A simple guide of how to eat clean.
You have probably heard this term very often from dietitians or fitness experts recommending eating healthier for its benefits to help lose weight and it helping to benefit for gut health and skin.
Lately I have also seen many videos and posts about people calling out some influencers that claim to eat clean, but they eat packaged foods that are not whole foods, so according to these people they are not eating clean like they say.
There are many misconceptions about eating clean and it is not as complicated or difficult as many might think. It is actually simple, but some people might confuse it with simply healthy eating.
EATING CLEAN VS EATING HEALTHY.
Most people assume these two are the same thing, but they are not exactly. These terms are very similar and there are probably one or two differences.
Eating healthy
As most of us know, it refers to consuming a variety of food products that are high in all the nutritional values that our body requires to properly function. Also, to add to our diet more colorful fruits and vegetables, whole-grain carbohydrates, and limit the consumption of food high in fat and refined sugar.
Clean eating
Eating clean refers to adding a variety of foods to every meal like vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, high in fiber carbohydrates, but the difference is avoiding as much as possible over-processed foods.
More specifically, clean eating consists of choosing foods in their more natural way. This means preparing food in a natural way, and avoiding high-processed food whenever possible, according to an article in the Dr. Lam Coaching website.
Clean eating requires a few changes in our daily routines to prepare our food or know what to buy and what not to order when you are dining out. It requires us to change our groceries lists and change the ways we cook our food.
Here are some simple guidelines to help you get started:
1. Avoid over/ultra-processed foods.
These foods have been over processed and have added extra sugar, unhealthy fats, lots of preservatives, and other modified substances that affect the natural nutrients of the food. These ingredients have been correlated with developing a variety of diseases like obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Some examples of these foods are frozen meals, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, soft drinks, and breakfast cereals, as stated in an article from the Cleveland Clinic website.
2. Avoid or reduce consumption of chips, crackers, and candies.
snacks like potato chips, cheese puffs, and candies are overly processed because their ingredients are not in their natural form. Also, they are high in preservatives, artificial colors, and other chemicals that can be harmful for the gut.
3. Read the ingredients on labels in every food product package.
If you are still in need to buy prepackaged food, check and avoid products with ingredients that are long and hard to pronounce. Also, check and avoid as possible ingredients like, natural and artificial flavors and additives.
4. Cook your food in healthier ways.
Avoid deep frying your food, instead choose cooking options like air frying, roasting, and grilling. Nowadays, there are great cooking appliances that make that job much easier like air fryer ovens and crockpots.
5. Consume less refined sugar and avoid syrups.
Most pre-made sweets and cookies are high in refined sugars, and most likely they use high-fructose corn syrup as sweetener instead of sugar, as well cereals and pancake syrups. It is suggested that you buy sweets and cookies from neighborhood bakeries or make them yourself from scratch.
6. Eat more vegetables.
Add a bigger variety of vegetables to your grocery list and have them in every meal. There are so many kinds of vegetables that can be cooked in so many ways and by adding spices and seasonings you can make them taste amazing.
To sum up
- The point of eating clean is not restriction and cancellation of most conventional foods, but it is eating more food in a more natural way.
- Eating clean completely might not be possible to do every time you eat, some people might say, but we can eat cleaner by just choosing more carefully what we eat and reading labels to avoid unhealthy ingredients.
- The best way to eat clean at home is by preparing your own meals, and to save time I recommend you getting the right kitchen appliances to cook healthier. Air fryers and crock pots are your best allies to make healthier meals.
My Take Outs.
Clean eating or healthy eating might not be for everyone or not everyone needs it. For example, some people that have a fast metabolism and can hardly ever gain a couple pounds no matter what they eat might not need to go completely with a clean eating diet.
In my case, I have always had a little slow metabolism, especially during my teenage years. I remember I started to gain weight depending on what my diet was, which included a lot of carbs, chocolate candy, and chips. That’s why personally in my case, I consider this is the right way for me to eat to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight.
Eating clean entirely could not be attainable in the long term for most people, so other people suggest to have a cheat day, or two cheat meals in a week to avoid feeling too restricted and tired.
Since everybody is different with their metabolisms and hormones, it is definitely up to every person to decide what eating-well or right really means and if eating clean is the best for them.
