How Clean Eating works

Every day is heard more, the term more clean eating or eat clean, but we are all familiar with the movement.

In general terms the idea proposed by this food trend is to eat natural foods, unprocessed or minimally processed foods and avoid refined and processed food in general. The authors and promoters of Clean Eating, communicate the theory that all industrial products are very bad for health and are the main cause of the huge problem of poor diet, obesity, diabetes and other ills afflicting society and continues an alarming worldwide increase.

Nowadays there is still no uniformity in this movement, as each author has his own theory and method, stating that the one proposed is the best of all.

Some focus on only to choose organic products, others in being vegan, or to consume gluten-free grains, we also find those who classified dairy as toxic to diet. If we try to eat completely “clean”, we would find a lot of limitations to eat all food allowed, and avoid all prohibited, and end up with a very restrictive and difficult diet to follow.

It is important to have a nutrition education. Instilling home good eating habits to avoid health problems, perfectly preventable with a healthy, balanced diet, along with a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise.

Clean eating’s proposal has many benefits that we should take into consideration, even when we are not convinced not to try a processed food, the general idea can be considered to increase natural food intake and decrease processed foods.

Some of clean eating tips that would be very beneficial they to adapt slowly in our diet are:

• Consume complex carbohydrates in each meal: vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Half of the plate should have vegetables, can be in salads, steamed, pureed, vegetable salad with fruit or even stew. Other half of the plate divided into two, one with whole grain and the other for lean protein.
• Eat five or six times a day: that is three main meals and two or three light snacks if you need a night snack. This action will maintain the natural rhythm of hunger and satiety and metabolism accelerated.
• Consume protein and / or fats with carbohydrates: this is because, glucose, namely sugar in the blood, rises less when we eat a combination of foods with carbohydrates, protein and fat than if they were only carbohydrates. Fiber-rich foods, also have low impact on blood glucose levels. Avoid sugar spikes helps us maintain a good level of energy throughout the day.
•  Eating organic food: although not mandatory, it is good to consider the environment and support local farmers who grow them. The main benefit of organic food is because is free of pesticides and consume healthier food, direct from the producer to the table.
•  Cooking at home as often as possible: when preparing food in our kitchen, we have control over the ingredients, cleanliness and the quality of them. In addition most restaurants include in their saucers lot of salt, fat, sugar and huge portions. Cooking at home and bring our lunch to work, provides many benefits such as: eating healthier, with better quality, lose weight and improve health.
•  Shop with a purpose: just like eating itself, grocery shopping is based on habits. You likely follow a certain route when you hit the store, so be prepared to start a new route. Bring a detailed grocery list, and stick to it. Avoid buying junk food, so you can skip temptations when you are at home.

The best diet you can do is the one that suits your lifestyle, here are the features to make a proper diet. Remember not to feel guilty about eating a food that is not among the category of “clean”. If one day you consumed cake, chips, pastries, etc., there is no problem because in your daily diet does not consume such foods. In summary, moderation and variety of foods are the foundation of a healthy diet, remember that there is no totally bad food, bad are the excesses.

If we carry out this practice and apply it often, we acquire good eating habits and improving health in the short and long term. 

We can start with small changes in our diet, such as increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, bring healthy snacks during the day, such as fruit, nuts or almonds. Replace soft drinks, juices and processed drinks by natural water and noting that we are feeling better with more energy, will be more motivating to continue making changes in natural products.