Clean eating is the newest trend in town. And we love it! If we look at Instagram and other social sites, the #cleaneating hashtag shows that the movement has bagged in millions of followers. So what exactly is clean eating and how do we address it? Clean eating is a simple diet strategy of eating nutritious and whole foods and avoiding processed foods. Clean eating is not just a diet. It is also a way of living. You will consume foods in their natural state, devoid of chemicals, and loaded with nutrients – like fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. And you will cut out processed or refined grains, foods with preservatives and additives, salty and sugary foods, and unhealthy fats and proteins.

The benefits of clean eating are plenty. Number one on the list is weight loss. And most guys and ladies dote that! But losing weight is not the only grand thing of clean eating. You will gain good health since the diet includes protein too. If you practice this eating habit regularly and cleanse your system, you will no longer have to count calories. You will get a truckload of dietary fiber (good carbs), lean protein, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals. It will strengthen your immunity and improve your gut function, alleviate constipation, improve the health of your skin, hair, and nails (overall beauty) and you will also sleep better. You won’t just look good but your mind will also feel calm, you will feel revived and energetic and your mental stress will reduce. When all these happen, you will also have more confidence and a better self-esteem. All that happens just by adjusting your diet! We are after all what we eat.

If you want to feel this way and want to begin eating clean, you will need to start by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. In our country, even that’s a trap at times! Many fruit shops add chemicals such as formalin that is toxic for us. Buy from trusted sources, organic sources. You can also leave the fruits such as apples in water for 20 minutes to decontaminate them.

Next, you need to consume unprocessed whole grains. We are talking about whole food. Think of good alternatives such as roti made from brown flour instead of your regular roti and even brown rice, although the latter is hard to locate in Bangladesh. Also have oatmeal, muesli, nuts and other natural foods. You cannot miss out the protein. Whether you are a guy wanting to gain muscle or a girl simply wanting to shed fat, you both need it. Lean proteins like wild-caught fish, skinless chicken breast and beef, mushrooms, free-range eggs, and lentils are ideal. Proteins are the building blocks, and you must consume a serving of protein with every meal. Also, proteins from animal and plant sources will prevent muscle loss.

The most important rule in the book is to avoid processed foods. Avoid all kinds of processed foods, whether it is your favourite Coca Cola can, Pringles chips, or even ice creams and chocolates. Processed foods like sausage, salami, frozen foods, instant noodles, and ready-to-eat foods are a strict ‘no-no’. You should also avoid processed foods like packaged milk, baby spinach, chopped veggies, readymade flatbreads/pita bread, yogurt, cheese, and whole wheat pasta.

Make sure you read the label before buying anything you are going to allow into your digestive system. The more the number of ingredients in a food, the more dangerous it is. While reading the label, if you find more than 10 ingredients, it best to put it back and opt for a substitute that has a lesser number of ingredients. Eat whole and pure foods – that’s the mantra.

The perimeter of any supermarket is where you get all the veggies, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. If you want to eat clean but get easily drawn to packaged food, it is best to avoid taking a round of those shelves. Last but not least, avoid sugar. Sugary foods are where you get all your hidden calories from. Opt for natural sweeteners instead.