
There has been a huge health movement on clean eating with various diets and lifestyles. There is more fake food on the market now than there has ever been in history. The truth is knowledge is always power.
My grandparents did not grow up in the fast food generation. My grandmother cooked food from her urban garden in Jamaica, Queens New York. She also lived until she was 101. She wasn’t vegetarian, and she did make the most amazing coconut cake from scratch, but she believed in preparing real food.
We are bombarded with more frozen, packaged, and devitalized foods now than ever.
Sodas have been approved by the FDA without even disclosing the full list of ingredients to customers. Preservatives, dyes, chemical flavors, and synthetic sweeteners are added to everything. At the same time our country is in a serious health crisis.
The medical and pharmaceutical industry is big business, and diet is almost never the culprit for our ailments in the medical field. Most doctors do not train in nutrition. We are so quick to look at genetic dispositions within our family not even thinking twice that most families eat a similar diet. How many medical bills and health scares are enough before we wake up? Why are we trusting an industry which manipulates statistics and research in favor of making more money?
Clean eating isn’t hype at all, but an investment in your health and your beauty.
Clean eating doesn’t cost anymore than the accumulated amount of money spent on fast fashion, excessive skin/hair care, expensive makeup palettes, and hair extensions. I know because I used to buy all of these things. If you have access to a farmer’s market and purchase produce by the box, you will save so much money as well as have an abundance of real food stocked up. Shopping the bulk section in your grocery store will save you money too since you won’t be paying for the packaging.
In an article on healing acne, I had a reader ask how long she would have to eat healthy for clear skin. My answer was that it becomes a lifestyle. A clear complexion is one of the major benefits.
Eating a whole foods nutritional diet doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless. I would be insanely miserable if it did. The truth is that when you feel and see the results of eating clean, going back to processed foods isn’t as appealing as it once may have been.
I have moments when I fully indulge though too, yet I reap the benefits just like my husband’s hangover today.
For my brother-in-laws birthday lunch, I gladly ate a whole vegan pizza by myself instead of choosing the quinoa salad. It was six large slices by the way. I also eat a cupcake or piece of cake on my birthday despite having given up refined sugar years ago. I love samosas and sweet potato fries so I get my fried fix as needed. Even when I binge on sourdough bread, I get back to my gluten-free senses and jump back on my clean eating bandwagon.
Here are 10 reasons I eat clean…
1. Unquestionably amazing blood work when tested
2. A clear complexion without hormonal breakouts
3. Thick healthy hair without excessive hair shedding
4. Vibrant energy
5. Mental clarity
6. No need to hide behind my DIY Foundation anymore
7. It tastes good and is so colorful
8. Making a smoothie for breakfast is easier and more nutritious than pancakes
9. The excitement preparing new dishes
10. I feel incredible physically and emotionally
I love eating whole organic foods, and I love investing in my health for my future. I started becoming my own nutritionist and using CRON-O-Meter to help with this process a few years ago. If you’re interested in seeing simple tasty organic recipes or even my favorite smoothies definitely check them out.
Never look to beauty products and supplements alone especially since eating a highly nutritional diet makes even more of a difference.
(Image by Dawn Michelle)
CG says
Yes! It is all about finding that balance in life and so much of it does start with food. Just last night I had a sliver of quiche — real, buttery, cheesy quiche, not some paleo concoction — and it was so great in that moment. Just enough to satisfy the urge. However, I left feeling that that was enough, and I still woke up thinking about the big kale salad I’m making for lunch today! After you make the shift to eating clean full time/most of the time, it really is hard to go back.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi CG,
Balance is important. I think when you begin eating clean long enough, when you do indulge in something it is almost impossible to go overboard. Have a great weekend!
A. says
Dawn, I simply love your blog.
I would like to suggest a post about clothing and which fabrics are the healthiest for the body etc, since it’s all about what you eat and about what stays on your skin and this is something your blog made me realize.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi A,
This is a great suggestion. I will say natural fabrics such as organic cotton and hemp are great starters. I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying the site too. Have a great weekend!
Stephanie L says
Dawn,
I have to ask, have you watched the documentary “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”? This documentary focuses on a man who eats clean for 60 days and cures his health issues, looses a lot of weight, and overall reverses some awful things that were happening to his body. It is on Netflix and I found it easier to follow than Hungry for a Change because the man the documentary follows is so personable, funny, and you can see his progress week by week as he goes through the 60 days. I just loved it.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Stephanie L,
I have seen that documentary! It really is good. I’ve watched a bunch of health documentaries over the years. I sometimes watch them again to stay inspired.