Eating clean, why deprive yourself? It's so good for your health! If Clean Eating and the healthy trend are gradually becoming part of everyday life, to the point of leading to new consumption reflexes, it is useful to remember why it is the basis of health .
Eating clean is not just about preparing pretty girly plates. While it may be appetizing to look at, it is above all our health that benefits from it, both in terms of prevention and its consolidation.
Logical, because the principles ofClean Eating exude health all by themselves!
1- We avoid processed foods.
Concretely, raw foods are simple, healthy , and become "processed" when they no longer resemble what they were at the beginning. Industrially processed, they are enriched with sugars, salts, fats (of poor quality), preservatives, additives of all kinds and thus lose a large part of their nutrients.
Why is it healthy?
Because processed foods are pro-inflammatory and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Conversely, eating simple and raw foods reduces the risk of suffering from these pathologies. The simpler the food, with a short list of ingredients, the easier it will be to digest and assimilate. Simple does not mean poor.
2- We drink water!
In line with limiting sugar consumption, drinking water every day, at least one liter (remember to drink a glass every hour, outside of meals and at night!) limits the desire for sodas and fruit juices. Because while the latter give the sensation of quenching thirst, thirst stops for a short moment. Assimilated by the body like food, unlike water, they do not provide the desired rehydration, both in terms of feeling and results.
Why is it healthy?
Since sugary drinks lead to excess weight, risk of increased bad cholesterol levels and the onset of diabetes, conversely, drinking water limits the risks. Better still, water is considered a clean and transparent cellular messenger , unlike juices and other sugary drinks that carry other "information" from cell to cell, from organ to organ. And if you fall for a fruit juice , prefer them homemade and combine them with vegetables, preferably green, very alkalizing and rich in minerals.
3- We give up refined sugars!
At the very least, we considerably reduce our consumption . In seemingly healthy foods, such as white rice, bread and pasta, white sugar is hidden (more or less discreetly!). Result: by thinking we are eating healthily, we make our blood sugar levels soar. Not to mention pastries (whether industrial or pastry), which are real little carbohydrate bombs.
Why is it healthy?
These sugars, full of empty calories, have no nutritional benefit. No vitamins, minerals, fiber or good proteins, only a risk of weight gain (or even obesity in the long term) accompanies the consumption of refined sugars. Eliminating them is an excellent prevention of pathologies linked to diabetes. By preferring barley or oats to wheat, by swapping white rice for whole or semi-whole rice, by preferring rye or buckwheat bread, we drastically reduce our consumption of well-hidden carbohydrates and we consume complex carbohydrates, with proven nutritional benefits (in particular a protective role for the intestinal flora).
4- We go easy on the alcohol.
A logical consequence of the encouragement to drink water more than any other beverage, limiting your alcohol consumption is one of the fundamentals of Clean Eating.
Why is it healthy?
If for you, a good meal is always accompanied by a glass of quality wine, continue. It is about favoring quality, pleasure and the exception that confirms the rule. On the other hand, strong alcohols and especially chronicity, change the situation. A daily aperitif only provides empty calories, a large quantity of sugar and the alcohol it contains ends up getting the better of the arteries! Alcohol is inflammatory, alters the liver and all liver functions. And since the body is intelligent, it tries to eliminate the excess alcohol as quickly as possible and, being busy with this, puts its fat burning function on hold, which leads to excess weight and fat accumulation (abdomen, especially). Conversely, a one-off drink in a relaxing and friendly setting is good for morale . And if morale is at its peak, the secretion of dopamine and endorphins (happiness hormones) has positive repercussions on the entire metabolism.
5- We read the labels, even if it is written small, small!
Does this food appeal to you? Is it even labeled organic? That's not necessarily a guarantee. Track down labels (like Nutriscore, the NOVA index, etc.) and they'll tell you a lot about what's in your food, whether it's little or very processed. And, even simpler, if there are names on the list of ingredients that you don't know, as well as a series of E's... don't buy the product in question. Unless it's an absolute emergency!
Why is it healthy?
By reading labels, you will become a pro at hidden additives, colorants, salts, sugars and fats. The more you read them, the more you will avoid highly processed foods, the more you will offer your body healthy foods, rich in "useful" calories. Experts advise avoiding over-packaged foods because the simplest, healthiest ones come from the vegetable garden, the orchard, the butcher or the local fishmonger and do not need these sophisticated packagings.
6- Let’s cook!
And that is at the heart of the principles of Clean Eating. Going to the market to choose your fruits and vegetables, your fresh products, allows you to plan ahead for the meals and menus to concoct. It is, in fact, favoring fresh food and avoiding preservatives and other additives. But above all, it is being an actor in what you put on your plate and that of your loved ones, if you cook for your family.
Why is it healthy?
Because fresh, local produce from short supply chains is necessarily seasonal, rich in vitamins and provides the body with what it needs at that moment. Cooking means reconnecting with the needs of the individual, anchored in their land.
7- We support organic locavores!
Logically, if we cook and we choose our food, we buy from near our home and if we push the requirement a little further, we prefer when it is organic . Because organic meets a demanding and precise charter, which excludes GMOs and chemical pesticides (in favor of natural pesticides from plants, for example, the implantation of certain insects, etc.).
Why is it healthy?
What is full of pesticides poisons our cells. So avoid it to preserve your health. The same goes for the choice of meat and dairy products. And buying products grown, prepared, cooked by local producers means anchoring yourself ever more firmly in the land, it means weaving a closer bond with those who embody the network of small producers. It means eating mindfully and that makes our cells vibrate positively!
8- We treat ourselves to a good quantity of fruits and vegetables.
We love them ! They are our main source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and water. Whole (preferably!) or in juice, they provide a whole list of good nutrients that the body easily assimilates thanks to their high fiber content (except in juices, hence the need to combine juice and portions of whole fruits and vegetables).
Why is it healthy?
They are the main shield between cells and free radicals. These are the famous antioxidants that stop the inflammatory process. Thus, by enjoying their virtues from morning to night, by varying their preparation, cooked and raw, we prevent autoimmune, inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Always prefer organic, local, seasonal, washed in white vinegar before consumption. In addition, they are easy to live with. We eat them as they are, without it being necessary to add anything to them. In short, natural, simple, authentic, they have everything to seduce.
9- We add color to our plates!
It's not just joy, it's dietary diversity. And, since each color represents a vitamin or a family of vitamins, the more colorful the plate, the more vitamins there are.
Why is it healthy?
The body does not like chronicity or repetition, because it quickly becomes lazy. If you eat a slice of organic, quality country ham every morning for breakfast, it is interesting from a nutritional point of view but too repetitive and you will end up gaining weight. If you alternate ham, smoked trout, avocado, cheese, mackerel rillettes, etc., you will offer such diversity that your body will draw the right nutrients, burn fat and keep only what it needs for a metabolism in top form. And to complete your color chart, add spices, fresh herbs , seeds, sprouted seeds . In an even more subtle way, you will go a little further in variety.
10- We divide and we enjoy!
Clean Eating suggests eating five to six meals a day, rather than two or three large ones, which are more expensive for the body to digest. In concrete terms, breakfast is important and contains proteins, animal or vegetable, more salty foods than sweet ones (because it is proven that the metabolism is programmed to better manage salt than sugar when waking up). Lunch is also made up of proteins and vegetables. Dinner is the same, but in smaller proportions. But above all, we advocate two snacks, one in the morning at the end of the morning, and one in the afternoon, the famous snack.
Why is it healthy?
Because the digestive system is not over-taxed by large caloric intakes but is more reasonably solicited on several occasions. The intake of water (contained in food), fiber, vitamins and minerals is done in a more linear way, at times when the body needs them, while stabilizing the intake of sugars and therefore blood sugar.
In conclusion, eating healthy is all about benefits. We digest better, we have a boost of energy, we have healthy transit, a healthy weight... In the background, don't lose the connection with pleasure. Eat mindfully, taking the time to look at your plate, to smell it, to hear your bread crunching, then tune in to your feelings to listen to your satiety, because we are too often conditioned by the social rhythm rather than by our own. In two words, Clean Eating is also about listening to yourself. No, no, it's not a bad word, even less a selfish concept. It's vital!
