At Integrative Cardiology Center of Long Island, we want all of our patients to live the healthiest lives possible. Sometimes, to achieve this, all that is needed are a few simple changes to your diet. Eating clean comes with many benefits, and it is not hard to do once you know enough about it. If you want to start eating cleaner but are unsure where to start, our team has the answers you need!
What Is A Clean Diet?
Before providing tips on what changes you can make, you must understand what a clean diet is. Eating clean is one of the best ways to lead a healthy life. Think of your body as a high-performance vehicle — It needs specific, high-quality fuel to perform correctly. While eating junk food on occasion is fine, making it a regular habit can lead to some problems. That is why when you commit to eating clean, it is essential to create a diet that consists mostly of foods in their natural state.
Tips For Eating Clean
Now that you know what goes into a clean diet, you should know what you can do to improve your diet. Eating clean can be difficult, especially if this is your first time giving it a serious try. To help you achieve this and live an overall healthier lifestyle, we recommend that you focus on the below:
- Limit the amount of highly processed, packaged foods you purchase when grocery shopping.
- Examine the ingredient list on any packaged or pre-prepared foods that you buy — It should be on the shorter side, and you should know what every ingredient is and be able to pronounce them!
- Cut back on consuming foods with large amounts of added salt.
- Base most of your diet around foods in their natural form like fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes, oats, etc.!
- Meal prep healthy meals for the week so you won’t use not having time to cook as an excuse to eat fast food or other highly processed items.
When making your diet cleaner, you should not look at it as going on a diet, but rather as a lifestyle change!
The Benefits Of A Clean Diet
By following the previously mentioned tips for eating clean, your body will soon begin to thank you. There are various benefits associated with cleaning up your diet, and knowing what they are will likely increase your desire to make changes to your diet. Examples of some of the most prevalent benefits include:
- Managing your weight/shedding off a few extra pounds.
- Increasing the strength of your bones and teeth.
- Improving your mood and energy levels.
- Reducing your risk of heart diseases.
- Improving blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
- Increasing your brain/mental health.
Contact Us Today
When beginning your journey of eating cleaner, do not feel bad if you need assistance at first. Here at Integrative Cardiology Center of Long Island, our team can help create a healthy diet catered to your body’s specific needs. To learn more about how we can help you, be sure to contact us today!