Removing Unhealthy Processed Foods!
Eating clean focuses on replacing unhealthy processed foods with fresh, organic alternatives in your diet.
Processed foods do not contain the nutritional value your body needs to stay healthy and fight off diseases and viruses. Processed foods contain additives that give food more flavor and preservatives to achieve a longer shelf life. That might sound like a benefit, but both additives and preservatives harm your health.
The most harmful effects of preservatives are their ability to transform into carcinogen agents. Many processed foods consist of nitrosamines, a preservative with nitrites and nitrates, which mix with the gastric acids in your stomach and form cancer-causing agents.
Below you will find information on living a clean, healthy lifestyle. You will also find tips for “cleaning up” your diet if needed.
Who Started Clean Eating?
Eating whole foods is a healthy choice and is free from additives or artificial substances and refined as little as possible.
Clean eating gained popularity in 2007 when a book titled Eat-Clean Diet hit the bookshelves, and the author Tosca Reno became a fitness model.
The book focused on an “eat-clean” diet. The author stuck to the diet she shared with the world in her book when she got into shape for a bodybuilding competition. The book’s popularity from the public led to ten more titles, and an Eat-Clean phenomenon began.
Stay Away from Sugar
The first step you must take to an eat-clean diet is to cut out sugar as much as possible. You are eating sugar, which also goes by the name high-fructose corn syrup, Sucrose, Agave Nectar, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Blackstrap Molasses, and 51 other names. Sugar can lead to weight gain and diabetes, among other health problems.
Cutting sugar out of your diet will not be easy. Sugar is in about everything, as well as addictive. Who doesn’t like a little sweetness? Even Processed snack foods sold in supermarkets include sugar. Try to get into the habit of reading the label to view the sugar and salt amounts. Try not to buy anything with over 5% sugar or 5% salt. Sticking to this rule will help in losing weight. It worked for me. If you are in the mood for something sweet, reach for Organic fruit rather than candy or cookies.
(I lost 60lb in weight over a 6-month period by removing sugar from my diet.)
Drink Plenty of Water
Start your morning with an 8oz glass of water. It puts back the fluid lost while sleeping. Plus, your body will thank you for it. When you feel thirsty, reach for a glass of water. It is the healthiest drink to consume. Try to drink at least nine glasses of water every day. I use a refillable Brita water pitcher that I keep in my fridge. It encourages me to drink more water.
Both Soda and sports drinks contain added sugar. Not to mention the acid found in Soda, which softens tooth enamel.
Juicing fruits or vegetables is a healthy drink alternative. For your body to receive nutritional vitamins and nutrients, make sure you buy Organic. Organic foods are available in about every supermarket these days. Organic foods do not contain harmful pesticides that are cancer-causing chemicals and damage the environment.
Read the Label
When I lost sixty pounds in body weight in six months, I did not starve myself. Instead, I religiously read food labels. I ensured that the bulk of the ingredients listed were whole foods and not artificial or processed. Certain foods may say they are “whole” on the label but only made with clean ingredients.
I cut way back on carbohydrates, which is another name for sugar.
Also, make sure you pay attention to your portion size. Eat your food off smaller bowls and plates. Remember, your stomach should be the size of your clenched fist. Stick to this rule, and you will notice significant weight loss.
Clean eating means removing all processed foods from your diet. Substitute with fresh foods that are a healthier choice and benefit your body.
Processed foods last longer. That is true. But what that means is that processed foods take longer for your body to break down. Processed foods are generally high in calories, salt, fat, and added sugar. So, read the label. Even when choosing a healthy packaged salad, read the label. Lettuce, cabbage, Kale are all healthy choices, but what for that salad dressing. It might contain a lot of sugar or salt. Plus, they often contain additives such as flavor enhancers and thickeners so go easy on the salad dressing.
So, the next time you go to the supermarket, buy ingredients from the produce aisle rather than the canned goods aisles. Not only will your meals taste better, but your body will also love you for selecting a healthier choice.
