Resources

Here you will find multiple valuable support resources on a wide range of topics related to living a “clean” lifestyle. There are reliable sources for hard-to-find ingredients, the best places to shop for clean animal foods, location-finders for local farmers markets, etc. You will also find related resources, such as online fitness training by world-renown coaches, key nutritional information sites/articles/experts and “clean” cleaning and skincare products. This key supplemental information is a bonus to you for being a part of our community. If you’d like to see something specific added, or have a resource you think would be of benefit to the Clean Food Central community, drop me a line and tell me about it!

Animal Foods

Vital Choice Seafood

Vital Choice is an excellent source for fast home delivery of the world's finest wild seafood and organic fare, harvested from healthy, well-managed wild fisheries and farms. All products are guaranteed or you money will be refunded. They capture the fresh-caught quality of fine, sustainably harvested Alaskan salmon and other Alaskan and northwest Pacific seafood by cleaning and flash-freezing it within hours of harvest. The fisheries that supply most of their seafood are certified sustainable by MSC (look for their blue logo) or the State of Alaska, or are widely considered sustainable. And to further support lives of health and sustainability, Vital Choice offers selected Organic, Natural, and Kosher foods, picked for their superior nutritional and culinary qualities.

http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/home.asp

USDA Farmer’s Market Search

The USDA National Farmers Market Directory is one of the most comprehensive listings of farmers markets across the country. The search engine is easy - just enter your zip code and the radius you're willing to travel. You can get information about nearby farmers market locations, directions, operating times, product offerings, and accepted forms of payment. Check it out to find the freshest farm food in your area.

http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

Eat Wild

Eatwild.com is an excellent resource for finding locally sourced animal products in your region. The site provides research-based information about "eating on the wild side." This means choosing present-day foods that approach the nutritional content of wild plants and game—our original diet. Evidence is growing on an almost daily basis that these wholesome foods give us more of the nutrients we need to fight disease and enjoy optimum health. Few of us will go back to foraging in the wild for our food, but we can learn to forage in our supermarkets, farmers markets, and from local farmers to select the most nutritious and delicious foods available. Eatwild has been providing information about the benefits of choosing meat, eggs, and dairy products from pastured animals since 2001. This year, founder Jo Robinson is providing new information about fruits and vegetables as well.

http://www.eatwild.com/

U.S. Wellness Meats

U.S. Wellness Meats is my favorite supplier for clean animal foods. Their mission is simple and right in sync with the mission of Clean Food Central: “Do what's good for our animals, good for our planet and good for you.” They offer a wide variety of clean, pastured and wild animal products, including hard-to-find items such as additive-and-sweetener-free bacon, sausage, and jerky and ground pastured chicken. Their farming methods and farm suppliers are of the highest quality and their costs are quite reasonable. Shipping is free on orders over $75, quick and trustworthy. Once a month they even ship fresh pastured meats – a very rare commodity.

http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok

Clean Kitchen

Totally Non-Stick Baking Cups

When you make a lot of “alternative” muffins, like savory egg “cupcakes”, or coconut or almond flour muffins, you will find that those non-grain muffins tend to stick like the dickens to your muffin pan. I’ve tried oiling and greasing with various fats. I’ve tried using regular, paper and foil muffin liners. I’ve even tried the silicon liners. There’s only one thing that releases your muffin every time, no matter how “sticky” the ingredients: parchment baking cups. You can actually make your own out of regular parchment paper, but I find that too labor intensive. You can also buy fancy tall parchment liners, sometimes called lotus liners or tulip baking cups, but they are quite expensive. The best product for a clean food cook is a traditional-style muffin tin liner made out of parchment paper. I like the ones by PaperChef because they come in all sizes – mini-muffin, regular and extra-large. They cost a little more than regular liners, but they’re well worth it. You’ll never have to leave half your gluten-free or egg muffin stuck to the paper again.

http://www.paperchef.com/en/products/baking_cups

Specialty Bottles

If you are committed to clean, chances are you will end up making your own salad dressings, sauces and condiments of various kinds. You might even go to the next level and start making some clean skin and hair care products. One of the essential tools for DIY liquids, sauces and creams is a wide selection of different kinds of bottles and containers. Specialty Bottle is hands down the best bottle company I have found. They are very reasonable and ship quickly and safely. You do not need a wholesale account to use them and there is no minimum order. You can order a single bottle, if you wish. There's nobody else like them. TIP: You can give the BEST homemade clean food gifts with these bottles!! How about a personalized bottle of clean balsamic vinaigrette or killer BBQ sauce?

http://www.specialtybottle.com/

Fitness

My Yoga Online

My Yoga Online is the #1 yoga video website in the world. The original online yoga studio, established in 2004, My Yoga Online offers yoga, Pilates and wellness video classes for streaming or download. Advance your yoga practice with our renowned teachers from around the world. Reduce stress, get fit, and find your balance with yoga videos and wellness content filmed at the top studios, and festivals. Every day they share new online classes, expert articles and resources to nourish your body, mind and soul. Unlimited access: $9.95/month

http://www.myyogaonline.com/

Lifestyle by Poliquin

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He is a cutting edge nutritional innovator and the original founder of the Poliquin Group, an international fitness and strength training company that provides world class education, certifications and supplements for trainers and athletes in over sixty countries across the globe. I am a regular columnist on the Poliquin Group's new site Lifestyle . There you will find lots of my recipes specifically designed for fitness conscious adults and trainers. I’ve also written multiple articles on related lifestyle topics such as eating behaviors, stress management and forming or breaking habits. There are many nutritional and fitness training “pearls” to be found on both the Poliquin Group's main site and Lifestyle. Poliquin himself has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. Poliquin has written 600-plus articles and 10 books. His works have been translated into 12 different languages and his innovative work in strength training is frequently cited in peer-reviewed literature. If Charles, the staff or any of the Poliquin Group experts wrote the article, you can take it to the bank.

http://www.lifestylebypoliquin.com/Lifestyle.aspx

Lifestyle

The Mindfulness App

With meditation apps, as with life sometimes, the bells and whistles can get in your way. The Mindfulness App is straightforward and simple. Guided meditation sessions can span from 3 to 30 minutes. Silent meditation sessions alert you with gentle bells. You can personalize your own meditation session too. The app even reminds you when it’s time to meditate, so you can keep up a regular practice. iPhone – 4.5 stars with 336 ratings – $1.99 Android – 4.2 stars with 124 ratings – $1.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-mindfulness-app/id417071430?mt=8

Nutrition

Medicinal Mushroom Powders

As medicinal mushrooms become more widely available on the consumer market, Four Sigmatic is our fave for practicality and ease of use with its signature single-use packets of individual mushrooms and healing combinations, including their famous mushroom coffees.

https://us.foursigmatic.com/

MCT Oil

Medium Chain Triglyceride oil is typically sourced from palm or coconut oil. We recommend the Brain Octane product. Brain Octane is naturally found in coconut oil in small quantities, and they concentrate it to provide you with the purest energy source possible. Brain Octane rapidly provides mental and physical energy, powering your day by supporting cognitive function and keeping you satisfied and free from food cravings. Add it to your daily routine, and experience the state of high performance. As soon as you consume Brain Octane, it is rapidly absorbed and changed into ketone bodies – providing instant energy to the brain without breaking down glucose from sugars or carbohydrates. Brain Octane produces 4x the ketone energy of plain coconut oil, and also has potent anti-microbial effects that help support healthy digestion and immune function. Experience the power of using quality fats for fuel, keeping you full and focused for hours. Contains at least 10x the (C8) Caprylic acid (14g) per Tablespoon as in one tablespoon of Coconut oil (1.4g).(+)

http://www.bulletproof.com/brain-octane-oil-16-oz

Figwee App: The Visual Portion Guide

One of the bonuses of eating clean is that you don’t have to measure every morsel of food you eat. But if you need to reduce calories for a health or fitness goal, it’s very helpful to have a good sense of portion sizes. Most of us tend to underestimate the weight or volume of a specific food. Using a scale can keep you honest, but having an accurate visual guide is quicker and more convenient. A great tool for guesstimating the portion sizes of different foods is an application called Figwee. You can use the website figwee.com for free or buy the app for $1.99. The process is simple: look up the food you want to measure and Figwee provides you with a series of photographs of that food in different increments, i.e. 1 ounce of salmon, 2 ounces, 3 ounces, etc. In the app the amounts are on a simple slider bar and the picture, from 2 different angles, includes a consistent plate, silverware and a glass for proportion. It’s not perfect, but it’s easy and inexpensive to use and includes a wide variety of different entries, from clean, whole foods to the junkier variety.

http://figwee.com/

Quest Bars

People who try to watch their carb intake are always on the lookout for a decent grab-and-go protein bar. Because most of the commercial offerings are loaded with either artificial or other poor quality ingredients or have too many sugars (most “all-natural” bars), it’s hard to find a product that makes the grade. The Quest bar is a favorite. They have several different varieties sporting different ingredient profiles, but a few of them are truly excellent. Here are the ingredients for the chocolate peanut butter bar: whey and milk protein isolates, isomalto-oligosaccharides (a natural prebiotic fiber almost identical to chicory root, but without the gastric distress), peanut butter, water, erythritol, cocoa, peanuts, naturals flavors, sea salt, lo han guo and stevia. Lo han guo is an Asian herb that is extremely sweet. Extracts from the plant are two to three hundred times sweeter than sugar with a glycemic load of zero. It’s comparable to stevia. This bar is 160 calories, with 5 grams of fat, 25 of carb (including 17 grams fiber and 5 grams sugar alcohol, so net of 3) and 20 grams of protein. It is satisfyingly dense and chewy and the flavor is great, more like a candy treat than a cardboard protein bar. Like any processed food, Quest bars aren’t perfect, but in a pinch it’s on a par with the best I’ve seen for combined nutrient balance, ingredient quality and taste. Try it and see what you think.

http://www.questnutrition.com/

Nutrition Data

Nutritiondata.com is a comprehensive online resource for accurate nutritional information about a broad range of foods. You can get specific nutritional information about individual foods, including nutrient content, glycemic load, inflammation factors and much more. In addition, you can search for foods by nutrient to give you a list of things to eat or avoid if you are trying to boost or reduce your intake of anything from a specific mineral to fiber.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen are regularly updated produce lists provided by a high quality consumer watchdog organization called the Environmental Working Group. These lists give you the most and least pesticide-contaminated vegetables and fruits on the market at any given time. You can get those lists for free here. You can significantly lower your pesticide intake by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and choosing the least contaminated produce. You can also download a pdf version of EWG's comprehensive annual Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™, which will help you rate the most common produce for relative pesticide content.

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Other Foods

Medicinal Mushroom Powders

https://us.foursigmatic.com/

MCT Oil

http://www.bulletproof.com/brain-octane-oil-16-oz

Lakanto

Made from a proprietary mixture of the high-purity Monk Fruit extract and Erythritol, LAKANTO® is a delicious, all-natural, zero calorie, zero glycemic sweetener with a mild flavor very similar to sugar, minus any unpleasant aftertaste. Lakanto can be used as a one-for-one substitute for sugar in almost any recipe, so works beautifully in baked goods. Erythritol alone is not very sweet, and monk fruit doesn't have sugar's texture, but together they make a fantastic sugar substitute.

http://www.lakanto.com/

Liquid Stevia 2

For a straight-up liquid stevia without vanilla or other flavorings, this is my new fave. It's the smoothest I've ever tasted, with no bitter aftertaste. Also, they produce it straight from the leaves rather than the refined powder. It's not as concentrated so you need to use a bit more than than other stevias, but it's still very small amounts, maybe 3-4 drops per cup of liquid instead of 1-2. From the website: Omica Organics' Liquid Stevia™ is an Organic, Zero-Calorie sweetener that is a naturally highly-concentrated direct extract. Created using our proprietary revolutionary TruExtract™ production method, this is an un-reconstituted Stevia Extract (unlike other liquid stevia products that are reconstituted from dehydrated stevia). The result is an aromatic, dynamic sweetness without the bitterness associated with other stevia products. What makes Omica Organics' Liquid Stevia extracts unique? Standard methods for creating stevia liquid extracts consist of reconstituting white stevia powder into liquid, which contributes to the typical bitter aftertaste often attributed to stevia sweeteners. Omica Organics' methodology is markedly different. Our exclusive, proprietary method produces a direct liquid extract that is not reconstituted, resulting in a bold, highly-concentrated sweetener that retains the exquisite sweetness and vitality of the stevia plant.

http://www.omicaorganics.com/store/products/liquid-stevia-plain-2oz.html

Tessamae’s Dressings and Marinades

I’m a big proponent of making your own salad dressings and meat marinades, but I know that’s just not convenient all the time. Ninety nine percent of all commercial dressings, marinades and condiments contain very poor quality ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, refined GMO oils, or heaps of sugar and sodium. But there is one company out there making high quality jarred products I feel comfortable recommending: Tessemae’s All Natural. Tessemae’s uses only whole food ingredients, no artificial or synthetic anything. And most of the products are paleo – no dairy, grains or refined sugars. The predominant sweetener is dates, with a little honey from time to time. They offer some oil-free options, such as the Italian dressing and red wine vinaigrette. And there are even two ranch options: regular and southwest style – both of them dairy free! My favorite is the barbecue sauce, because it is so low in sugar and yet tastes great.

http://www.tessemaes.com/

Liquid Stevia

This is the best-tasting liquid stevia on the market ~ the aftertaste is very minimal. It's not just a Vanilla flavored Stevia liquid like so many others on the market, but a true Vanilla extract made from premium bean that produces a product with incomparable taste. Once you have add this to your tea or coffee, yogurt, or lemonade, you will not know how you lived without it. NuNaturals has combined Singing Dog Vanilla with their delicious Stevia. Alcohol-Free NuStevia Extract contains 200 mg per ml and is in a base of vegetable glycerine. It's pricey, but one bottle will last you for months. Check out NuNaturals' entire sweetener product line. The labeling is plain and simple, but the quality is top-drawer. I regularly use at least a half-dozen of their products.

https://www.nunaturals.com/product/103

Primal Pacs

If you’re truly eating clean you know how hard it is to find grab-and-go snacks that are both satisfying and meet your high quality and nutrition standards. You can make them, of course, but most homemade snacks either don’t have great portability or are low in protein. Enter the Primal Pac. Primal Pacs are little vacuum sealed pouches of unprocessed beef jerky, dried fruits and tree nuts. The quality is very high. They are made by a small company in Seattle Washington that uses only beef from their own grass-fed and grass-finished cows with no preservatives, just clean spices. The dried fruit is mango and juice-sweetened cranberries, and the nuts are raw almonds and roasted macadamias. You can also buy pacs that just contain the jerky. They come in large and small sizes. Nutrition Facts for the 2.3-ounce small mixed pac are: 120 calories, 7 g fat, 110mg sodium, 7 g carb, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar and 12 g protein. The pacs are satisfying, delicious and taste very fresh – not an easy feat for an essentially dried treat! If you need something to carry in your car or purse for those time-pressed moments, Primal Pacs are my number one pick.

http://www.primalpacs.com/

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is the very best quality raw apple cider vinegar. The mother is in the bottle and it requires no refrigeration. According to their site: it is made from delicious, healthy, organically grown apples. Processed and bottled in accordance with USDA guidelines, it is Certified Organic by Organic Certifiers and Oregon Tilth; and is Kosher Certified. Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is full of zesty natural goodness. Non-GMO Certified. It’s a wholesome way to add delicious flavor to salads, veggies, most foods, and even sprinkle over popcorn.

http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html

Best Dark Cocoa Powder

There are several amazing high quality cocoa powders out there, but Cacao Barry's Extra Brut is among the very best. It is consistently fresh, deep and so dark it's almost red. The flavor is rich enough that it needs very little sweetener, if any. This makes it a perfect choice for creating non-traditional clean chocolate treats that are low in sugar and dairy, and grain/flour-free. It's always available on Amazon for around $23 for 2.2 pounds, or you can go right to the source. A little goes a long way, so the kilogram bag will last you for ages. I store mine in a glass jar in a dark cupboard to help keep it fresh.

http://www.cacao-barry.com/

Honeyville Farms Blanched Almond Flour

Honeyville Farms blanched almond flour is the best almond flour available for gluten free baking. Because it's blanched and finely milled, it has exceptional taste and texture. Full of protein and dietary fiber, this flour, also known as almond meal, is a key staple in the gluten-free kitchen. It comes in 5-pound bags, so refrigerate after opening to keep it fresh for an extended period. TIP: Amazon also carries it.

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/blanchedalmondflour5lb.aspx#.Un1ldvmsim4

Produce

Wild Edibles Foraging Info Center

The website isn't polished or pretty, but it has some solid local (U.S.) resources for books, experts, classes and tours all about foraging safely for wild edible plants.

http://foraging.com/

USDA Farmer’s Market Search

http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

Skincare

Almost Edible Skincare

Almost Edible Skincare is a sister company to the Clean Food Coach. An herbalist for over 20 years, Jeannette created the product line after successfully curing her stubborn rosacea with oil cleansing. AES gives you an "outside-in" approach to getting clean in the way that Clean Food Central is an inside-out approach. By avoiding ALL the toxins and fillers in skin and hair care products, including those commonly found in other so-called natural products, and stepping into simple, clean daily skin care protocols, many chronic issues will resolve on their own and your skin and hair will "reset" with a whole new radiance and glow. Plus every product sold by AES is hand-crafted and cruelty-free!

http://almostedibleskincare.com/

evanhealy Face Care Line

The driving philosophy behind the evanhealy's 100% clean, natural, artisan-quality skin care treatment line is the less you interfere with the skin's own ability to achieve balance, the better. evanhealy's holistic approach draws from traditional plant lore, aromatherapy, ayurveda, and homeopathy. Rather than treating areas of imbalance such as an overly oily condition, the more holistic, successful and long-term solution is to support the totality of skin functions using simple plant-based formulations and non-invasive treatment methods. This approach encourages the skin, with its innate ability to regulate itself, to breathe. evenhealy borrows from the wisdom of nature utilizing many certified organic ingredients such as nourishing nut and seed oils, herbal extracts, homeopathically prepared flower essences, pure plant hydrosols, and fresh, steam-distilled essential oils to create their cleansing milks, serums, creams, emulsions, butters and natural clays.

http://www.evanhealy.com/

Stress

My Yoga Online

http://www.myyogaonline.com/

Omvana Meditation Support

What’s relaxing and calming to one person may be aggravating and irritating to another. That’s why Omvana lets you customize your meditation sessions with the sounds, noises, and quotes that inspire and relax you. This app contains thousands of audio tracks, beats, and sounds that you can blend together in the app’s mixing board. If a stranger’s voice is unsettling, you can even record your own voice and use it to guide your meditation sessions instead. This app is fully customizable to help you create a more relaxing, enjoyable meditation experience. Phone – 4.5 stars with 1,505 ratings – Free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/omvana-meditate-sleep-focus/id595585396?mt=8