Clean eating is one of the latest trends for people trying to lose weight and those who are health-conscious and concerned about what’s really in the food they consume.

They’re right to be worried. Food labeling can be confusing and even deliberately misleading. There’s also all sorts of conflicting information about eating this, not that, and foods that sound healthy are often anything but.

With the rise in obesity and in Type 2 diabetes, particular attention is being paid to the sources of sugar in our diets in an effort to cut down, if not steer clear completely.

Studies have shown that the average North American eats around 22 teaspoons of sugar each day. The American Heart Association recommends only 6 teaspoons for women and 9 for men. In terms of clean eating, therefore, it means tracking down and eliminating the main sources of sugar in your diet.

Packaged foods

Cake, cookies, candy, and other dessert-type foods are the obvious culprits for both sugar, and a lot of chemicals, so they should be the first to go when you start clean eating. If you are going to eat dessert, it should be made from all-natural foods and eaten sparingly, with strict observance of tight portion control.

In fact, many people who start a clean eating regimen begin with sugar detox because research has shown just how addictive sugar can be. It creates a rollercoaster of sugar highs and lows, alters the mood, and increases cravings.

Those who have a sweet tooth tend to be emotional eaters who grab sugary treats when they are stressed, bored, or want to ‘reward’ themselves in some way. Think about the foods we eat on birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions and you will get an idea of just how common it is in society for sweets to be used as a reward.

Healthy foods that really aren’t

A Nature’s Valley granola bar sounds like the perfect healthy snack until you read the label and see how much sugar, salt, fat, and calories it has it. Make your own trail mix with raisins, craisins, and almonds. It will be better for you and probably even cheaper pound for pound. Use fruit for desserts, such as apples and berries. 

Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes

Clean eating means eliminating these from the diet. It, therefore, means learning how to make your own salad dressing, ketchup, and more. Read most food labels in the store and you will find these as part of the ingredients. They might be disguised as dextrose and flavorings, but they are usually sugar and trigger cravings.

Try clean eating with a view to cut artificial sugars, and see what a difference it can make to your health, start by dropping that cupcake and cut out sugar and/or opt for a low-carb diet and see what a difference it can make to your brain health. You are sweet enough as it is. So if you feel you want to be able to have a bite of cake, without artificial sugar then you’ll want to try the Ditch the Sugar to Better Health 7Day Challenge, cause it’s got your name all over it, written in chocolate buttercream frosting:-)

I believe in you – You’ve got this!

xoxo Ilanit BS, CPT, CNS