“Clean
eating” is a trend that is suddenly everywhere, but what does “clean eating”
really mean? The term means to eat the best and healthiest options in each of
the food groups, embracing foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and
healthy proteins. This includes staying away from junk foods and processed
foods. When you are eating clean, you try to give your body the best fuel that
is out there, which are foods that will keep you healthy and at a healthy
weight. Clean eating is not necessarily about weight loss, but it focuses on
general health.
The current
craze of “cleansing” or eating only raw food or fresh juices for a set period
of time is not the same as clean eating. In fact, our organs are what cleanses
are bodies of toxins. The main idea is to replace processed foods, pastries,
and fried foods with more fruits and vegetables. You’ll definitely feel the
difference!
Clean eating
can also entail looking more closely at where your food comes from. This could
mean buying organic produce to avoid pesticide residue, or avoiding meat that
comes from large factory farms. It is possible you might spend a little more
money on high-quality meat and produce and more time preparing meals from
scratch rather than heating up packaged convenience foods. But, as clean eating
advocates say, it may be more expensive to eat clean and healthy, but it is an
investment in your future health that you may otherwise pay for in the long
run.
Here are some tips to get you started on clean eating:
1.Try fresh fruits and vegetables instead
of salty and sugary packaged foods to eat as snacks.
2.Instead of buying blueberry yogurt with
added sweeteners and less than 5% real blueberries, buy unsweetened yogurt and
add your own fresh fruit.
3.Try to buy meat from a farmer’s market
in your area or at a grocery store, look for grass-fed meat and dairy products
without hormones or antibiotics.
4.Instead of margarine, try substituting
it with grass fed butter or avocados to have with your whole grains or veggies.
5.When you’re screaming for ice cream,
save calories and fat by drinking a fruit and low-fat yogurt smoothie instead.
6.If you love to savor the crunch, skip
the full-fat chips and try more satisfying crunchy snacks such as pretzel
chips, nuts, or whole-grain tortilla chips.
