Clean Eating

While many people are working from home, it seems that working from home comes with its fair set of challenges regarding balancing work and life. Boundaries have been blurred and most are working more than their usual hours, often neglecting their health and family time.

As much as demands have increased during this chaotic time, it is very important – perhaps now more than ever as this may be the ‘new normal’ for sometime – to maintain somewhat of a balance in terms of self-care, maintaining good health and keeping immunity levels up.

During these stressful times and with being at home, food can be a very easy source of comfort and it is very easy to build unhealthy habits by not being mindful of what you eat and snack on.

Understanding the idea of “Clean Eating” – a term based on the book by the same name authored by Terry Walters – might be useful…

The basis of clean eating is consuming primarily whole, unprocessed foods. It revolves around maintaining a balanced and personalised diet of fresh, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. For some, it may also includes eggs, meats, fish and dairy.

When choosing to eat clean as a sustainable lifestyle shift, many advocates cite clearer skin, weight loss, increased energy, stronger hair and nails, improved mental health and even better sleep.

Below, are five ‘clean eating’ tips to incorporate into your daily diet.

1. Keep it whole

Stick to whole foods – those that occur in nature and which are ideally not processed at all or minimally processed so that it still resembles its natural state. Examples include: fresh fruits and vegetables, grass fed and free range meats, dairy, eggs, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Clean eating also embodies minimising on packaging material where possible particularly single-use packaging.

2. Experiment with home cooking

Even though most are exhausted from home cooking and craving that take-out or a meal from your favourite restaurant, you are almost guaranteed a more nutritious and wholesome meal when you cook for yourself using the other principles of clean eating. Foods from restaurants are often higher in sweeteners and salt compared to foods you might prepare at home. It is also often difficult to the know the quality of the ingredients used in a restaurant setting. Keep it simple and build your cooking repertoire as you learn more.

3. Limit refined carbohydrates

Ideally you should attempt to remove or at least reduce the amount of so-called “white” or “refined” foods from your diet. This includes food made from white flour, white rice, maize meal and potatoes particularly if deep fried. Examples of such foods include pasta, pastries, breads, cookies and cakes and needless to say, most dessert items.

4. Maintain consistent eating times and try not to skip meals

Keeping your blood sugar stable greatly contributes healthy food choices. When you wait too long between meals or eat processed or high-sugar-containing foods that spike blood sugar – thereafter leading to a “crash” in energy – you’re more likely to reach for foods high in sugar, fat, or caffeine to keep up your energy. If you continue this cycle of highs and lows, you may feel irritable and exhausted. By eating whole foods every few hours, you avoid extreme peaks and troughs in your blood sugar levels. Additionally, nutritious food choices help support stable blood sugar regulation, which has also been shown to reduce overall inflammation and cortisol (a stress-hormone) levels.

5. Balance your plate

You should aim to get some combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat in every meal. This will create optimal blood sugar levels and as such meals will keep you fuller for longer, they may stave off cravings or brain fog. Some examples of great protein sources include: grass-fed meat, fish, tempeh, and legumes. High quality fat options include avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds – preferably avoiding those roasted in oil and salted. When reaching for complex carbs, try whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat and vegetables like sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts or artichokes.

Making such big changes at one go can be quite overwhelming and often are difficult to sustain. However, by taking baby steps and slowly incorporating small, barely noticeable changes such as replacing a bag or potato chips with a handful of nuts as a snack or eating one cookie less with tea or coffee is a huge step in respecting your body and taking care of your health.