It came from the minds of the detox creators and has been growing as a food trend. Clean eating has been a recurring theme in the media around the world over the last few years.
The main guidelines of this method dictate that our diet should be based only on the consumption of organic and unprocessed foods, avoiding, whenever possible, added sugars (choosing natural substitutes for sweetening), consuming healthy fats, drinking water and cooking with traditional non-aggressive techniques.
As this concept is a true return to the past of food, clean eating proposes cleaning our body, in order to eliminate everything that is processed food. The fundamental issue that this style of eating takes into account is the path that the food took to reach us.
This dietary pattern, focused on fresh, whole foods, presupposes an easy and pleasant lifestyle, as long as the general guidelines are followed, always looking for maximum nutritional benefits.
Where to start?
Therefore, if we want to move towards this new concept in our lives, we must start by eating more vegetables and fruits. Loaded with fiber, vitamins, plant compounds and minerals that help fight inflammation and protect cells against external damage, these foods are associated with a reduced risk of several heart diseases. Because they can be consumed in their raw state, most fruits and vegetables represent the best choices for consumption.
Choosing organic products can help us make our diet “cleaner”. To incorporate a greater number of fruits and vegetables into our diet we can start by making our salads more colorful, including three different vegetables and adding chopped apple or orange slices to our favorite dishes.
On the topic of eliminating processed foods (opposite to the healthy lifestyle we aspire to, due to the fact that they have been modified from their purely natural state) they have lost most of their nutrients. In order to follow a lifestyle that fits into the clean eating register, it is important to know how to read labels, to make sure there are no preservatives, added sugars or unhealthy fats; avoid using highly processed vegetable oils and opt for olive oil; and avoid added sugar in any form.
This is a type of diet that represents a way of eating that not only increases our health but also helps us enjoy the natural flavors of food, as well as supporting sustainable agriculture and environmentally sound eating practices.
