I first became aware of clean eating some years ago when I overhead health food store owner tell a customer that processed foods are unhealthy because they are packed with preservatives. Shortly afterwards, I met a food distributor who, surprisingly, agreed. Despite tasting good, processed food is unhealthy because of the preservatives used to fight harmful bacteria in, say, cold and cured meats.

 

Preservatives have been found to damage cells in the human body. In some cases, they can accelerate the onset of serious medical conditions such as cancer. When I asked a leading oncologist about the cause of the increasing number of cancer cases, his reply was short and direct: "it is in the food that we eat and the air that we breathe." Clean eating, then, can help maintain good health.

 

I now think of food and eating as a form of preventative medicine, reading the ingredients on the food items I purchase. My preferred choices are certainly clean and organic food, as fresh and as unprocessed as possible. For example, I like to buy fresh, good quality bread that doesn't have a long shelf life because that means it doesn't contain preservatives.

 

Nutrients create the foundation for the structure and function of every cell in our body. Because our body is in a continuous state of maintenance and repair, the raw material for healthy functioning cells comes from our food. We are, quite literally, what we eat.

 

What is clean eating?

Clean eating means basing your diet on fresh, unprocessed foods, eaten as simply and naturally as possible. Instead of eating a banana nut muffin, say, eat the banana and the nuts on their own. The primary principle of eating clean is to replace processed foods with fresh and natural foods that haven't had anything added to them or anything valuable taken away.

In busy households, it isn't realistic to expect to never eat anything that comes out of a jar, box, or bag. But before you buy those jars, boxes and bags, check the ingredient list. Reading food labels is the only way to really know what's in your food. A clean eater chooses foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. That means fewer ingredients, and even fewer preservatives.

Clean eating is about focusing on quality first, and not being influenced by terms like low fat, low sodium, or sugar free that fool you into thinking that a processed food is healthy. Exclude all products made with artificial additives including flavours, sweeteners, colours, and preservatives. Clean eating is about steering clear of foods made from genetically modified organisms, and food treated with hormones and antibiotics.

In short, let the ingredients guide you. Wherever possible, eat organic food to reduce your consumption of foods grown with man-made pesticides and fertilisers. The idea is to replace packaged, processed foods and meals with home-prepared meals made with fresh ingredients.

 

MY CLEAN EATING LIFESTYLE

DR ANTONELLA GRIMA

Medical doctor, public health specialist and nutritionist

Clean eating revolves around the concept of eating food in its most natural, fresh and wholesome form. Fresh unprocessed food is highest in vitamins, minerals and natural materials, such as fibre. Processing and refining food depletes it of naturally-occurring beneficial substances, replacing them with harmful additives such as sugars, salt and stabilising chemicals. Eating clean foods helps prevent obesity, diabetes and hypertension, as well as vitamin deficiencies. It might also help prevent cancer.

The link between the consumption of large amounts of processed meats and the occurrence of bowel cancer has been well-documented. Clean foods might be more difficult to find than readily-available processed alternatives and sourcing organic vegetables may take time. However, getting to know your local farmers and buying produce from them, growing your own vegetables and herbs (it's amazing what you can do with a few pots in a balcony), and preparing and cooking your own meals from scratch can be turned into an enriching experience to be enjoyed by the whole family.

ANITA MULLEN

Founder of GX-1 Health and Fitness Club

My job, which luckily also happens to be my passion, requires me to fuel my body with the right kind of foods. I live my life by the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I eat clean and I allow myself a maximum of 20% for "cheating" which might be a night out with friends or a meal when I don't think about the ingredients on my plate or where they come from.

 

I've studied nutrition and have worked with hundreds of clients over the last 12 years and one thing I constantly find myself repeating is "live consciously". People say "I don't have time, I don't have the money, I can't cook..." They have a million excuses as to why they shouldn't eat clean.

 

But when you ask a sick person what they wish they could change if they had the chance, 9 out of 10 will say "I wish I looked after my health better". We can make time for our favourite hobbies and we can spend money on our favourite brands. So why is it so difficult to eat properly? You can choose to live for today and most likely end up spending your savings later in life on medical bills. Or you can choose to live consciously and look after yourself so your future will be vibrant and healthy.

 

I do agree that nowadays it is difficult to eat fresh, wholesome food. Our grandparents didn't have the choices we have today. They simply ate fresh, local and often organic produce without even having to consider it. Unfortunately for us, the food industry has expanded so much that we don't have the luxury of choosing good wholesome foods all the time. So yes, it might be difficult, but it's certainly not impossible.

 

There are three steps to successful clean eating: prioritise, plan and prepare. Eating is an inevitable part of your everyday life, so choose to prioritise your meals. Plan where you will buy your food and what you wish to buy. Make a list and stick to it and certainly don't go shopping on an empty stomach. That is a recipe for disaster. Then, when your shopping is done, spend time in your kitchen. Prepare yummy home-made fresh food filled with goodness. The internet is full of amazing and easy-to-make recipes these days. We are certainly not short of ideas or step-by-step guides.

 

And finally, avoid anything processed or packaged. Food industry marketing strategies can be very misleading. Be informed. Read the labels and question something that might seem too good to be true. "All-natural", "no additives", "sugar-free" doesn't mean that it is good for you. Good food doesn't need a label or a wrapping. It is what it is. The bottom line is eating clean should not feel like a task. Itt should be something you enjoy as part of your everyday life.

 

JESSICA CAMILLERI

Owner of blog - Thinpact.com

Whilst the principle of clean eating is excellent, it means very different things to different people. To a Paleo dieter, beef steak might be a regular, healthy meal, while a vegetarian would be repulsed by the very idea of it. White potatoes are perfectly healthy to some, while others are more in favour of the sweet potato. I can list scores of foods that are classified as "healthy" in some dieting circles, but are considered a clean eating faux pas elsewhere.

 

What is good for some may negatively affect others. Every body and its individual digestive system responds differently to different food items. For this reason, I feel that there is no holy grail of "clean eating".

 

I believe the first step is to identify which foods positively affect you. This means that they are easily digested, provide slow-release energy and mental clarity and enough macro nutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) and micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals).

 

Secondly, balance is key. While broccoli feeds the body, a biscuit or a glass of wine here and there feeds the soul. I'm an avid believer of the 80/20 rule: be good most of the time and you can allow yourself the odd indulgence without any guilt.

 

Finally, look for foods that have little to no ingredient list and that you can eat as close to their natural state as possible. Anything that went through a complete transformation and is now followed by a list of 30 ingredients should be kept at arm's length.

 

Angelica Micallef Trigona

This year, starting with a detox diet set by a nutritionist in April, I have made a focussed effort to eat clean. I have felt healthier for it and it's shown on my skin too, especially to start off with. I've found it hard to maintain full-time, especially when socialising but even simply from a logistical angle. You need to be well stocked and plan meals in advance. Even though I don't keep it up quite as well as I should, it's worth trying.

 

Debbie Tully

Speaking as a mother, in my opinion it seems that children are being influenced into eating processed foods. Adverts, the media and marketing are possibly the culprits. They are bombarded with adverts and marketing strategies to attract them to food that is processed and prepackaged. I do try as much as possible to buy fresh local vegetables and meat.

 

I remember one time I was preparing a tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes and my son actually commented and wondered why I was not using the canned tomatoes instead of the fresh ones. When I asked him to explain further he pointed out that that is what it says on the advert...to use canned tomatoes.

 

In today's world especially where many mothers work it is not always easy to eliminate processed foods completely and often one cannot do without them. Balance, I think, is key as it is with everything else in life.

 

Elena Micallef Borg

Clean eating has been a way of life for me too. Nowadays I only drink water and herbal teas. Soft drinks, which I was addicted to, are now out of my life. I eat fish (not farmed), corn fed chicken, loads of vegetables and fruit, nuts and dried fruits. I drink lots of water and I am healthy. My motto, thanks to my sister, is "if God did not make it, don't take it".