All the rage right now in the healthy living and diet world is an approach to food called Clean Eating.
Clean eating is this: Eat whole foods as nature made them, avoiding packaged foods filled with preservatives. You buy fresh food and cook “from scratch.” It’s really not radical at all. In fact, it’s probably the way your grandparents or great-grandparents ate.
Pamela Mathews, MD, Psychiatry, follows a clean-eating flexitarian diet, choosing a diet heavy on fresh fruits and vegetables and light on meat. She largely avoids packaged, processed foods, refined flours and refined sugars.
“We’re treating things that can be prevented with good nutrition.”
Dr. Mathews discusses the many health benefits of clean eating and a return to natural foods.
Benefits of Clean Eating
Dr. Mathews says that people who eat fresh, natural foods, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, with little or no animal protein—including dairy, are at lower risk for:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Type II diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Osteoporosis
- Some cancers—especially colon, prostate, lung, breast
“We have an epidemic of poor nutrition in this country. One in seven dollars of our GDP is spent on healthcare. We’re treating things that can be prevented with good nutrition,” says Dr. Mathews.
Dr. Mathews suggests people switch to a diet that’s not focused on animal protein or refined flour or sugar.
“Our cravings result from not eating nutrient-dense foods. By eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts, we’d receive more minerals, fatty acids and phytochemicals,” says Dr. Mathews
Dr. Mathews recommends following these steps to better eating and improved health:
1. Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
- Buy fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables; when needed, use frozen and canned (unsalted)
- Incorporate raw and steamed vegetables into daily nutrition plan
Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat to Live, suggests eating a pound of cooked and a pound of raw vegetables daily, Dr. Mathews notes.
2. Make the Switch to Whole Grains
- Avoid processed flours
- Select whole grains for your breads, pasta, cereals, etc.
- Whole wheat
- Brown rice and wild rice
- Rolled oats or steel-cut oats
- Pearled barley
“When you’re buying bread, buy whole-grain breads with other flours that are ground. It’s better to use things that are minimally processed,” Dr. Mathews suggests.
3. Avoid Processed Sugars
- Don’t choose sweets with refined sugars
- Candy bars and hard candy
- Cookies
- Cakes
- Sodas
- Select natural sugars for your family
- Fresh fruit
- Honey
Dr. Mathews explains: “When we desire fast energy, we crave sugar. Centuries ago, people sought out fruit, which is naturally good for our bodies. Now we seek simple carbohydrates such as sugar, which may provide a fast energy surge, but quickly degenerates into a cycle of craving without supplying the nutrients your body needs. A much better choice would be fruit, such as dates, or unsalted, unroasted nuts or seeds.”
4. Reduce the Amount of Meat You Eat—Or Go Meatless
- Eat meat only three times a week (rather than daily), if at all
- Choose lean and organic (if possible) meats:
- Salmon
- Buffalo
- Grass-fed beef
- Turkey
- Recommended serving size of meat is 2-3 ounces (the size of a deck of cards)
“When you reduce your meat intake, be sure you get enough DHA and B12. You can take supplements for DHA and B12. Bean sprouts and inactivated yeast (nutritional yeast) are rich in B12. Good non-meat sources for protein are beans, quinoa, hemp, soy, lentils, seeds, nuts and vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli,” advises Dr. Mathews.
5. Focus on Good Fats—Omega3 and Omega6
- Eliminate saturated fat from your diet
- Don’t eat fried foods
- Don’t buy fatty cuts of meat
- Broil, grill or steam your meat and vegetables
- Eat nuts, seeds and fish to get your fatty acids
Dr. Mathews says great sources of Omega3 and Omega6 are sunflower and pumpkin seeds, flaxseed and salmon.
For more information on healthy eating as a lifestyle, Dr. Mathews suggests these books:
- Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD
- Foods that Fight Pain by Neal D. Barnard
- Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier
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