It’s not JUST about how much you eat, it’s about what you eat. Knowing what goes into your body is also just as important. Why use unnecessary ingredients that don’t do your body any good? Don’t get me wrong, I am a self proclaimed foodie and I enjoy my occassional cheesy pizza and buttery croissants but ever since I started on this clean eating journey, the changes I have felt have been nothing but positive. Eating more of clean and natural foods not only helped with my weight but it has definitely left me feeling fresh and at tip-top shape mentally and spiritually.
Losing weight isn’t enough anymore. What’s the point of losing weight at the expense of one’s health? Suppressing one’s appettite? Eating healthfully doesn’t mean deprivation because we need to consume foods that our bodies are designed to thrive on. I started reading the book 80/10/10 by Dr. Douglas N. Graham not too long ago and he highlighted a point which I think everyone should really keep in mind.
“People say “Everything in moderation.” I suggest that foods that are good for us are good only in moderation, but that the foods that are harmful to us should be avoided, regardles of the dose.”
I know how much easier it is said than done. Believe me, I still do have my off days as I was born and raised in a foodie family. But it’s never too late to start changing the way you think and your ways of life. I started eating clean a year ago with not very much study done on whole foods ingredients which did pretty much destroys it all. I was eating very clean with intense workouts but I didn’t exactly enjoy the foods I ate so without a doubt, I fell off the wagon pretty easily. Though I did see results in my body, spiritually and emotionally I wasn’t satisfied.
It wasn’t until I started researching on whole foods and what these ingredients nourish and works well with that I started to find ways to make clean foods delicious and FUN! Sure, I do have my off days but I tend to look forward to getting back on track to my usual diet and fitness regime Who would’ve thought?
Let me make something clear. The society has unmistakenly tainted the word ‘diet’ to be the definition of a restrictive food portions in order to lose weight. “Are you on a diet” is practically what I painfully hear too much of. I’m not on a diet. I’m on a healthy diet. My definition of diet is and always will be the kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats. Sure you may find the other definition in the Oxford Dictionary but I am merely making a reminder of the different definitions of the word ‘diet’.
There are heaps of different kinds of dietary habits that are supposedly nourishing for our bodies. Every body is different and every body has different needs of nourishment. What I’m writing here is basically a recount of what I’m believe works for me, physically, emotionally and spiritually. But I do believe eating clean, as general as it gets, is the one thing that everyone should try to stick to and from there, you can go off to various different tangents of diets that your body will thrive on. Paleo, raw, vegan, pescetarian, octo-lacto, lacto or even fruitarian. I for one am not a vegan but I do thrive on vegan and sometimes fruitarian meals. I enjoy my occasional meats cooked cleanly and I enjoy my raw food as well! There is no hard and fast rule except one that is to listen to your body.
Another misconception is also fruits. Will the sugar in fruits spike my blood sugar levels? Will it make me fat? I can’t eat fruits now my workouts will have gone to waste! I foolishly used to believe that to but Dr Graham highlighted something which made total sense. I’m sure not everyone will agree but each to its own 🙂
Sugar’s Three-Stage Journey Through the Body
To be used as fuel for our cells, the sugars we eat travel a three-stage journey through our bodies.
1. Sugars start out in the digestive tract when we eat them.
2. They pass through the intestinal wall, into the bloodstream.
3. They then move smoothly and easily out of the bloodstream and into our cells. This occurs rapidly, often in minutes.
When we eat a high-fat diet, the sugar gets trapped in stage 2 and the body works overtime, sometimes to the point of exhaustion and disease, in an effort to move the sugar out of the bloodstream. And that’s where the role of insulin comes into play.
There are so much more explanations Dr Graham highlighted on the book and I do recommend those going into a healthier jouney to read up on. It doesn’t mean you have to take on the 80/10/10 diet but it’s an educational, interesting and very eye-opening read. Who knows I might make another post on sugar in fruits alone and how it affects our bodies. Maybe just maybe 😉
Listen to your body. I know I’m still learning and I’m still on a journey onto a better healthier happier self. It takes time and it’s okay to fall. Just get back on the regime that works best for you. It’s not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle choice.
Xx
Yours Naturely 