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‘Clean’ Food ‘Diet’

We have added inverted commas around Clean and Diet as there seems to be a great deal of confusion about their meaning. Which of course the media love. BBC Horizon tonight. Some pundits and marketeers are adding to the claims that ‘clean’ food can cure disease, just because one cook book writer claimed her Clean diet aided her Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. Here is our view:

Over the last 5 million years humans have eaten meat, grains, nuts, fruit and veg. Our body, and gut, have evolved to convert theses foods to energy.(previous blog about the gut here). These foods are now called Clean. (previous blog here), puddings, ready meals and processed bread, etc. That our body and gut are not used to.

Clean Soup

It is obviously better therefore to Eat more of these foods than processed or refined foods, like sugary drinks

A change to ‘Clean’ foods can be a ‘diet’ to lose weight. Or not lose weight but make you feel better. Perhaps if you feel better, with more energy, you will do more exercise and lose weight!

Here are six basic clean food rules

1. As above only eat ‘real’ foods with recognisable ingredients and avoiding processed foods.

For instance, make soup from real vegetables instead of buying the tinned option that will have added sugar, salt and flavour enhancers.

Local, fresh; a better way to shop

2. Keep meals simple, healthy food doesn’t have to mean hours in the kitchen. Just include a source of whole grains, veg, and optional lean protein and healthy fat.

For example, a stir-fry of chopped fresh veg with a little sauce and served with brown rice takes less, time to cook than a ready meal takes to heat up or a takeaway to arrive.

3. Eat slowly, studies show that the faster we eat, the more calories we consume.

4. Eat regular meals to help regulate blood sugar, which will keep you energised and help curb your appetite.

Listen to your body and eat when you’re hungry not when the clock tells you. And stop when you’re full, meaning satisfied, not stuffed.

5. Unlike nearly all diets, clean food recipes don’t include precise amounts, that’s because clean eating is all about getting used to relying on your natural hunger.

6. Only eat good bread: Many Clean food diets recommend avoiding gluten even though humans have been making bread from grains for millions of years. The confusion is coming from the big change in bread making over that last 60 years where modern milling ruins the flour, the speed of proving has been drastically reduced and a big range of additives used.

So where next? Use our Local Food Map to find clean foods, get cooking and enjoy great and healthy food. Simple!

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