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In a world dominated by social media influencers and celebrities who constantly share their daily habits online, you’re bound to run into the concept of “clean eating” eventually. But what exactly does it entail?
From aiding in your weight loss journey to improving your mental wellness, incorporating clean eating into your regular diet can garner many different benefits to your overall health and leave you feeling revitalized.
Clean eating is a fairly new term that has become popularized in recent years by way of social media trends and blogging lifestyles. There is no officially recognized definition of clean eating, nor are clean diets federally regulated in the United States, but that does not mean it is mere conjecture.
Basically, clean eating involves consuming whole foods that are as close to their natural, purest form as possible. Highly processed foods with added sugars, preservatives, and chemicals should be avoided. Foods that are labeled as organic or have a minimal use of artificial additives are the best options for a clean diet.
The overall goal of clean eating is to promote good health and wellness through the food that you eat on a regular basis.
The benefits of clean eating are nothing to sleep on. By simply incorporating clean foods into your daily meals, you will achieve a well balanced diet that is packed with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains that keep you feeling energized throughout the day.
By prioritizing healthier food options, you will feel less inclined to consume unhealthy ingredients that contain unnecessary additives your body needs to spend time filtering out.
There is no official list of food that should be eaten when adhering to a clean diet, but the less processed, the better. When in doubt, try to stick to organic options free of unnatural chemicals and preservatives. Consider the following choices:
Now that you’re familiar with what clean eating is, you must be curious about why it’s so important. There are various health benefits that come alongside a clean diet due to the nature of the food you’ll be eating.
Foods that fall within the clean eating category tend to have a high water content and balanced portions of vitamins and minerals, which improves the overall quality of bodily functions and sustains homeostasis.
A diet high in fiber and antioxidants will promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your digestive system.
You will typically consume less calories by eating foods considered to be clean and free of unnatural additives, so following a clean diet is a great way to boost your weight loss journey even further.
Foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains have been documented to promote good health and lengthen your average life span. Just by adding these nutritious foods to your normal diet, you can reduce your risk of dying from almost any cause by a notable five to ten percent.
To achieve the best effects for your health, prioritize consuming raw vegetables on a regular basis. An increased intake of whole grains is great for reducing mortality rates, too.
With the demands of consumers on the constant rise, much of the food we eat travels an immense length around the world just to be available on the shelf of your local supermarket. This requires a lot of energy consumption and its impacts on the environment are certainly worth noting.
By making the effort to eat seasonal and locally produced food, you can reduce your carbon footprint in the world. A greener planet means a more healthy world for yourself and future generations, which directly affects your quality of life.
While you might not even consider the effects that clean eating has for your head, rest assured that they are there. Consuming a healthy diet packed with essential nutrients will do wonders to boost your overall mood and mental health. If you take care of your mind, you will be able to take better care of your body.
Now that you know more about the world of clean eating, do you find yourself intrigued? If your interest is piqued, then it never hurts to give clean eating a shot to see if it’s the right thing for you.
It might sound like a drastic switch, but clean eating doesn’t have to be a tasteless experience. There are so many foods to choose from that you’ll never be bored by your options, and you might even discover something new!