Journey Through Our Story

Pia Maffei, creator of I Am A Clean Eater

About I Am A Clean Eater

Hi, my name is Pia Maffei and I started my clean eating journey in 2013. Like most people, I had my own definition for clean eating. I thought I was eating clean because I didn’t eat at fast food or chain restaurants. I cooked mostly at home, ate beef 3 times a year (birthdays and anniversaries) and I would only go out to eat at fine dining restaurants.

In 2013, after a successful 25 years in technology, I opened a small, curated market called Artisan’s Palate in Temecula, California. It quickly attracted many local artisans that were making their products ‘fresh’ and ‘with love’. However, I realized they were using the same inexpensive ingredients that were available in mass produced processed foods like sugar and wheat, and then they wanted to charge double the price. Just because they were making it from ‘scratch’ didn’t mean it was clean.

From that day forward I started to scrutinize both the ingredients used and the processes that were implemented. I decided I only wanted to work with suppliers that were conscientious when sourcing ingredients and when it came to farming practices.

As I continue my clean eating journey, I strive to both learn from my customers and to help educate. Most importantly I’ve learned the following:

  • Many people think they are eating clean, but have no idea how wrong they are.
    Like me, most people have their own definition for clean eating, for example, not eating meat, favoring low fat foods, everything in moderation, etc. Most of these reasons are blatantly ridiculous and are based on something that was learned from some 80’s handbook on health. We’ve learned a lot in the past few decades and these antiquated ideas must be rejected!
  • Many people think clean eating is too expensive. I was happy to buy chicken breast or ground beef for .99 cents a pound until I learned about feed lots, how animals are treated, what that meant for me as a consumer of that meat. That didn’t mean I would go vegetarian, which may be your choice, but it did mean I would scrutinize the practices used at the farms I got my meat from. When you know better, you do better…right?
  • Many people feel they do not have the time for clean eating, or it is too much of a bother. So many people would rather go out to eat or pickup something cheap like fast rather than take 30 minutes to prep a simple, clean meal, and come together as a family.

Because of misguided notions and misinformation from many places (including from deceptive marketing practices), I decided to create the 10 Commandments for Clean Eating and the Get Foodsmart, Get Real on-line course! The in-depth course educates and empowers individuals and families to ask the right questions and make informed decisions when it comes to the notion of ‘fork to mouth’. My hope is that you can take something positive from my research and begin on your own path to clean eating for yourself and those around you.

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