Podcast - What Really Is A Clean Diet?
The topic of diet and nutrition can be one of the complicated areas of health to follow because of the tribalism that exists around different eating plans and all of the conflicting opinions that exist.
Unfortunately diet is not an area of life where there is clear cut consensus on anything. There are merits for each, but any one particular diet is not going to work for everyone – so I don’t believe we should be stubborn in our beliefs because of that – there is never a one sized fits all approach to anything.
Whether it be vegan, paleo, Mediterranean, keto, raw food or anything in between, the most important thing to realise is that your diet/eating healthy is a lifestyle. In other words, it’s not something that should be temporary which goes to the Greek origins of the word DIET, which means “manner of living”.
So if your diet is a way of life, I believe that any drastic change you choose to make…you need to ask yourself, can you see yourself doing this for life. Is this something you can realistically embrace for the long term.
And if the answer to that question is NO, then my advice would be not to worry about it…and I say this, because the idea of a diet or lifestyle is not to feel handcuffed, it’s to feel functional and free!
Now, do specific eating plans or temporary detox diets have their place – yes, but only as a tool to help you get on track, not a lifestyle. But you need to be careful that the plan or protocol is not to foreign or drastically opposite to what you’re doing now, because the chances of that protocol or plan adding true value to your life long term won’t be good – because you’ll feel handcuffed, deprived, constrained and like you’re punishing yourself…and this is not a productive or healthy place to be.
Far better, to make constructive, smaller sustainable changes towards a cleaner diet first, and then the leap to something temporarily drastic like 2-3 day or extended fast will be far less challenging.
So, a clean diet definitely has certain attributes – it’s built on high vibration foods, low inflammation foods…it’s a robust, dependable diet that is built on a basic framework that is easy to intertwine into your life as a lifestyle for the long term.
A clean diet centres around whole natural foods that are minimally processed, without additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients.
So, here are 10 quick features of a “clean” diet in my book:
Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – seasonal, locally grown – either organic or spray-free if you can. Eat a piece of fruit in the morning and aim to fill half your plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner (in the form of salads or sauteed, baked or steamed veges) which are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants
Whole grains – my favourites are oats, quinoa and rice with the occasional piece of whole grain or sour dough bread. But whole grains give you sustained energy, minerals and essential dietary fibre
Quality Proteins – Although all whole foods contain some form of protein, the best plant sources are tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils and legumes. And if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, you can also include organic, free-range eggs and grass fed, hormone-free meats and wild caught seafood
Good Fats – not all fats are created equal. The best fats are monounsaturated fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocados, raw nuts and seeds. Also, a healthy diet can incorporate a small amount of saturated fat from high quality sources such as full fat organic dairy and eggs, grass-fed meat, cold-water fish and also coconut oil.
Limited Processed Food – this should go without saying, but in a world where so many of the foods around us are laden with chemical additives and preservatives, it needs to be emphasised. The easiest way is to limit packaged foods, but more specifically since some packaged foods are additive-free, you just need to get used to glancing at the labels when in doubt. Make this a habit when you shop for food and you’ll easily avoid or greatly limit processed foods in your diet.
Avoid Processed Sugar – this is a big one. There’s really no place for processed or refined sugar in a clean diet. It spikes blood sugar, causes fatigue, is the main culprit or obesity and diabetes and it’s highly addictive. Processed sugar is common in packaged cereals, muesli bars, soft drinks, sports drinks, candy etc. Far better as part of a clean diet to choose natural sweeteners such as raw dark chocolate, raw organic honey, raw dates and fresh, ripe fruit such as bananas, melons and berries
Portion control – whilst I’m not a believer in control counting because it focusses on quantity rather than quality when it comes to food, there is basic reality that if you consume considerably more calories than you burn, your body is going to store that excess energy as fat. So with this in mind, you just need to pay attention to how much you eat in a common-sense way. Most people overeat for too main reasons:
They’re not nourished because they don’t eat high quality whole food
They’re emotionally addicted to eating and give it no conscious thought, as soon as the clock says it’s meal time they eat regardless of whether they actually feel like eating or not!
The reality is if you’re following the first 6 steps, eating a clean diet, you’ll be a lot more satiated, meaning you’ll be less hungry and you’ll naturally adopt portion control because intuitively you’ll only eat when you feel hungry (which is how humans are meant to eat)
Moderation & Balance - A clean diet doesn’t mean you need to live like a monk. It’s about embracing a framework around food that serves you for the long term. It’s about what you do 80% of the time, it’s about sustainability, simplicity and balance and it’s about developing a healthy long term relationship with food. So, think in terms of moderation and balance. If you want to have an ice cream, a glass of wine or beer, or go out for dinner and enjoy yourself then do it. So long as you have a mindset that is built around moderation and balance you can live by a clean diet principle.
Hydration – your daily water intake is one of the most important aspects to health and a clean diet. Your body and brain are made up of around 75% water which needs to be replenished every day for healthy body function and to enable your body to flush out toxins through the channels of elimination, such as your digestive system, urination and the skin. Drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day, but aim for more. Start your day with a big glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice or dash of lemon essential oil and a pinch of sea salt. Drink salt after your morning walk or workout and then take water with you wherever you go throughout the day. Do that and you’ll easily achieve that 2 litre minimum.
So these are the principles of a clean diet in my book. Remember, a clean diet is nothing temporary, it’s a robust, common-sense framework that should allow you to feel free, unconstrained and that should serve you for a lifetime.
I hope you got value from today’s episode. By the way, if you haven’t yet gained your free access to my online Rock Solid Wellness video course, go to my website zanetruscott.com and claim your access there for you to watch at your own pace and time.
Until next time, stay strong and live well.
