Introduction
According to Mark Roemer, a healthy lifestyle can’t begin without “clean-eating”. If your diet doesn’t have essential nutrients that are free from excessive processing and alterations, it can have side effects on you both physically and mentally. Let’s look at a few ways you can change your diet to consume fresh, minimally processed whole foods and eat clean:
The Strategies
- More fruits, greens, and veggies – Almost every cuisine on the planet is incomplete without veggies. They bring you plenty of benefits in nutrition since they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Moreover, some even contain plant compounds that help your immunity and fight inflammation. A lot of studies link the high intake of fruits and veggies to a reduced risk of severe illnesses like heart disease and cancer. Next time, try to add more fruits and veggies to your diet by:
- Making your salads colorful with leafy greens and including at least three different vegetables as the bare minimum
- Adding chopped apples, slices of orange and crushed berries to your favorite desserts
- Conserving the nutritional value of your veggies. To do that toss them with olive oil after chopping them on the board and refrigerate
- Don’t forget to read the labels – Packaged and processed food should be avoided in most cases. However, if you are short on time, you can buy packaged nuts, veggies, and meat. Make sure to read the labels carefully to check if they are loaded with added sugars, preservatives, or unhealthy fats.
For instance, a lot of brands roast nuts in vegetable oil that can decrease their nutritional content due to heat damage. So, it is better to eat them raw or roast them at low temperatures. If you buy pre-washed salad mixes you may encounter the same problem. So, it is important to read the labels and keep an eye out for additives and preservatives.
- Steer clear of refined carbs – Refined carbs can easily replace one of the items on the menus of popular fast-food chains. The nutritional value in them is scarce. Yet you can easily overeat that over-processed junk. Research also shows that illnesses and health conditions like insulin resistance, obesity, and fatty liver can be traced back to refined carbs.
A better alternative is to opt for whole grains. They are packed with fiber, rich in nutrients, and can also help foster better gut health. If you opt for regular grains, try to go for those that are the least processed. It may be steel-cut oats sprouted grain bread and other such ingredients. However, stay away from white bread, ready-to-eat cereals, and refined carbs of any kind. Here “refined” may as well translate to refined free from nutrients.
Conclusion
Mark Roemer suggests that we all eat clean by opting for food that has gone through minimal processing and is highly nutritious. If you can keep everything fresh, that’s even better. It helps you refine your own pallet and identify natural flavors instead of developing a craving for sugar and salt. The boosted health and well-being are just icing on the cake.