Actually, there are 'clean content' recipes and 'clean eating' blogs that have been around for a long time but are increasing in number on social media with the pandemic; He made the concept of clean eating very popular.
So what exactly is clean eating? In fact, it has nothing to do with whether the food is clean or dirty. Simply put, the purpose of this diet is to consume as little packaged and processed products as possible. The main idea here is to consume foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Clean eating is not a diet that you can follow for a few weeks to lose weight, but rather a lifestyle where you choose foods that are minimally processed and contain no artificial sweeteners, food coloring or other additives.
Eating clean is actually not difficult at all. Individuals who embrace this lifestyle say they see many benefits, from increased energy to a significant reduction in common skin problems such as acne. You can easily incorporate this philosophy into your life with the following 9 methods.
1 – Consume More Vegetables and Fruits
As we all have heard, heard and known many times, vegetables and fruits have countless benefits, healthy foods. It is full of many compounds such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. In fact, many large observational studies have linked high fruit and vegetable intake to a reduced risk of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. . If you want, you can take the work one step further by choosing organic ones and contribute more to your health.
To add more fruits and vegetables to your life; You can consume salads at every meal, cut fruit into your salads or add fresh fruits to your snacks.
2 – Limit Processed Foods
Clean eating literally means consuming foods in their natural form as much as possible, directly processed It's a lifestyle versus food. Most packaged and processed foods remain very low in nutritional value and do not contain enough fiber. In fact, most of them are sugar, glucose Because of the addition of various chemicals and additives, the syrup is both an empty source of energy and can cause various diseases.
Therefore, individuals who want to eat clean should avoid processed foods as much as possible.
3 – Gain Label Reading Skills
Today, even if we want to buy vegetables and fruits, we can encounter them in a packaged form in the markets or we may have to buy foods such as nuts, meat and legumes in packages. Therefore, we must know how to read the labels of the products we buy here. We must ensure that there are no preservatives, added sugars or unhealthy fats (eg trans fats).
To maintain a clean eating lifestyle; Read labels to make sure packaged produce, nuts, meats, and other foods are free of questionable ingredients.
4 – Avoid Refined Carbs
Not all carbs are the same. Many foods that are high in carbohydrates are healthy and nutritious. But refined or simple carbohydrates are not. Refined carbohydrates are also known as simple carbohydrates or processed carbohydrates. We can list them as follows:
Sugars (Sucrose – table sugar),
High fructose corn syrup
Agave syrup
Refined grains (these are grains that have been stripped of their fiber and nutrients. The largest source is white flour made from wheat)
For more information on carbohydrates: Complex Carbs etc. Simple Carbs
Refined carbs are stripped of nearly all fiber, vitamins, and minerals. For this reason, they can be considered “empty” calories. They are also quickly digested and have a high glycemic index. This means that they lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after meals. Every nutritionist agrees that refined carbohydrates should be limited.
Sources of refined carbohydrates in our diet;
- White flour
- White bread
- White rice
- Pasts
- Fizzy drinks
- Snacks
- Pasta
- Desserts
- Breakfast cereals
- Added sugars
These are too many they are highly processed foods that are easy to eat in large amounts but provide little nutritional value.
To maintain a lifestyle with a clean diet, prefer whole grain bread instead of white bread, not adding sugar to your tea or coffee; It will be a good start.
In this section, it is useful to enter the added sugar part. Added sugars should also be avoided for a clean diet. If you're wondering how to tell if packaged foods contain added sugar, pay attention to the following names on their labels: glucose syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, grape juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, maltodextrin.
Well, inside. Where do the added natural sweeteners fit into this issue?
It's okay to occasionally consume foods such as honey and molasses added to packaged foods, but if you really want to eat clean, use natural sweeteners occasionally or avoid sugar altogether.
You may be interested: 5 Facts You Should Know About Sugar
5 – Avoid Margarine and Some Vegetable Oils
Margarines and some vegetable oils are produced through chemical extraction, which makes them high renders it processed. Therefore, they do not meet the criteria for clean nutrition.
Despite increasing awareness of the artificial trans fat content of foods in recent years and efforts to limit the use of individuals, trans fats still continue to pose a public health problem. Some margarines and spreads, in particular, may still contain small amounts of trans fat, and many studies have linked artificial trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease.
Although a clean diet discourages all vegetable oils and margarines, it's important to consume enough healthy fats. These may include oily fish, nuts, and avocados. However, if avoiding vegetable oils altogether will be difficult for you, you can at least choose olive oil.
6 – Limit Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol can be added by adding yeast to crushed grains, fruits or vegetables and allowing the mixture to ferment. makes. However, frequent alcohol consumption promotes inflammation and is associated with liver disease, digestive disorders and a It has been shown to cause a number of health problems, such as excess belly fat
Minimize or eliminate your alcohol intake while following a clean eating lifestyle.
7 – Avoid Packaged Snacks
Crackers, muffins, and similar snack foods are typically refined grains; contains sugar, vegetable oils, and other unhealthy ingredients. These processed foods provide very little nutritional value. To avoid consuming these items when you are hungry between meals, have healthy snacks such as nuts.
8 – Take Care of Your Water Consumption
Water; Contains no additives, sugar, artificial sweeteners or other questionable ingredients. By definition, water is the cleanest beverage you can drink. It should be your main beverage when following a clean eating lifestyle.
Unsweetened coffee and tea are also good choices and provide various health benefits, but caffeine sensitive people may need to moderate their consumption.
9 – Raised Animal Meats Consume
Clean eating in addition to fresh, unprocessed foods; This includes choosing food that comes from ethically raised animals.
Livestock is often done on crowded, unsanitary factory farms. Animals are often given antibiotics to prevent infection, and hormones such as estrogen and testosterone are injected to maximize growth (6). Moreover, most cattle on industrial farms are fed grains rather than natural grasses. Studies show that grass-fed beef contains higher levels of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats and antioxidants than grain-fed beef
Factory farms also generate large amounts of waste, raising environmental concerns. Ethical production is often better for your health and the planet.
This diet not only improves your health, but also helps you appreciate the natural flavors of food. It also supports sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly food practices.
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