What is clean eating

Health and fitness are all the rage days, and one trend that’s increasingly becoming popular is clean eating. You may have heard Katy Perry talking about it or see all your favorite bloggers mentioning it all the time. Regardless, though, it’s clear that clean eating is on the rise, and it’s here to stay.

So, what exactly does clean eating refer to? Contrary to what most people think, clean eating isn’t about watching your calorie count or merely consuming less food. It’s actually about being mindful of what you eat and focuses on ingesting “real” or minimally processed and refined food.

To understand how you can incorporate clean eating into your lifestyle, you need to first know what constitutes processed food and why it’s not recommended. So, here’s your full-fledged guide to clean eating.

When you think of processed food, your mind immediately goes to those reports about McDonald’s fries that refuse to go bad even after sitting in the car for days, right? However, the definition of processed food contains more than that, though.

Food with any kind of additions, whether that’s sugar, salt, or fat, to enhance flavor is processed. Additionally, food containing enriched vitamins or preservatives to prevent it from spoiling also falls under processed foods.

Apart from this, food that’s created due to any process, such as stir-frying vegetables or making refined bread by extracting germ and bran from whole grains, is also processed. Hence, it’s safe to say that the list of processed foods is quite exhaustive, and we actually consume more of it every day than we realize.

Processed food isn’t necessarily bad all the time. Some kinds of processes remove bacteria or toxins from your food and make consuming food off-season possible. Foods, such as instant oatmeal and pasteurized milk, are also processed, and you don’t have to avoid them. To nail clean eating, the key is to avoid ultra-processed food that includes Diet Coke or cupcakes.

There are numerous health issues associated with ultra-processed foods, including infertility and cancer. These foods barely provide the nutritional value that’s required for you to be healthy. Additionally, ultra-processed foods tend to contain additives that encourage dopamine production, also known as the “pleasure” neurotransmitter, thereby leading to an unlimited cycle of junk food cravings.

So, now that we know what clean eating entails, it’s time for the fun part. Certain tips can help you get a jumpstart on clean eating and make the entire process easier. Here’s what you need to do:

• Increase your fruits and vegetable intake: It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are healthy since they’re abundant with vitamins, fiber, plant compounds, and minerals that help your body stay strong and fight off potential health issues.

  To do this, you should make your salad as colorful as you can and mix it up with different veggies, along with greens. Apart from this, you can also add orange slices, berries, and chopped apples to your favorite dishes. Lastly, you can make vegetables more accessible by chopping them up, dressing them with herbs and olive oil, and storing them in a container in your fridge.

• Keep an eye on the label: While clean eating fundamentally focuses on fresh, whole foods, you can include some packaged foods, such as packed nuts, meat, and vegetables. However, when incorporating such foods in your diet, you should read the label to ensure there aren’t any added sugars, unhealthy fats, or preservatives.

• Avoid refined carbs: A significant part of processed foods is refined carbs that you can easily overeat without contributing proper nutritional value. Research suggests refined carbs can result in insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, and fatty liver, making them damaging to your health. Refined carbs include pasta, pastries, white bread, pizza dough, white flour, and white rice, and you should swap them with whole grains instead, which are much better for your health.

• Stay Away From Sugar: You need to avoid sugar when you’re eating clean. Added sugar is found in various foods, including condiments and sauces, that don’t even taste sweet. If your health allows, you can sometimes have small amounts of natural sugar like maple syrup or honey when you’re eating clean. However, if you’re diabetic or have other similar health issues, it’s best to avoid sugar altogether.

• Avoid Packaged Snacks: Packaged snacks, even those advertised as healthy, such as granola bars, have refined grains, vegetable oils, and sugar that are detrimental to your health. These packaged snacks that include muffins, crackers, and other snacks, are processed, and you should avoid having them in between meals when hunger pangs kick in. Instead, you should opt for vegetables, fruits, nuts, or other healthy snacks which are much better for your health.

• Make Water Your Go-To Drink: Undoubtedly, water is the most natural and healthiest drink you can go for. With no artificial sweeteners, additives, sugars, or sketchy ingredients, water is completely clean. It keeps you hydrated and helps you reach your desired weight.

  Apart from water, you can also opt for unsweetened tea and coffee, which have health benefits associated with them. However, if your body is sensitive to caffeine, you should ideally moderate how much of these beverages you’re consuming.

   

Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make, take small steps, make small changes every day, and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. However, at its core, clean eating is all about having the healthiest options from each food group and ignoring the unhealthy ones. Many people who are very accustomed to unnatural foods have a difficult time with the natural flavors of real food. They claim they don’t like vegetables or anything much that is healthy. If you are one of these people, I’m here to tell you that over time, your taste buds will change and you’ll see that eventually, the stuff you used to love just doesn’t taste the same any longer. What you eat really does have an effect on how you feel. Eating whole foods and avoiding junk food — a clean eating lifestyle — can keep you healthy or help you regain your health if you haven’t been well.
Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make, take small steps, make small changes every day, and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. Overall, it’s the right step toward a healthier lifestyle that can result in abundant health benefits.

Have you ever tried clean eating? What has your experience been like? Why not take a look at some of our clean eating recipes or let us know in the comments below!