Simple Steps to Clean Up Your Diet
By Sara Butler
You’ve probably heard the term “clean eating” tossed around among people who are health conscious, but what does that mean? Well, clean eating isn’t really hard to understand, it’s simply a different way to look at the things you put on your plate. When it comes to clean eating, the focus is on whole foods that are fresh, and keeping the highly processed foods far away. Here are some tips to help you clean up your eating habits.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
This one should come as no surprise since fresh fruits and vegetables are the cornerstones of a nutritious diet anyway. These foods are full of important vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function optimally and have fiber that helps you to feel fuller for longer, too. Several long-term studies have found that eating more fresh fruits and vegetables has a direct impact on your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.
When it comes to clean eating, you can’t get any cleaner than a fruit or vegetable that is washed and eaten raw. Some tips to help you with your fruit and veggie intake include:
- Get color and variety in every meal
- Add berries to your breakfast or on a salad
- Use herbs to add flavor, without the calories, to roasted veggies
Avoid Processed Foods
The more a food is changed and processed, the less healthy it will be. Most processed foods have lost their nutrients and fiber but picked up chemicals, sugars and other things you want to avoid in your diet. Processed foods have been associated with increased risk of developing heart disease as well as chronic inflammation. Worst of all, they take less energy to digest than whole foods, meaning you won’t feel satiated after eating them and are more likely to overeat. It’s best to just avoid these foods completely as much as you can.
Read the Labels
Foods labels are there to help you, so make sure you look at them. If you’re trying to eat clean, you need to look at labels in order to make sure the foods don’t have added sugars, preservatives, or unhealthy fats. Even foods that seem healthy, such as prepackaged salad kits, need to be looked at carefully in order to avoid ingredients you are trying to stay away from.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.