Feeling sluggish? Are you eating the majority of your calories from processed food from a can or a box? You’re not alone. A large percentage of American’s exist on a highly processed diet. Making the change to eating clean is sure to leave you with more energy, and improved health.

Before telling you my tips for clean eating, I’ll explain what it is for those of you who might not be familiar. The concept of clean eating is based on eating food in it’s whole, unprocessed form. A clean eating diet should consist of 5-6 small meals a day that include lean meat, organic whole fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and unrefined grains. This doesn’t mean that you can’t occasionally have processed food in moderation, but you’ll feel so good eating clean that you really won’t crave foods that don’t provide your body with quality nutrients.

Here are my top 10 tips for incorporating clean eating into a very busy lifestyle.

1. Start your day with a handful of raw almonds. I eat raw almonds almost every morning. They’re quick, delicious and provide the body with extremely healthy fat. They’re also rich in Biotin which makes your hair and nails grow.

2. Have your fridge stocked with ready to eat vegetables. I keep broccoli, carrots and cauliflower cleaned and cut up in my fridge at all times, for a quick and healthy snack. Although my diet is largely based around clean eating, I do use Ranch dressing as a veggie dip.

3. Keep plenty of lean protein on hand. I like to keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge for those times I need some protein on the go. Cook up some chicken and have it ready for sandwiches, salads or just a quick snack.

4. Have apples or other organic fruits on hand for those times you’re craving something sweet.

5. Drink lots of water. I cut soda out of my life several months back. Aside from having an occasional cocktail made with soda, I never drink it any more. I actually crave ice water now. You’ll find that increasing your water consumption keeps you feeling full longer, improves your skin, and provides and improved sense of well being.

6. Avoid sugar are refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta. This can be difficult at first if you’ve built your diet around simple carbs, but once your body acclimates to clean eating, you’ll feel so good you’ll wonder why you were putting so much processed food into your body. Opt for whole grains and brown rice instead of high glycemic foods.

Do you have any tips for clean eating? I’d love to hear them.