Clean eating is a deceptively simple concept. Rather than revolving around the idea of ingesting more or less of specific things (for instance, fewer calories or more protein), the idea is more about being mindful of the food’s pathway between its origin and your plate.
At its simplest, clean eating is about eating whole foods, or ‘real’ foods – those that are un- or minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible.
However, modern food production has become so sophisticated that simply eating whole foods can be a challenging proposition these days.
Thanks to extensive research that has linked eating whole foods with good health, we do know that largely plant-based diets are healthy.
Multiple studies have shown that diets heavy on fruits and vegetables can curb or prevent certain life-threatening conditions and diseases, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Plus, there’s research linking diets high in fruits and veggies to healthy weight management and glowing skin and hair.
Cooking does alter your food, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While it’s true that some nutrients are lost during cooking, like vitamin C, other nutrients are increased when foods are cooked, like lycopene, so it’s best to eat a wide variety of foods, in both their raw and cooked forms.
When cooking food, the focus should be on maintaining the integrity of what you are consuming and avoiding high-fat cooking methods such as deep-frying or stewing in animal or vegetable fats.
When cooking, opt for flash-cook methods such as stir-frying and ones without additives like steaming. For fruits and veggies, raw is best, but steaming is a close second in terms of preserving nutritional value and keeping the food’s natural integrity.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a dieter’s dream, but the pesticide residue on them can keep your calorie-burning machine from performing at its peak.
Pesticides may affect your thyroid’s ability to function and there’s evidence that they also harm the functioning of mitochondria, the parts of a cell that convert fuel into energy.
Government researchers say you need to scrub fresh produce for at least 30 seconds to remove the residue.
You can also minimize your exposure by purchasing organic produce, especially the kind with an edible peel, as well as organic beef and dairy products, because regular cattle feed can contain high concentrations of pesticides.
Each piece of skin contains 69 calories and six grams of fat, so it makes sense to separate it from the breast before popping it in the oven, right?
Not really. The skin locks in moisture, so you get tender, more flavourful chicken for not a lot of extra calories.
Don’t remove the skin until right before serving, and the chicken won’t need as much calorie-rich sauce, salad dressing, or mayo.
The exception, however, is if you’re making a soup or a casserole. The fat from the skin will drain into the dish, so peel it off beforehand.
In order to burn the most fat, you should go 12 hours overnight without eating.
The reasoning behind it is that during the day your muscles use some of the calories you eat for fuel, the rest is stored as glycogen.
Overnight, that glycogen is converted to glucose. Once the glycogen is gone, your liver starts burning the fat cells.
Fasting for 12 hours overnight allows your body the chance to convert the glycogen and start burning fat.
Therefore, if you usually eat your breakfast at 7:00am, try to have your dinner by 7:00pm the night before.
Not all carbohydrates are an enemy. It’s the refined carbs (like white bread, white sugar, and sweets) that you need to avoid.
They seem harmless, but they have been stripped of their macronutrient content and reduced to a simple sugar that your body quickly digests.
The result is, your blood sugar spikes, your body pumps out tons of insulin to get the sugar into your cells, your blood sugar plummets, you feel sleepy, and any sugar the insulin didn’t deal with gets converted into fat.
This access fat typically sits around your belly, which can lead to illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
Complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, help to maintain well-controlled blood sugar levels. Keeping you energized, slim, and healthy.
They are your body’s main source of fiber, giving you energy to keep you perky even during the grey days of winter.
The mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin comes from an amino acid called tryptophan, which is only able to enter the brain after digesting a healthy serving of carbs.
So for your waist’s (and your mood’s) sake, don’t give up all carbs!
Almonds are the perfect healthy snack.
They can help curb your appetite and prevent you from eating too much at mealtimes.
So add a stash to your handbag for hunger emergencies!
1. Fill up on plenty of wholesome, fresh food
2. Try to cook meals from scratch as often as possible
3. Savour food, be mindful of every mouthful that you eat
4. Eat a balance of all food groups instead of cutting one out
5. Avoid eating in front of the TV or at the desk, as distractions can lead to overeating.
Check out the Joseph Joseph TriScale.
The clever and compact scale opens out into a stable surface for bowls and plates, and keeps the screen and controls protected when folded down.
As well as a great example of product design, it is a must-have kitchen gadget. Top marks all round!