Complete Guide to Clean Eating Patterns

Complete Guide to Clean Eating Patterns

Have you ever heard of a clean eating diet or have you already done it? Is it true that this one diet is really good to do and has no harmful effects? Read more in the following review.

What is clean eating?

Clean eating is an eating pattern whose purpose is not only to lose weight, but also to regulate the way of life and the choice of food to consume.

The clean eating diet first appeared in 1960, but only became popular in 2007 by Tosca Reno who published a book entitled "Eat Clean Diet".

The basic principle of this diet is to eat food from fresh ingredients that do not go through a long cooking process such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat meats, healthy fats, and whole grains.

Processed foods that go through a long processing process such as snacks, candies, or frozen ready-to-fried foods are avoided. In addition, those who have a clean eating pattern do not eat packaged foods such as sausages and even sauces.

In essence, you should try not to eat foods with preservatives or contain additives. This principle is not without reason. The benefits of avoiding these taboos have been proven in a Food and Nutrition Research survey.

The study proved that the body of people who eat fresh food is able to spend more calories when digesting food. In other words, the body's metabolic rate in digesting food is higher than people who eat processed foods.

This can prevent you from obesity and various degenerative diseases that can arise due to excess calories and fat in the body.

In addition, clean eating is said to be able to lose weight, increase energy use, improve sleep quality, make skin and hair healthier, and improve mental health.

How to do clean eating?

Below are tips for those of you who want to start trying to live a clean eating diet.

1.  Choose fresh food

As already explained, the main key to this diet is of course eating fresh food and going through a good cooking process. For example, instead of eating fried chicken nuggets, it's better to eat chicken breast that is steamed or grilled.

Likewise, if you want to eat packaged apple pies, just eat the apples directly instead of eating foods that have been added to sweeteners and dyes.

2.  Increase fiber consumption

You don't have to be a vegetarian if you want to do clean eating. However, one of the principles introduced in clean eating is to increase the consumption of fiber nutrients in one day. Of course, fiber is obtained from eating fresh vegetables and fruits.

Both types of food contain lots of fiber and minerals that can help protect the body from cell damage.

3.  Choose complex carbohydrates as a staple food source

People who do clean eating are usually recommended to consume 1200 to 1800 calories, depending on weight and height. This relatively small number of calories is intended to help lose weight.

Therefore, often eat complex carbohydrates and high in fiber, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, brown rice, and so on. In addition, along with eating foods that are high in protein to withstand hunger longer.

4.  Read the nutritional value of each food

One of your tasks is to find out the nutritional value information labels about the food products you will choose on the packaging. Instead, do not consume foods that have more than one additive. Also pay attention to the sodium and sugar levels in these foods. Clean eating strictly limits the consumption of sugar and sodium. Although it varies from person to person, the daily sodium limit for adults is between 1,300 – 1,700 milligrams.

If you eat too many packaged foods, you may exceed the sodium limit that the body needs per day.

5.  Regulate portions and meal times

The key to losing weight is not only in the choice of food, but also in the number of portions you eat and at regular meal times. The recommended portion in doing clean eating is dividing the meal times and eating 6 small portions in one day.

Eating small meals but often will keep you from feeling hungry. This is because the process of digesting food continues to be carried out by the body.

6.  Drink enough mineral water

In a day, the recommendation to drink water can be as much as two to three liters depending on each body. This amount is equivalent to 8 to 13 glasses. To find out the exact amount, adjust the need for mineral water with your body weight.

In addition to keeping the body well hydrated, drinking water and avoiding high-calorie drinks will make it easier for you to lose weight.

Is doing clean eating good for the body?

The principle of clean eating is actually almost the same as the principle of balanced nutrition recommended by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. And, indeed, people have long been encouraged to do what is called clean eating. Regulating portions and meal times, avoiding processed foods that are high in calories, reducing sugar and salt, consuming lots of fiber, and getting enough water are a series of procedures that are also included in balanced nutrition guidelines.

However, the principle of clean eating that must be avoided is taking supplements as additional nutrients. The body does not actually need supplements every day. If you can eat fresh food in portions as needed, these foods can meet your mineral and vitamin needs.

In addition, if you really want to lose weight, you should first consult with the right health professional such as a doctor or nutritionist. This step is important so that the target you want can be achieved more easily and avoid you from eating habits deviation.