Keeping it simple: Why 'clean eating' is the new buzzword

In the past few years, ‘clean eating’ has become a buzz word on social media. You will often see numerous great pictures of delicious healthy, low-cal, protein-rich, organic foods and articles and corresponding links on their recipes, their health benefits and why you should incorporate these in your diet. And the internet and social media are helping steer this movement towards clean eating. We asked experts on this concept and how one should go about it.

What is it?

Though clean eating has generated a lot of buzz in the past couple of years, the idea can be traced back to the socially-conscious health food movement of the 1960s in the US and UK, to the growth of organic foods in the 1990s to the last decade’s focus on eating fresh local produce. Clean eating is not a diet,

it’s more of a lifestyle, wherein one consumes foods in their natural state and closer to it. This constitutes avoiding processed, packaged and canned foods, sugary foods and drinks, avoiding trans fats and high-fat foods, reducing salt intake and embracing organic produce, foods that are free of chemical preservatives, additives and food colouring, avoiding genetically modified (GM) foods, etc. Also, limiting alcohol and caffeine, if one is unable to avoid it completely.

The basics

Dhvani Shah, Healing Diet Specialist, FIMS Clinic advises to adopt clean eating as the healthiest way of living. “It prevents degenerative disorders and slows down ageing. It also prevents any physical complications as headaches or bowel distress. However, too much fibre can lead to irritable bowels. Using raw food increases the risk of infections,” she says and sheds some light on the basics on clean eating:

Eat whole: Eat foods that come in their natural form like whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, fish, etc.

Eat simple: Cook food very simply using minimum cooking and spices.

Eat local: Local produce is laden with nutrients best suited for that region. Plus, time lost during transport is lesser, ensuring that you eat the freshest foods. You can also look for organic produce.

Avoid processed foods: Processed and packaged food has chemicals added and is devoid of nutritional value that it only satisfies the palate and.not the body. Avoid flours, bread, biscuits, cold cuts, sauces, jams, breakfast cereals, cheese, butter, etc.

“India has an abundance of fruits and vegetables. It is the land of millets and seeds that can be a part of the clean eating regime. To start with, chuck packaged food and start using fresh herbs and whole veggies in the diet. Besides incorporating salads and soups, consider adding fresh fruits, vegetables juices and salads to your diet. Minimally cook food, for eg. stir fry veggies, steam grains and sprouts. Then gradually cut down salt and oil intake,” says Shah.

How to go about it?

Clean eating is primarily about eating fresh, organic, unprocessed or minimally processed foods, like the concept of eating from farm to the table. Today, the market is flooded with unhealthy foods laden with pesticides. Pollution and lifestyle diseases are plaguing this age, obesity and diabetes have reached alarming levels, all these factors call for clean eating. However, how should one begin clean eating locally, when there’s limited availability, accessibility of organic foods and keeping in mind the fact that organic foods are on the expensive side?

Consulting nutritionist and clinical dietitian, Pooja Makhija offers some advice, “Yes, the availability, accessibility and pricing factors do pose a hurdle for one to embrace clean eating as a way of life. The concept of clean eating is ideal, perfect and it will take a long time for it to become mainstream. However, that doesn’t mean you give up on it completely, you can meet it half way.” She suggests one can start by adopting elimination of junk foods, processed foods, sugary drinks and canned foods. Going/completely organic would perhaps be the last step towards the finish line of clean eating, considering the local scenario.