2 Easy Ways to Implement Clean Eating in Your Diet
If you’re looking for a way to feel more vibrant and healthful, then clean eating is something you will likely want to try. It is recommended to start small and target slow changes into your daily routine. This will help you to not feel overwhelmed, and will start your path to clean eating feeling successful and motivated.
Here are 2 easy ways to start your journey towards clean eating:
Kick Your Sugar Habit
To have an almost instant effect on your daily eating habits and your overall health, try to cut back on — and eventually eliminate — artificial sugars from your diet. You will find that your energy will stabilize and your mood will be consistent once you are able to level out your natural blood sugar level and eliminate spikes from unhealthy additions in your diet. Some sugar substitutes to try:
- Instead of sugar-laden coffees and teas with syrups, opt for natural warm drinks and add a drop or two of liquid stevia.
- Avoid sodas and fruit juices, and instead try water with different fruit and herb infusions.
- Opt for natural dark chocolate (70% or higher) for a sweet kick that also offers antioxidants and nutrients.
- If you love baking, try sweetening with pure applesauce or maple syrup, or explore the benefits of agave, date, or coconut sugars instead of refined white sugar.
- Everyday ingredients like salad dressings, condiments and marinades are often so full of sugar that we don’t even realize how much they’re impacting each meal. Replace bottled dressings and condiments with your own concoctions — often a simple oil and vinegar will do the trick.
Choose Green & Organic
When you eat more leafy greens like kale, spinach, lettuce, and collards, you’re adding healthy doses of vitamins A, C and E to your system, along with lots of fibre which helps with digestion and speeds up metabolism. Clean eating means avoiding refined and processed foods whenever possible, and eating clean natural ingredients. This is especially important when choosing your produce, so if possible, aim to eat organic foods to decrease any chemicals from entering your body.
- Get creative with salads – add fresh organic fruits, nuts, seeds, and other toppings to make each salad unique and tasty.
- Have fun with smoothie recipes, a great way to add greens to your diet without the traditional salad.
- Try new greens that you’ve never experienced before; bok choy, rapini and arugula are just a few options that you may surprisingly enjoy.
- If you eat meat regularly, try cutting back and dedicating 2 meals each week that are meat-free. Most recipes you make can be just as delicious when omitting the meat component! When you do opt for meals with meat as the star, ensure you know the source of the meat and purchase hormone-free options whenever possible.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of clean eating; we promise it’s easier than you think! If you begin with small additions and easy swaps, you’ll find that you will get closer to being the healthy and vibrant you that you’ve always hoped for.