X Reasons to Clean Up Your Diet Now
It may not seem like it, but clean and healthy eating is an act of resistance against the status quo. Regardless of intentionality, our store shelves are flooded with unhealthy and artificial products that are making us miserable – and there are some easy steps you can take to avoid them.
Why is clean eating such a powerful act, and how can it help you, personally?
The Benefits of Clean Eating
Let's start by extolling the benefits of clean eating:
· A longer lifespan. It shouldn't surprise you to learn that people who eat a healthy, balanced diet tend to live longer than their counterparts. If you're interested in fighting the system and pursuing your other individual goals for as long as possible, maximizing your lifespan should be at the top of your priority list.
· Innumerable health benefits. It's hard to overstate just how massively beneficial clean eating is for your health. With better eating habits, you'll lose weight, see lower rates of inflammation, have more comfortable bowel movements, and be less susceptible to contagious diseases – and that's just the beginning. As soon as you make the switch to eating cleaner and healthier foods, you'll begin to feel an impact.
· Improved sleep. Do you ever struggle with getting the quality sleep you need? You should know that eating healthier foods on a regular basis can lead to improved sleep patterns. With a balanced diet, people typically get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer, with fewer interruptions.
· Exposure to more food varieties. Conscientiously adjusting your diet to incorporate more foods means you'll get exposure to more food varieties. If you like cooking, you'll get to work with a wide range of different ingredients. If you love exploring different tastes, you may never be culinarily bored again.
· Self-esteem. Eating better makes you feel better about yourself in a variety of ways. It gives you a chance to set and achieve goals, it helps you look and feel better, and it gives you a sense of pride in yourself that you may not have had before.
· Willpower. Similarly, eating healthier can give you stronger willpower. If you can say no to the delicious raspberry donuts in the break room, you can probably say no to almost anything. Cleaner eating is empowering in an intangible, yet noticeable way.
· More money in your pocket. Though some people like to argue to the contrary, the truth is, eating unhealthily is more expensive than eating clean. This is especially true if you commit to growing at least some of your own food. Once you stop going out to eat all the time, relying on heavily processed frozen foods, and dropping absurd amounts of money on sugary junk, you'll have more money you can spend on more important things.
Taking a Stand
How exactly does this count as an act of resistance?
· Grow your own food. Even if you don't think you have a green thumb, you should know it's possible to grow your own food – and you'll end up with much healthier, uncontaminated ingredients as a result. It's also a great way to save money, and it's a hobby that many people genuinely enjoy. Growing your own food removes you from the system, making you less reliant on established brands and powers, and it gives you more confidence in what you're eating.
· Shop with farmers and small businesses owners. If you care about your community, you know it's important to be active on a local and close level. Buying mass marketed products from major brands doesn't help your community, but going to your local farmer's market does. You'll get healthier, better foods by shopping with individuals and small businesses.
· Stay healthy and independent. The healthier you are, the less dependent you'll be on healthcare and medical services. You'll remain strong and independent, which is exactly what you want to be.
· Defy the norm. Finally, consider that clean eating isn't really the norm. There's an obesity epidemic spreading throughout nearly every Western, developed country, and it's partially because most people don't want to think or exercise control over what they're eating. Being selective about your foods and focusing on your health is an act of nonconformity and, in some ways, defiance.
Getting Started
Getting started with clean eating can be challenging, especially if you've had an unhealthy diet for a long time. But remember, you don't have to make a complete switch, and you certainly don't have to do it right away.
Even simple steps, like reducing your reliance on fast food or committing to eating more vegetables every night with dinner, can make a profound impact on your overall health. Once you start seeing the benefits, you'll be even more motivated to make further changes.