Chances are pretty high that you have come across the term clean eating rather often. But, do you know what it really means? It’s not a fad or fancy diet, neither does clean eating involve any rigid rules. In the simplest terms it can be defined as going back to the basics.
It works by including certain specific types of food in your daily diet and excluding others. The concept focuses on following a holistic lifestyle, which includes eating the right kind of foods. Incorporating clean eating into your daily life can be an easy thing to do when you keep a few principles in mind. Here are the top 6 clean eating tips.
Top 6 Clean Eating Principles
Making smart substitutions
The first rule of the clean eating club is to substitute unhealthy foods with healthier alternatives. Here is a list to get you started:
Kick out the unrefined foods and embrace whole-grain products.
Processed foods should definitely be shown the door and your kitchen should, instead, be full of natural foods.
Do away with eating 3 big meals a day and substitute with 6 small but nutritious meals a day.
Eat your meals in small portions. Research studies have found that people tended to eat more when provided with larger portions.*
Balanced food
Often, you may come across information that says you should give up on carbohydrates completely in order to become fitter. But, if you are going to follow clean eating principles then you must ensure that all your meals are balanced.
Include all the major and minor nutrients in your diet. As far as the major nutrients are concerned, they are proteins, carbohydrates and fats. All you need to do is choose lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and polyunsaturated fats.
According to the report titled Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition brought out by the FAO and WHO**, body weight can be regulated best with energy balance and macronutrient balance.
Watch what you drink as well
Clean eating also means that you keep an eye out on what you drink on an everyday basis.
This means staying away from carbonated beverages, processed soft drinks and even different kinds of coffee. Choose a tall glass of water, freshly squeezed juice, or buttermilk instead.
Keeping it simple
This is easier said than done but is a rather important aspect of clean eating. When you cook your food, try and ensure that you use fewer ingredients. Cooking a few vegetables with just a minimum of spices and herbs makes it the cleanest possible dish for your body.
So, instead of drowning the natural goodness and nutrients of lean meat or different kinds of vegetables in oil and herbs and spices, keep it simple.
The keyword is holistic
Along with clean eating, try and follow a clean lifestyle as well. Make exercise a part of your daily life. You could also try and de-stress by spending time with family or pursuing a hobby.
Life is not just about work alone so do take off from it every now and then. Book yourself into a spa for a while, take time off for sports, meditation, dancing or anything else that lets you de-stress.
Enjoy your food
Your bowl of salad or a plate of food should be something that you enjoy every time you eat. Try not to sit in front of the television or read a book while you are eating. Focus your attention on every bite that you take and know that all the nutrition is getting into your body and working its magic!
In fact, food should be visually appealing as well. So, even if you are preparing food for just yourself or your family, pay attention to presenting it with love and attention.
Choose healthier and cleaner foods such as honey, agave nectar and so on. So, there you have it 6 principles that you can follow so easily to a fitter you! Also read the Top 50 Vegetarian Blogs of 2013.
