Healthy Reasons to Start Eating Clean

While the term itself has left dieticians and consumers alike confused about what it really means, “clean eating” generally refers to a diet that’s more on eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and less on processed foods and meats. Clean eating isn’t a diet but rather a style of eating that emphases the quality of the food you eat and not the quantity. https://jilliesblog.com/what-is-clean-eating-2/

Clean eating nourishes your body with healthy and nutrient-dense foods. Clean foods fill your body with plentiful vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein and healthy fats, which improve heart and brain health, assist with weight management, build a stronger immune system and increase energy levels, among other benefits. Foods in their natural state have more flavour.

It’s from this that different interpretations start to take off, such as Paleo, dairy-free, or even complete vegan, which allows for absolutely no animal products of any kind. But whatever your way of getting there, here’s why you should make the change and start eating clean:

Examples of food in a Clean Diet

• Fresh fruit
  Apples, bananas, blueberries, grapes, oranges, strawberries, 100% fruit juice
• Vegetables
  Avocados, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onion, peppers, salsa, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
• Lean meats/protein
  Dried beans, eggs from grass-fed chickens, fresh fish, grass-fed chickens, plain nut butters (no sugar added), unflavored nuts 
• Grain (cereal) foods
  Those made with whole grains, air-popped popcorn, oats, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta
• Dairy products
  Cheese, milk, plain yogurt, unsweetened nondairy milks

1. Fruits and vegetables are naturally cleansing
It should come off as no surprise that fruits and vegetables can be cleansing in how they help eliminate the stored fat and toxins in your body and provide the nutrients your body needs to perform its various everyday functions.

2. You get to lose the weight 
Exercise is great, but it’s by no means the only way for you to lose that extra weight. In fact, even without the workout, you can still shed those pounds just by swaping sugar for a healthier option and switching to a high-fiber diet loaded with vitamins and minerals.

One of the joys of eating foods that are close as possible to being in the form that nature gave them to us, is that your body tends to thrive and stay slim almost effortlessly! While there is no guarantee, clean eating is a much healthier option.

3. You’ll enjoy your food more
You’ll end up learning a lot of things when switching to a diet of fruits and vegetables: cooking and food preparation, and actually enjoying every meal.

Aside from eating more fruits and vegetables, eating clean is also all about eating with purpose and savoring every bite. This lets you actually take the time to taste everything you put in your mouth, and lets you form a better relationship with your food.

4. It makes you feel more energetic
Your digestive system has to break down what you consume into nutrients and energy, but when you don’t get the right food, your body’s stores will deplete quickly and you end up feeling exhausted more often. This also results in poor hormonal health and brain fog.

But the good news is that you can avoid brain fog, regain that focus, and start feeling healthier by making the right dietary choices – and that means eating clean.

5. Faster Recovery

You will find on a healthy diet your workouts are easier and your recovery time is cut down too.  This is in part because of the minimized inflammation in your body, but also because of all the great antioxidants you are getting from your food. 

6. Stronger Immune System

Anytime you’re consuming processed foods and sugar, your immune system has to spend energy protecting against what you’re putting in your body, leaving very little energy left to protect against illness. A clean eating lifestyle leads to a bolstered immune system that is more efficient in combating diseases and viruses. If you do get sick, your body will have more resources to recover quickly. 

7. Less Cravings for Junk Food

Your body is naturally cleansing and detoxing, your organs are more efficient in cleansing your body. You will find that you have less cravings for junk food than you did prior to starting your clean eating diet. In a sense, you’re totally reprogramming your relationship with food in a positive way.

8. Cooking is Easier
The easiest way to eat clean? Cook your own food. That way you have total control over your ingredients and can be certain that your meals are indeed clean. Cooking also helps you avoid items that are advertised as healthy but are not. For example, many healthy juices found at grocery stores come loaded with sugar and cheap ingredients. It’s far better to buy your own ingredients to blend delicious juices.

9. Healthy Food Swaps(examples)

• Instead of coffee creamer use a homemade, low sugar creamer. … 
• Drink sparkling water, green tea, or kombucha instead of soda. … 
• Try oatmeal, chia pudding, or a yogurt parfait instead of sugary cereal. … 
• Choose a healthy or homemade granola bar.

If at anytime you are concerned about your general health or diet contact your family doctor to discuss your general health and dietary goals.