.g. fettucine alfredo)
Most breakfast cereals (stick to whole grain / bran cereals if you must eat cereals)

Note: There is a whole other subject, called "glycemic loads", describing the value of the entire item you are eating, that can be taken into consideration, but it is simply too extensive and undeveloped to go into at this time. Look into it yourself at http://www.mendosa.com[/URL" target="_blank"> (now http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendosagi/nmendosagi.htm)[/URL" target="_blank"> if you're interested.

Proteins: Eat lean proteins, low in saturated fats.
Examples of Good Protein Sources:
Lean Beef (90% lean ground beef, lean steak)
Chicken (particularly white meat)
Turkey (particularly white meat)
Lean pork (tenderloin, lean ham)
Lowfat dairy products, in moderation
Cottage cheese (highly recommended form of casein protein)
Whey protein
Fish, particularly tuna, salmon, and cod
Eggs, particularly egg whites (yolks in moderation)
Soy and soy products, while very good sources of protein, have also been shown in some studies to have potential for causing high estrogen levels and a possible potential for sexual dysfunction. I suggest using these in moderation until testing is completed and a conclusion has been reached. Caveat Emptor. (Many people eat soy with no ill effect)

Proteins to avoid:
Fatty meats (non-extra lean ground beef, fatty pork (bacon, ribs, etc)
Fatty dairy (whole milk, most cheese, ice cream)

Fats: Fats, which have been vilified, are an essential ingredient in our diet. Poly and monounsaturated fats must be included in your daily plan. A small amount of saturated fats are also needed. Minimize saturated fats, maximize monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Try to get good Essential Fatty Acids - Omega 3 and Omega 6's. No more than 1/3 of your fat calories should be saturated fats (if you are on a 40/30/30 plan, 10% of your calories may come from sat fats)
Examples of good fats:
Fish and fish oils - polyunsaturated, best source of Omega 3's - cold water fish tuna, salmon, cod
Flaxseed oil - some Omega 3, good Omega 6
Olive Oil - monounsaturated fat
Avocados - monounsaturated fat
Nuts - mono, poly, and omega 6s best are walnuts and almonds

Bad fats:
Saturated fats - from animal products (fatty beef, pork, milk, etc)
Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats (trans fatty acids) - Wicked Bad Stuff. (margarine and Crisco are trans fatty acids)
Most vegetable oil and corn oil - use Canola oil if you must use oil, and use in moderation - try not to cook in oil if you can avoid it. If you cook with oil, use an oil with the appropriate smoke point.

Water:
Water is a compound we can't do without for more than only a few days. The human body is about 60 to 75 percent water, and the brain is said to be about 85 percent water. Even bones are about 20 percent water. The body needs water.

Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamins and Minerals play a vital role in maintaining the proper biological functioning of everything from muscles to memory. Nutritionists will tell you that they are unnecessary if we consume a properly balanced diet, but few of us consume a "properly balanced diet". It is highly recommended to consume a good quality multivitamin/mineral supplement daily. It is very difficult to obtain protective levels of some nutrients solely from diet.

Special notes:
1) Avoid mixing high GI carbs with fats
2) Avoid all processed / prepackaged foods
3) Read labels! Be on the lookout for bad stuff!
4) Eat your veggies!
5) Do not eat too little. Your metabolism will slow to a crawl and you will stop burning fat.
6) Do not eat too much. You will store excess as fat.
7) Alcohol, if required, must be kept to a minimum. When you drink alcohol, your body uses the alcohol as an energy source instead of burning your fat stores.

http://This message has been edited by bigapplepie (edited Jan-24-2007).

the way i cut my sugar craving is by first making myself be conscious of it. you are about to open the closet. stop. what are you PHYSICALLY feeling? just be 'zen' for a second and try to analyze what your BODY is telling you. most likely, your craving is psychological. if you're really hungry, any food placed infront of you will do. the thing is to not give in to temptations. i cut my sugar cravings by going cold-turkey, not that i suggest that, but that's what worked for me. if i was hungry, or craving food, i would force myself to eat an apple, or carrots with hummus, or a banana, or a sandwhich. by making a goal to only eat clean foods when i felt like eating, i slowly lost my desire to be eating all the time, because if i ate, it was going to have to be an apple anyway, so the joy factor was at first removed, and replaced by the physical comfort factor- i didn't want to feel hungry. after about two weeks, i started getting sensitized. food in their natural states tasted more delicious than before. after about a month of mostly clean eating, one bite of chocolate would satisfy a sugar craving because it was such a shock of sweetness. and anyway, no longer did i feel like eating food that wouldnt make me feel full and satiated. i felt tremendously better. i could stuff my face with the "good" (natural) stuff all day and not worry too much about my weight, as that adjusted itself. i suppose you want to know what i ate and didn't eat. i tried to emphasize veggies, legumes, fresh fruits, skim milk, chicken & fish, nuts, whole grains. i stayed away from anything too manipulated...i didn't even eat cereal for awhile. i slowly added foods back in, always in moderation, but if anything, going completely clean for a month or two helped re-sensitize my tastes, and to me that was really great. gluck!

If you can't go cold turkey, phase it out but make your sugar treats a more wholesome choice. When I crave sugar I have whole grain toast (well, mine is gluten free) with some reduced sugar jam.

I agree though - the more sugar one has, the more one wants.

FWIW, I don't kick out all sugar - my rule is to eat clean 95-98% of the time - I allow myself some treat, just nothing processed. ie. the toast with jam versus M&Ms or whatever.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by banananutmuffin:
Good "clean" foods for sugar-cravers include:

- fruit
- baked apples with cinnamon and topped with oatmeal (similar to apple crisp)
- baked sweet potato with cinnamon

If you're interested in clean eating, I really recommend the magazine "Oxygen." It's geared to female fitness enthusiasts, and they always talk about eating clean.<HR>

I used to have a subscription to Oxygen when I was bodybuilding. I think though (at least then) that the focus was a higher protein diet more suited for weightlifting than running.

it is very helpful for me to avoid all chemicals as well....so a lot of yogurt, etc has weird additives, and Id stay away from splenda or any sugar substitute.
Great treats are luna bars and maya bars, chocolate and other flavours, and the only ingredients are dates, nuts, cocoa, etc....and they are raw, vegan, and no preservatives.

Oxygen mag's Nutrition issue is my all-time fave mag for recipes and clean eating ideas!!!! (You have to get past all the cheesy ads for bodybuilding supplements.)

Jennifer