By now you’ve probably heard the phrase “clean eating”, but do you know what it actually is or how to go about using it as a way of eating?
Eating clean isn’t really a new way of eating. In fact, it’s eating in a way that our ancestors did by eating all-natural whole foods.
What Is Clean Eating for Healthy Living
Eating clean is about eating the best and healthiest options in all the food groups while eliminating processed, sugary, and fatty fried foods. The clean eating way of eating means embracing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as well as healthy proteins and fats.
Eating clean isn’t necessarily a diet. It’s more a way of eating. But, by eating this way, you do lose weight and become healthier.
Eating clean is more than eating fruits, vegetables, and salads. It’s about eating food that is whole and in its most natural state.
The average American diet has been filled with processed foods, sugary sweets, and fried fatty foods for many years. It’s led to a nation of people that are overweight, diabetic, and have heart disease.
According to Fitness.gov (Source), the typical American diet exceeds the recommended intake levels or limits in four categories: calories from solid fats and added sugars, refined grains, sodium, and saturated fat.
• Americans eat less than the recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy products, and oils.
• About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet.
• Reducing the sodium Americans eat by 1,200mg per day could save up to $20 billion a year in medical costs.
Healthy eating can reduce the risk of chronic illness and disease including the three leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
• 37 percent of Americans have cardiovascular disease.
• 34 percent of U.S. adults have hypertension, which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease.
• 36 percent of American adults have prehypertension — blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not in the hypertension range yet.
• 40 percent of the population will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. (Source)
And the World Health Organization states that at least 80 percent of all heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes, and up to 40 percent of cancer could be prevented if people ate better, engaged in more physical activity, and quit using tobacco.
That’s where clean eating comes in.
Eating foods that are natural, unprocessed, and whole provides the nutrients you need, without adding extra sugar, or unhealthy fats.
In this series of posts, you will learn what clean eating is and its benefits and you. There are tips for easing into a clean eating lifestyle as well as recipes for getting you started.
What Is Clean Eating?
Clean eating started gaining popularity back in the mid-1990s. Consumers were starting to pay attention to how foods were processed and grown. Health food stores were becoming more mainstream. Today, clean eating or eating clean is a way of life for many people from all walks of life.
Clean eating means everything from eating more fruits and vegetables to eliminating all processed foods. Basically, it means to eat whole foods. So instead of eating a banana nut muffin, eat a banana and nuts instead. It means using foods that have only all-natural ingredients.
One way to replace those processed foods is to make homemade versions. Everything from energy bars to salad dressings can be created with whole-natural ingredients at home. Clean eating recipes can be found for just about everything, from five-ingredient ice cream to homemade baby food and pickled veggies.
Whole, natural foods provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needed for the body to function at its best. Nutrients are the foundation for the structure and function of our body’s cells. The health and the way these cells function is determined directly by what you eat.
Eating clean gives you clearer skin, more energy, shinier hair, and better sleep and moods as well as fewer aches and pains and clearer thinking.
Here are the basics of clean eating:
• Nothing white. No sugar, no white flour (bread, pasta, etc), and no white rice. The only white allowed is white vegetables. Read labels and ingredient lists.
• No alcohol.
• Only healthy sources of fats. Fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and nut oils are perfect. Fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fat are good sources.
• Lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats.
Clean eating isn’t a fad diet. It’s a common-sense approach to eating for a healthy lifestyle. It’s something everyone can do by choosing a variety of whole, unrefined foods as close to their natural state as possible.
Stay tuned for more installments on this important topic, including a shopping list, recipes, and more.
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
Focusing on healthy living, low carb & keto, things I am loving right now, and life in general.