If you feel like you need a fresh start with your diet, you’re not alone. Whether you’re feeling fatter and sluggish after Christmas, or you’re just having one of those weeks where you just abandon wellness in favour of convenience, it’s time to clean up your diet and take control of your wellbeing! Below, we’ve got a seven-day clean eating challenge that can help you on your journey to a healthier diet but, don’t worry, it’s not as strict as it sounds.
‘It’s easy and the payoffs include skyrocketing energy, weight loss, better control over your appetite, and even better looking skin,’ explains registered dietician Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, author of S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches. ‘You don’t have to stick to a strict meal plan—we know that’s not realistic for everyone. Instead, we’ve outlined five simple rules to follow…You’re free to pick and choose your favourite recipes or create your own (as long as you stick to the rules).’ A diet plan where you have the freedom and control? Sounds like a winner to me! Try implementing the following five rules for just seven days, and see what a difference it makes to your diet and overall wellness.
1. Eat whole foods only: Rule number one of this challenge means that you need to ditch your blueberry muffin in favour of eating oats and blueberries in their whole forms. Sass instructs, ‘When you eat packaged foods, only buy brands that contain “real food” ingredients—ingredients you easily recognise, can pronounce, and would use to make a “from scratch” version in your own kitchen. If a food contains even one ingredient that makes you think “huh?” skip it, at least during the clean eating challenge.’
2. Keep meals simple: ‘Delicious, healthy food doesn’t have to contain a lot of ingredients,’ Sass asserts. ‘Keep your meal ingredients to a minimum—just be sure to include a source of whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat at each meal. For example, veggies and shrimp stir fried in sesame oil over a bed of brown rice seems restaurant quality but can be whipped up faster than takeout.’
3. Eat more slowly: If you grew up with brothers and sisters, you might have learned to eat quickly to stop irritating siblings nicking the food off your plate. However, you’re not in survival mode anymore, and eating slowly and mindfully has been proven to help with weight loss. To help you eat more slowly, Sass advises, ‘Put your fork or spoon down between every bite, and focus on the flavours and textures of your food.’
4. Schedule your meals and stick to your routine: Not only does this mean eating your meals at regular times; you also need to schedule in your snacks so you don’t stray off the path. ‘Try not to let more than about four hours go by between meals or snacks,’ Sass recommends. ‘Steady meal timing helps regulate your digestive system, blood sugar and insulin levels, and appetite.’
5. Listen to your inner compass: Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will attest to the fact that you need to pay attention to what your body is telling you. So often, we binge on unhealthy foods not because we are hungry, but because we are bored, sad or simply not paying attention. Sass urges, ‘Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full, meaning satisfied, not stuffed…get used to relying on your hunger and fullness cues to tell you when to stop and start eating.’
