Eating clean refers to a diet plan that concentrates mainly on farm fresh, natural whole foods.
If you ever feel like you eat too much of processed foods or sugars, resulting into that toxic and unhealthy feeling within, then you need to start eating clean.
Clean eating certainly comes with a lot of benefits. Natural foods are rich in useful nutrients that when taken into our body system, keeps us healthy and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Here are 7 easy ways to start eating clean.
- Eat more of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are certainly a healthy start. They are packed with fibers and amazing nutrients that allow you maintain a healthy, optimal body state. They contain plant compounds and minerals that fight off inflammation and harmful toxins while protecting our cells from damage. Eat salads and include vegetables in your diet.
- Drink more of water than other beverages
Let water be your main beverage if you choose to start eating clean. Limit your intake of carbonated beverages and sweetened drinks. Water is refreshing, and keeps you hydrated while promoting healthy weight in your body.
- Reduce your consumption of vegetable oil and margarine
Vegetable oils and margarine are made from a chemical extraction process that isn’t exactly healthy. These artificial trans fat are highly processed and they contain high amounts of saturated fat, which increases LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the body. Opt for minimally processed fats and oils such as olive oil. You can also take foods with healthy fat like fatty fish, avocados, nuts.
- Cut down your intake of processed foods
Processed contain a lot of preservatives and are often short of any nutritive value. They’ve also been linked to cases of inflammation and heart diseases. Regular consumption of processed foods stands as the exact opposite of eating clean. Try eating fresh fruits and vegetables instead.
READ ALSO: Excess Sugar is Bad for Your Health and Here’s Why
- Totally avoid eating refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are highly processed foods that have high glycemic index and studies have shown that a regular consumption of refined carbs can result into obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, and liver disease. Take whole grains instead – they contain healthy nutrients and useful fiber.
- Flee from added sugar
Yes, avoid every form of added sugar if your aim is clean eating. It might however surprise us that added sugar is not only present in foods that taste sweet; we can also find them in our sauces and even some condiments. Studies have associated the high risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, high blood sugar, fatty liver, cancer etc with a regular intake of added sugar. We should imbibe the habit of eating foods in their natural and unsweetened state. It is also recommended diabetic persons completely avoid all forms of concentrated sugar- whether natural or processed.
- Limit your intake of alcohol
When eating clean, it is steer important that you steer clear of alcohol. Overly frequent consumption of alcohol is said to cause inflammation and contributes to the development of several health conditions like excess belly fat, heart problems, liver disease and digestive disorders etc.
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