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These 9 tips from a nutritionist will help you eat healthy and clean in 2021

No matter what your resolution for the New Year, clean eating has to be on the list. These 9 tips from an expert will help you achieve this feat.
menopause
Eating healthy and eating light has become an essential part of pandemic. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Dr Archana Batra Published: 3 Jan 2021, 03:00 pm IST
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Everyone loves food! That said, not everyone eats healthy or right. That’s why today I am sharing my top clean eating tips for anybody who wants to get healthy and eat better. 

My definition of eating healthy and clean is simply this: eating real whole unprocessed foods as close to their natural state as possible most of the time.

So you need to eat foods like vegetables, fruits, healthy sources of carbohydrates like sweet potatoes and grains, and healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds.

One of the most important ways of eating healthy is not to jump on the next diet you see; rather, making a long-term commitment to a lifestyle that facilitates it. Wondering how you can do that? Here are nine tips to help: 

1. Allow yourself to be on the journey

When you are a beginner, adopting new lifestyle changes and habits you have to give yourself a little space.

2. Healthy eating is not the same for everyone

You can eat healthy and be a vegan, you can be a vegetarian, you can be a meat-eater, you can be a weight-lifter… you can be whatever you want to be and eat six times in a day. In any case, you will notice that your lifestyle will affect the type of healthy diet you are eating. There is no hard and fast rule, we just have to eat real whole foods, unprocessed food, and foods in their natural state.

intuitive eating
Your body can be your best dietician if you listen to it intuitively. Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

Also, read: Eat these 5 foods for breakfast to boost your immunity and stay healthy

3. Cook more than you don’t

Cooking your own food is the easiest way to eat better, because you are in charge of all your ingredients. So you know what you are eating and what’s going in it. Just make as much as you want but be attentive while using ingredients.

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4. Focus on quality over calories

When you are focused on counting calories you tend to get caught up in feelings of restriction.

5. What grows together goes together

When you buy foods that all are of the same season, they taste good together because mother nature has a nutritious pack ready for you. We never notice it, but things like berries and squash, cranberries and basil that are grown together, taste amazing together.

6. Avoid highly processed foods

Foods that have been processed a lot are not truly fresh. So, when you decide to eat clean and healthy, you must also decide to stay from highly processed foods.

Also, read: Here’s your introduction to intuitive eating and how it can benefit you

7. Stock your pantry and freezer

Keeping some healthy staples in your pantry will be a huge help when time is not on your side. I love to have some healthy things in my pantry like stamens, soups, beans and olives. And in my freezer, you can also find frozen fruits and frozen vegetables.

8. Follow your stomach

So many people have the habit of eating according to the clock or according to diet plans. But that doesn’t mean you kill your hunger. If you feel you are hungry just give yourself a healthy treat.

9. Avoid artificial ingredients

These artificial ingredients are designed to bypass the logical part of your brain and trigger all pleasure points. As a result you want more and more. The result? A host of health problems and weight gain.

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About the Author

Dr Archana Batra is a dietitian, physiotherapist, and a certified diabetes educator. Dr Archana has 12 years of experience in nutrition and diet counseling. She believes in maintaining healthy eating. Her specialization is on weight management diets and diets related to metabolic disorders like diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and hypertension etc. ...Read More

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