Wellness with Natalie: Take control with clean eating
Exercise all you want, and I love to exercise! But know that you cannot change your health unless you change your diet. What’s the single most important thing you can do to take back your health? Start by eating less C.R.A.P.!!!
No, I’m not being rude. C.R.A.P. stands for:
C - Carbonated beverages
R - Refined sugars
A - Artificial flavours, sweeteners and colours
P - Processed foods
Eliminating the C.R.A.P. allows you to make healthier choices. Drink more water, consume natural foods that don’t need colours or sweeteners and, if it came in a package, try to do without it. This will allow you to fuel up on whole, CLEAN foods that provide your body with quality calories.
What’s this Clean Eating I hear about so often? Clean eating simply means eating whole, real foods in their natural or minimally processed state. Clean eating is a healthy approach to nutrition, food choices and food preparation. I encourage my clients to reduce or eliminate refined grains (think white rice and white flour), added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats, fried and processed food. A healthy person who eats clean will always choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins and fats over refined and processed foods.
(Image: Red quinoa, courtesy of blairingmedia via WikiCommons)
As an added bonus, when you replace the C.R.A.P. and processed foods with more natural clean foods, you are eliminating or minimising the toxins they contain like artificial colours, flavours, additives and preservatives. Most people who eat clean also avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics and hormones, and choose organic alternatives whenever possible.
Eating healthy, clean whole food can give you more energy, improve performance and mental alertness and allow your body to look and feel amazing! Take the first steps and add more fruits and veggies to your diet. Choose lean proteins and ocean fish (not pond or farm-raised), add beans and whole unprocessed grains such as brown rice or quinoa. Take the first step toward eating clean and healthy, and you’ll soon see a happier and healthier, more energetic YOU!
Originally published by Loop