You’ve heard from friends or maybe you’ve read online how clean eating can be good for your health, and you’re thinking of trying it. The problem is that you don’t know what it is or how you could get started with this diet. Well, the following guide will help you get going.
What Exactly is Cleaning Eating?
First, you need to learn what clean eating is. At the core, the idea behind this fad diet is that you’ll be consuming foods as nature intended. You are going to be focused on eating whole foods.
Many of the foods people eat on this diet are raw but not always. Now, it is important to point out that there are variations, like how some folks believe they should exclude gluten or grains while others avoid eating dairy products. You can always grab a clean eating cookbook to get you started with some recipes.
What Should You Avoid on This Diet?
Yes, there are some people who avoid eating dairy or other things just mentioned, but avoiding these types of foods is more of a choice. There are many people who are happy to eat flour though they do soak the flour the night before to make it easier on the body.
There are other more pressing foods you cannot eat if you are going to be practicing clean eating, which includes foods that are heavily processed or processed in an unnatural way. For example, those who are clean eating are more than willing to eat sugar as long as it is natural, such as raw honey. Coconut palm sugar is also popular; these are minimally processed versions of sugar, which is more of a whole food.
As a rule of thumb, you want to do your best to avoid foods that are in boxes, cans, or packages because these are probably too processed, like chips or cookies. You also want to avoid ready-to-eat foods, too. All of these foods are usually filled with saturated fats and preservatives and other unnatural ingredients.
How Can You Start Clean Eating?
Most folks buy heavily processed foods without even blinking an eye. This is one reason why making this switch can be a little difficult. No need to worry about this; the following are a few tips to help you get started:
Stop Eating Out
For the most part, the foods you purchase at fast food joints are heavily processed and would definitely work against your plan. This is not to say that you won’t find any good options, like if you find a raw juice bar, but it is a little more difficult to stick to your diet if you eat out often.
Use a Service
One of the easiest things you can do is use a clean eating service. There are a number of online dieting services online that help you figure out meals, grocery lists, and help you save recipes. The catch here is that you are going to be looking for a service that can offer clean eating meal plans along with other clean eating-centered services.
Partner Up
Another good idea is to consider working with a partner. If you already know someone who is clean eating, then talk to this person. See if he or she can mentor you from time to time. If not, you can find folks online who are more than willing to help you get started on this journey. The people who work in health food stores are usually well-versed in diets like these, so you can also ask them for recommendations.
Could You Eat Like This On a Budget?
Clean eating means you’ll be asked to buy things like raw honey, fermented foods, organic products, raw cheese, and other similar food items. These foods are pretty expensive. It would be an injustice if you couldn’t eat healthy simply because you don’t have the money.
What you are going to have to do is simply learn to bargain shop. For one, you’ll always find food items in the discount section in many stores. You should also consider fermenting your own food, which is pretty easy and cost a fraction of what it would cost if you bought these times at the store. Think of visiting farms to buy some of these foods, and consider buying food in bulk.
Hopefully, this guide will help you get started on your healthy diet. Try to take all of this in. It is an opportunity to experiment because it really is a new way of eating.
Thanks for the advice. I also agree that one of the biggest hindrances of choosing healthier food options is the cost. I guess I am fortunate that we have a farmer’s market near our home where I can get fresh fruit and vegetables at a lesser price.