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A Guide to Clean Eating

Today, clean eating is a booming lifestyle choice. Basically, this practice involves mindful eating wherein you choose to consume more whole foods and avoid highly processed products. As a result, you’ll learn various ways to enjoy your food without compromising nutrition. However, changing your diet is not an easy task, especially if you’re used to consuming packaged foods. Fortunately, this guide to clean eating will offer some tips to help you in your transition process.

1. SHOP LOCALLY

There are a lot of eating habits from around the world that you can apply when eating clean. One, in particular, is from San Francisco, which is buying locally grown produce. Remember, the healthful substances in fruits and vegetables start to deteriorate once harvested. Thus, purchasing seasonal and freshly picked crops from your local farmer’s market is an excellent way to ensure you’re getting the most nutrients from your food.

2. LEARN TO READ LABELS

Learning to read product labels is one of the most important tips in this guide to clean eating. While opting for whole foods is vital when eating clean, buying packaged foods are still applicable. However, you have to be keen when buying these types of products even those with organic labels. As much as possible, pick food items with fewer ingredients, preferably six and below. Moreover, it is best to avoid products with artificial seasoning, preservatives (propylparaben, BHA or BHT), and high sugar or salt contents. Words like “modified” or “hydrolyzed” in the label mean that the ingredient has undergone additional processing. Thus, staying away from these packaged foods is also beneficial.

3. GIVE CANNED OR FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGGIES A CHANCE

A basic rule when eating clean is to opt for foods with a short shelf-life. But, this doesn’t mean that you should avoid the frozen section of your grocery. You can still consume canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. Remember, these crops are preserved at the peak of their ripeness. Thus, most of the food’s nutrients are still intact even after months. However, checking labels is still necessary when buying these types of products. You should choose canned or frozen fruits and veggies with less sugar and sodium contents.

4. EAT A BALANCED MEAL

Another crucial tip in this guide to clean eating is to eat balanced meals. Some of you may think that consuming leafy greens every meal is enough due to their high vitamin and mineral contents. However, to function efficiently, your body also needs various nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. You can get these nutrients by eating grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. For vegans, you can try various meat alternatives and food combos, like rice and beans, to meet your daily protein requirement. Remember, diversifying your diet will not only ensure you’re getting all the necessary nutrients your body needs but brighten your meals as well.

5. TREAT YOURSELF

Clean eating can offer several health perks for your body. But, choosing this lifestyle doesn’t mean that you should shun your favorite treats or comfort foods. You can still occasionally eat a slice of cake without feeling guilty afterward. Keep in mind that depriving yourself may lead to more cravings. The key is to avoid overindulging. Another great option is to learn to cook your favorite treats and comfort foods. That way, you can avoid highly processed ingredients like hydrogenated oil or high fructose corn syrup.

6. EXERCISE

Finally, the last tip in this guide to clean eating is to be more active. Most of us do various fat-burning exercises to lose weight. But, along our journey, we start to choose healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices. One reason is that most of us don’t want all our efforts go to waste by overindulging on high calorie processed foods. So, it’s not surprising that you’ll opt for a healthier snack, like a lettuce wrap, instead of a burger. Eventually, you’ll start to buy more whole foods and cook your own meals to ensure progress and reach your fitness or weight loss goals. It all starts with your decision to do a fun and enjoyable workout and be more active.

Overall, clean eating is not a diet plan but a long-lasting lifestyle choice. Avoiding your favorite packaged foods is a bit challenging at first, but you can easily adjust, especially when you follow the valuable tips in this guide to clean eating.

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