Healthy College Lifestyle: Clean Eating

I have heard that people do not eat because the food does not taste as good.  I believe that the opposite is true.  Healthy food tastes good, sometimes even better than junk food.

Clean eating IS NOT the same thing as dieting.  I am not a supporter of diets. A lot of people who diet are looking a long term solution using a short-term inconvenience. Soon after a diet is complete, they go back to their old habits gaining back the weight (sometimes more) they just lost.  People are also more likely to cheat on diets, limiting the outcome.

Clean eating IS watching what you eat and how much you eat.  This is not a blanket statement to start calorie counting (be sure to talk to your physician about changing your dietary habits).  However, if you know too much sodium causes you to bloat, consider reducing your sodium intake.  Many people will also blankly cut fat from their diet.  Polyunsaturated fat is not bad for you but Trans fats are terrible for you.  So before you change your diet, do your research, take a nutrition class, or read a book about it.

Clean eating IS NOT 3 squared meals a day.  Many nutritionists recommend 5-6 small meals a day.  Having 3 larger meals causes you to eat more at one time which is hard on the digestion system.  5-6 small meals also prevent unnecessary snacking.

Clean eating IS eliminating processed foods. Processed foods are EVERYWHERE and they are cheaper than organic foods.  Look for foods without any extra additives.

• BREAD: By definition, bread is processed. This does not mean stop eating bread because your body needs some of the nutrients bread has.  Instead of white bread, eat whole wheat or multi-grain breads.
• MEAT (if you eat it): Look for meat that comes from farm-raised animals and have been not been fed GM (genetically modified) food.
• FRUITS and VEGETABLES: A vast majority of fruits and vegetables on the markets are not genetically modified however you want to look for organic fruits and vegetables because they will contain as few natural pesticides as possible.  Be sure to thoroughly rinse your produce before consumption.

Clean eating IS NOT falling for the "gluten-free" marketing trap.  Unless you have a gluten allergy, eliminating gluten from your diet, because of the process of removing gluten from food, can also eliminate other vital nutrients to your health.  Gluten is a protein typically found in wheat.  Many products advertised as "gluten-free" should not include gluten naturally.