Clean eating is the key to improved fitness, strength, and overall health. The truth is that you can grow stronger, healthier, and fitter without changing your eating habits too much, but you'll only see the proper results if you invest in your body. The best way to give your body what it needs is to eat clean, healthy, natural foods!

Here are some awesome tips to help you be a cleaner eater:

Go lean — Whenever possible, choose the leaner cuts of red meat, poultry, and fish. Fish and eggs are two of the best choices for protein, as they are fairly low in unhealthy fats and high in nutrients. Legumes, soy products, quinoa, and other lean protein sources should always be the heroes of your meal.

Start the day out right — This doesn't just mean that you need to eat breakfast (though you should never skip this important meal). It means making sure that your breakfast is a healthy, balanced one. If you make the right eating choices at the beginning of the day, it's easier to make them all day long.

Proper hydration — Water is the best thing to drink, and probably the only thing you should be drinking. Soda, juice, energy drinks, and all sugary beverages have got to go. The occasional cup of black coffee and unsweetened green or black tea will do you good, but stick with water whenever possible. Cut back on alcohol, both for your liver's sake as well as the sake of your waistline.

Plan your meals — Want to ensure you're eating clean? Plan your meals a week in advance, and purchase everything you'll need to prepare balanced, nourishing meals for the entire week ahead. Cook the food and freeze it, or divide the ingredients into meal-sized packages that you can cook fresh when it's time to eat.

Combine complex carbs with protein — A high protein diet is a key to weight loss, muscle-building, and fat-burning, but you need to balance it out with a high fiber diet. By combining complex carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, etc.) and proteins, you ensure maximum health!

Overload on veggies — There's no such thing as too many veggies in your meals! The more vegetables you eat in your day, the healthier you will be.

Have snacks handy — You're going to be hungry throughout the day, so it's important that you have healthy, easy snacks on hand. Think carrot sticks and cream cheese, peanut butter and celery sticks, peanuts and raisins, and other snacks that will fill you up and give you the nutrients your body needs.

Say no to sugar — Sugar is the one food you'll need to cut out completely. All refined and processed sugar will do more harm than good, so it's time to get rid of anything sugary or sweet. Find naturally sweet foods to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Follow the tips above, and you'll live a clean, healthy life.