6 Great ways to "eat clean" and lose more weight
By ATW Nutrition Coaching
Eating 'clean' means choosing to eat your food in as fresh and natural a state as possible
This is (obviously) a better choice for general health and weight loss due to the number of harmful substances and processes to which refined foods are subjected. Eating 'clean' also means that you get loads of healthy vitamins and minerals from your foods – because they aren’t ruined by processing.
Clean eating will help you lose weight and boost your overall health.
Here are six great ways to start adding more “clean” foods to your diet today:
1. Pick whole foods
Looking at the fruit snack bars? Why not get a couple of real fresh fruits?
Looking at the packaged soya mince? Choose a packet of beans or lentils instead.
Got your eye on the chicken nuggets? Rather eat real chicken.
Choose the least processed option. Eat the real thing rather than its man-made approximation.
2. Eat whole grains
Refined carbs like white bread lose tonnes of nutrients and fibre as they are processed. They are also often packed with fat, salt and sugar.
Instead of eating refined carbs, opt for whole grains like barley, brown or wild rice, popcorn, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
Making this change has been shown to make a dramatic impact on health and dieting success.
3. 80% veggies and fruits
A 'balanced diet' should consist of 80% (or more) of fruits and vegetables.
Fresh is best, frozen second, and tinned third (provided there are no additives to the tinned goods).
Fruits and veggies are full of vitamins, minerals, and fibre AND they are cheap too. 10 servings per day is a good number to aim for. Eat up!
4. Avoid or restrict alcohol and caffeine
Alcohol and caffeine are not 'clean' foods.
They are not good for your weight loss because of their effects on your hormones and are dehydrating and dangerous to your health. They are more acceptable in moderation, though. Two or three coffees per day and one red wine or whisky are fine. Any more than that is a bad idea.
5. Reduce your animal intake
Animal products may seem like a 'clean' food source, however, most animal products are produced “industrially”, and to meet demand, they are full of the animals' own intense fear and stress hormones and pumped full of antibiotics, steroids and hormones too.
These toxins make their way onto your plate. Try to avoid or eat fewer animal products, and when you do, try to get locally-farmed produce of which you can trace the origins.
6. Learn to read
Ingredient lists are found on all food products in stores. The problem is, most people don't read them.
Next time you go to the shop, read the ingredient lists of the various sausages and marvel at how little meat some of them contain! Looking at the picture is NOT going to tell you what the box contains.
Read the ingredient list and remember that the items are listed in order of quantity, so if you see weird chemicals, fat, salt, and sugar near the top, then you're buying an item made mostly with chemicals, fat, salt and sugar!