Clean eating is the number 1 thing we can do to slow the aging process. With so many people talking about clean lifestyle, what exactly does “clean” mean exactly?
Naturally, everyone’s version of clean eating will revolve around taste preferences and sensitivities. But universally, to arm your cells with superpowers, it’s essential to feed your body a diet free from harmful toxins and chemicals. To me, this means organic, nutrient-dense foods, rather than empty calories and processed foods. Personally, I live by a 90/10 rule. 90% of what I eat is for fuel, beauty and health benefits, 10% is for non-guilty pleasures. That doesn’t mean that my 90% doesn’t taste good! I crave fruits and veggies. They are the staples of my diet.
If you want to ensure that your diet is filled with the most clean, nutrient-dense foods, the following tips will help you get on the right track.
- Firstly, choose whole foods groups over previously prepared or boxed foods
- Incorporate lots of deep and brightly colored fruits and vegetables for high vitamin and mineral content
- Cook at home will ensure your meals are packed with only the best ingredients
- Buy animal protein not treated with antibiotics or hormones, humanely treated, wildly caught, grass-fed, free-range will ensure your body does not get overloaded with xeno-estrogens that disrupt our own hormone balance
- Maintain balanced blood sugar levels by avoiding refined sugar, grains and bread
- Practice proper food-combining strategies to optimize digestion. Leaky gut is considered the main source of inflammation in the body.
- Quality over Quantity. “Crowding out” is a great tactic to effortlessly weed out the bad, and introduce more of the good. By eating more nutrient-dense foods, you won’t be hungry for the not so healthy foods.
- Organic is best. Glyphosate, a prevalently used pesticide on US crops that rapidly kills gut bacteria creating dysbiosis. Without an ample supply of healthy bacteria, our immune function is impaired making us susceptible to skin problems, infections and health issues.
Not only will you FEEL great eating a clean diet but you will be providing your body with the raw materials it needs. Whole foods contain nutrients your body needs to optimize cell function and repair mechanisms, boost protein synthesis, protect collagen and elastin reserves, fight free radical damage and boost our immune system.
Live long and look good doing it.
