You’ve probably heard the buzz around the health food block – “clean eating!” Well, what is clean eating, and why is it important? Clean eating means you are eating things as close to their natural state as possible. This is important because you are eating whole foods that have been minimally processed.
For example, clean eating would mean you choose an orange or an apple for a snack rather than those salty, processed Cheez-its. These processed foods often have an array of chemicals, sugars, salt, and hydrogenated fats that are not healthy for anyone to be consuming on the regular. According to Healthline, just the sugars alone in processed food are known to be contributing to issues such as obesity and heart disease. Did you know that more than 70% of the sodium Americans consume comes from processed foods? Yikes! Excess sodium increases blood pressure creating an added burden on the heart. Too much sodium will increase your risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease. No thanks!
Clean eating can improve your energy levels, improve your cardiovascular health, strengthen your system against cancer and age-related diseases, and just better your mental health!
Ok, we have a grasp on clean eating. How do we do it without sacrificing taste, flavor, and the pleasure of our taste buds? It all comes down to the choices you make. For example, here at Persnickety, we value quality over quantity. Our Southwest Corn Salad is a great place to start: mixed sweet corn, fresh bell peppers, juicy cherry tomatoes, seasoned black beans, fresh avocado, and a dressing of garlic olive oil aioli – YUM! Notice that we use whole, fresh ingredients. An easy way to make sure you aren’t eating processed foods is to check if you can read and easily understand the ingredient list. Our Southwest Corn Salad checks off all those boxes. So do all of our Wellness Shots, Juices & Acai Bowls! Choose from our brain-boosting Citrus Turmeric Wellness Shot, to our refreshing Aloha Immunity Bowl, to the kid-pleasing Mini Acai Bowl, to the muscle-building Fitness Nut Bowl! Made with fresh and frozen fruit, fruit juices, and topped with real fruit, nuts, and coconut – these are a “got-to-try” the next time you are looking for a clean fix!
Cecilia, the owner of Persnickety Crane Cafe, values clean eating, but says, “We don’t skimp on the flavor. Making healthy choices doesn’t have to be flavorless or expensive – that’s our goal: Clean eating made easy and affordable for the 757 community!”
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/clean-eating-tips#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/284722-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-clean/
https://www.livescience.com/
https://www.cdc.gov/