HOW TO EAT CLEAN

5 min readMay 6, 2018

What exactly is Clean Eating?

Clean Eating is not a diet, but a way of living, a sustainable lifestyle shift. There are no strict rules or guidelines in Clean Eating, and it can mean different things to different people. Clean Eating is very much based on our bio-individuality and personality, and also on our lifestyle and budget. However, the core of this movement is very clear, straightforward and and simple:

Consume primarily whole, fresh, unprocessed foods. Avoid processed foods and reduce your exposure to chemicals, hormones, and highly processed ingredients.

A simple advice from us: avoid processed foods, but don’t obsess over it. Feel free to indulge from time to time and eat a few cookies, some chocolate-chip ice cream or milk chocolate. Just try to do it occasionally, ingulge in moderation, and stay motivated to quickly go back to your clean eating habits.

Do’s and Don’ts

Here are some foods to consume when on Clean Eating:

fruit
veggies
whole, unprocessed grains and legumes
healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado oil, etc.)
superfoods
some grass-fed and free-range animal proteins, such as fish, seafood, chicken, turkey and eggs

Foods to avoid:

refined carbohydrates and grains, especially white food (those made from white sugar or white flour)
processed fats
highly processed foods and junk foods such as chips, processed baked goodies, cereals, etc.

Benefits

Here is just a small part of the amazing benefits of eating clean:

clearer skin
weight loss
increased energy levels
stronger hair and nails
improved mental health
better sleep

Tips and tricks on how to practice Clean Eating successfully:

Stick to whole foods.

Eat natural, fresh, wholefoods. Those usually don’t come in packages. Anything that comes in a flashy packaging is usually not a healthy option. Also, read the labels thoroughly as some foods that are labelled healthy might be full of sugars, processed grains and fats, and might actually be some of the unhealthiest foods that you could choose.

Eat primarily home-cooked meals

Home cooking is an essential key to your optimal health and wellness. Learning to cook a few simple dishes is also the ultimate act of self-care and self-love. It is also a great way to balance your dishes and control what’s in them. Restaurant food is usually higher in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, than the food you would cook yourself at home.

Limit refined carbohydrates

Reduce the amount of white foods. This includes all standard desserts containing white sugar as well as refined grains (like white rice) and foods containing white flour (like pasta, pastries, and bread).

Eat regularly

Maintain consistent eating times and trying not to skip meals is essential for clean eating. This will help youkeep your blood sugar stable which greatly contributes to healthy food choices, better overall health, reduced inflammation and controlled mood swings.

Balance your plate

Think about the balance between proteins, carbohydrates, and fats at every plate. This will create optimal blood sugar levels and may stave off cravings and brain fog.

Emphasize on the quality, not the quantity

The clean eating approach emphasizes quality over quantity — not all calories are equal.Whole foods fill you up and fuel you, whereas empty calories — like those found in chocolate and cookies — give you a quick boost of energy but often lead to a crash and hunger shortly after. When you stick to whole foods, you’re much more likely to keep your caloric intake at an appropriate level for your body and maintain a healthy weight as a result.

Keep it simple

Eat simple, but nutritious meals. Don’t go too crazy or fancy. A bowl of pumpkin soup or a salad with some quinoa and oven-baked salmon with tahini dressing are simple, yet clean options.

Make adjustments

Clean eating is about choices. It has to fit your lifestyle and budget. Remember that Clean Eating is not a diet, so you can make changes and adjustments, and create your own rules and guidelines. This is what makes eating clean so easy to sustain. If buying exclusively organic food is simply too expensive for you, than go for farmer’s production. If this still doesn’t fit your budget, or you don’t have the time to look for farmer’s markets around the city, than it is still ok to buy commercial production. It’s better to eat fresh, unprocessed food, even if it’s not organic, than not to eat real, wholefoods at all.

To help you start a Clean Eating routine we are sharing our Clean Eating grocery list. Just print it out and use it the next time you are doing your weekly shopping.