Clean Eating & the '80/20 Rule'

Clean eating is a term that took over the wellness world a couple of years back

Though the concept of clean eating has recently gained traction, it’s also associated with negative connotations. Instead of focusing on the term “clean eating”, lets focus on making small, practical changes to your diet. This perspective supports the 'good and bad' foods, which we think is important when it comes to cultivating a wholesome and balanced approach to wellness and food.

Sure, some foods support health more so than others, absolutely. We couldn't tell you that broccoli and Mars Bars have an equal benefit to our health. But it's more about what we do most of the time rather than what we do some of the time, finding a health balance that works for us.

The key philosophy behind clean eating, focuses is on eating nutrient dense whole foods that support your health while reducing inflammation and illness. This means eating an abundance of fresh seasonal vegetables, fish, free-range eggs, nuts, seeds, organic grass-fed meat, wholegrains and legumes.

It's less about restriction, and more about abundance

The foods that don't fall into our definition of clean eating include refined grains, some kinds of dairy, refined sugars and highly processed vegetable oils. This doesn’t mean you have to begin emptying your kitchen cabinets and starting from scratch but rather adding more fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-dense foods to your plate. We don't necessarily always avoid foods that contain sugar, alcohol or other less than ideal foods, but they are the 20% of our of diet.

We don't believe being narrow-minded around this is productive, which is why we like to pair our clean eating approach with the '80/20 rule'. Flexibility is essential for a holistic sense of wellness, and there is so much more to health than what you eat, if you want to enjoy cake or a wine with your friends, that’s totally ok, as long as its not part of your baseline daily routine.

It’s not our intention to suck the joy out of living, but we believe you will see that eating healthy food can be delicious and enjoyable, giving you the greatest amount of energy, health, and vitality to let you live the life you want, and this is what eating well 80% of the time supports.

As you start to include more nutrient dense foods into your life it can be helpful to think of this mantra, “progress not perfection”. Small changes consistently chosen are more beneficial and sustainable than attempting to overhaul your entire lifestyle in one go.

What are the benefits of eating Wholefoods

Managing Inflammation

Wholefoods support our body's capacity to manage and regulate inflammation. Foods that are high in trans-fats, refined grains, sugar, preservatives and emulsifiers can lead to gut dysfunction, poor memory, foggy thinking, chronic aches pains and poor sleep.

You may well have experienced this for yourself, feeling sleepy and lethargic after eating fast food for lunch. 

Inflammation is the body's attempt to heal itself after an injury; defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria; and repair damaged tissue. This is a normal and healthy response, but when we experience chronically high levels of inflammation within our bodies make it difficult to feel happy, healthy, and energetic, and over time can lead to quite serious illness.

Balancing out our Blood Sugars

Wholefoods support stable blood sugar levels.

Because wholefoods have a lower glycemic level, this is the rate at which your body uses the food for energy, you tend to feel more satiated for longer after eating. This can help with cravings and energy, as well as being necessary for managing metabolic conditions such as type two diabetes, along with weight management and changing body composition.

Increased nourishment

Wholefoods, when prepared properly, have a lower level of anti-nutrients, meaning your body is easily able to absorb, and use, the nutrients from your food.

Certain foods can block the absorption of other nutrients when eaten.  For instance, gluten rich foods have been shown to prevent the uptake of iron, calcium zinc and magnesium when eaten alongside foods rich in these nutrients. This means even if you eat a well constructed nutritional diet, your body may not be able to store or use these nutrients if you regularly consume gluten.

Overall wellbeing

A healthy, well-rounded diet is vital to our bodily functions and daily living. It is the cornerstone of wellbeing, physically and mentally.

A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help to reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels. High blood pressure and cholesterol can be a symptom of too much salt and saturated fats in your diet. Eating a portion of oily fish such as salmon and trout each week can also help to lower your risk of developing heart disease, high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are good for heart health.

A diet rich in calcium keeps your teeth and bones strong and can help to slow bone loss (osteoporosis) associated with getting older. Calcium is usually associated with dairy products, but you can also get calcium by eating sardines, or tinned salmon (with bones), dark green vegetables such as kale and broccoli, calcium fortified foods such as soya products, fruit juices and cereals

Improved gut health, the gut is full of naturally occurring bacteria, which play important roles in metabolism and digestion. Certain strains of bacteria also produce vitamins K and B, which benefit the gut. They may also help fight harmful bacteria and viruses. A diet high in fiber may decrease inflammation in the gut, and a diet rich in fibrous vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains provide a combination of prebiotics and probiotics that help good bacteria thrive in the gut.

A high fiber plant rich diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, support the growth and maintenance of beneficial microbes. Certain helpful microbes break down fibers into short chain fatty acids, which have been shown to stimulate immune cell activity. A healthy immune system plays a huge role in fighting infections. The immune system produces white blood cells and proteins to fight and eliminate disease causing microorganisms and toxins. This way, the body gets rid of pathogens before they multiply in the body and cause severe sickness.

What should we leave out or minimise?

As mentioned above, eating a wholefoods based diet is extremely beneficial to your health.

However, what we add into our diet, such as vegetables, whole grains, legumes, meat, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds, is only part of the puzzle. What we leave out is just as important for your health.

Here are three common foods we recommend moving away from as much as possible. Remember that every body is unique. Some other foods, such as dairy and gluten free whole grains will depend entirely on your personal tolerance. It can be overwhelming trying to change everything all at once, so we suggest starting with the three outlined below.

Gluten

For many people grains, especially gluten containing grains can contribute to problems affecting everything from digestion, mood, skin disorders like rashes and eczema, to joint pain, weight gain, migraines and thyroid disorders.

At first, it can be confusing when starting on a gluten-free diet. But once you get into the swing of things, you'll find there are still plenty of far more nutrient-dense, less inflammatory, and delicious alternatives. Foods like starchy vegetables, legumes, fruit and soaked whole grains that do not contain gluten are great options for nourishing your body without the inflammatory properties of gluten.

Refined Grains

Refined grains such as pasta, flour, breakfast cereals, crackers, processed breads and biscuits, spike your blood sugar levels, and are highly processed, often striped of their nutrients. Surprisingly some of our favourite cereals such as cornflakes and rice bubbles are higher on the glycemic index than straight table sugar!

Some amount of carbohydrate, dependent on your own unique genetics, is vital for energy production and brain function. However, you can get all the benefits of complex carbohydrates from whole food sources such as root vegetables, fruit, legumes and soaked gluten free grains. Concentrated doses of refined grains can lead to poor digestion, metabolic dysregulation, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and weight gain. 

Refined sugar

The World Health Organisation (WHO) findings have confirmed what we all knew, we're eating far too much sugar.

On average we are consuming 37 teaspoons of sugar daily! That's 31 teaspoons over the amount recommended by the WHO. Biologically we haven’t evolved from traditional times when the only sugar we were exposed to was fruit found in nature which was highly beneficial for energy and nutrients.

Eating sugar triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, this makes you feel good and want more and more sugar. This is a problem because our bodies are only designed to process a small amount of fructose (a sugar molecule) in our livers. Now, we are bombarded with sugar everywhere from pasta sauce, bread, cereals, fruit juices and tinned vegetables .

Our exposure to processed foods means our bodies cannot keep up and so we store this excess sugar as fat. Too much sugar can affect your mood, your blood sugar control, your hormonal health, fertility, body composition and so much more.

We always like to say it can take time and experimentation to find the right way of eating that is nourishing and enjoyable to you. Ultimately, the right diet for you is one based around whole foods that keeps you the fullest the longest.

Some basic guidelines to eating clean

As a starting point for harnessing the power of food to boost your wellbeing, here's what we recommend to begin with, remember we are all different, you may need to tweak as you learn about your own personal needs and responses.

Include in your '80%':

• Leafy greens

• Vegetables

• Free-range, grass fed meat
  Choose meat that has limited processing, additives and preservatives.

• Free-range, organic eggs

• Fresh herbs

• Raw nuts and seeds

• Herbs and spices

• Fruits

• Cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil or Grapeseed oil
  Use for high heat cooking

• Extra virgin olive oil
  Use for low heat cooking, and drizzling on salads

• Herbal teas

• Whole dairy

• Unsweetened cranberry juice

• Sparkling water
  Add mint and cucumber if you're after something a little more exciting

• Raw honey and other natural sweeteners in small amounts such as, real maple syrup, rice syrup, stevia and dates

Limit to 20%:

• Gluten, wheat and refined grains

• Refined sugar

• Bread, crackers, pastry and wraps

• Potato chips

• Raw or processed soy (except tamari)

• Soft drinks
  All fizzy drinks except sparkling water

• Low-fat processed foods

• Coffee

• Alcohol

• Vegetable oils eg. corn, soy, canola and sunflower

• Packaged food

• Anything with added flavours, artificial sweeteners and preservatives

Starting points to help you on your way

Eat more vegetables and fruits.

Vegetables and fruits are undeniably rich in nutrients.

They’re loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that help fight inflammation and protect your cells from damage. Choosing organic produce can help you reduce exposure to pesticides. However, eating more fruits and vegetables, regardless of whether it be organic or conventional, is beneficial for your health when compared to eating them in limited quantities. Eating a nutrient-rich diet involves choosing foods that are minimally processed and rich in naturally occurring nutrients.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27880063/

Limit processed foods

Ultra-processed foods have been linked to an increased risk of heart issues, so try to limit their consumption. These foods can contain added sugar, artificial colors, stabilizers, or preservatives. Such as salty snacks like chips, packaged cookies, and fast food, which may have undergone chemical and physical processes.

Ultra-processed foods can lack nutrients and may contain ingredients like excess sugar and sodium. Try to limit their consumption.

Read labels

Although the idea behind clean eating is based on whole, fresh foods, certain types of packaged foods can be included, such as packaged vegetables, nuts, and meat. But it’s important to read labels to make sure there aren’t any preservatives, added sugars, or unhealthy fats.

For instance, many nuts are roasted in vegetable oil, which can expose them to heat-related damage. It’s best to eat raw nuts or roast them on yourself at a low temperature. Check the label and choose unsalted when you can.

Limit refined carbs

Refined carbs are highly processed foods that tend to be low in nutrients. Research has linked refined carb consumption to inflammation, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and obesity. Refined grains are inflammatory, as they can lack fiber and other valuable nutrients. Therefore, it’s best to choose minimally processed grains.

In contrast, whole grains provide more nutrients and fiber and may reduce inflammation and promote better gut health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8778110/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25477716/

Choose oils and spreads wisely

Vegetable oils and margarine don’t typically meet the criteria for the original intent of clean eating, as they are produced via chemical extraction, making them highly processed.

Certain oils like soybean and corn oil contain high levels of the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid. Studies suggest that consuming too much omega-6 fatty acids, including linoleic acid, and not enough omega-3 fatty acids could contribute to obesity and chronic inflammation

Although limiting vegetable oils and spreads may offer some benefits, eating a moderate amount of healthy fats is essential. These include avocado, walnuts, and fatty fish rich in omega-3s. Furthermore, olive oil can be a good substitute as it offers health benefits such as helping to reduce inflammation.

 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26950145/

Reduce your intake of added sugars

Limiting added sugar in your diet is vital. However, it’s common and found in foods you might not have thought of, such as sauces and condiments, so be sure to carefully review food labels to help reduce your intake.

Studies show that added sugar may play a role in obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, and certain types of cancer, among other health problems

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8792817/

Substitute vegetables in recipes

You can boost your health by replacing refined grains with veggies in recipes. For example, cauliflower can be chopped finely to mimic white rice, mashed like potatoes, or used in pizza crust. There are other vegetables that offer versatility, such as spaghetti squash, used as a natural replacement for pasta because it separates into long, thin strands after cooking, also Zucchini makes great noodles as well.

Make water your primary beverage

Water is the most natural beverage you can drink.

It does not contain additives, sugars, artificial sweeteners, or other questionable ingredients. Although in some areas, you may have to use bottled water or filter or boil water before consumption. Water can keep you hydrated and may also help you reach or maintain a moderate weight

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/

The bottom line

Clean eating may be a trendy idea, but it also has negative connotations.

It’s better to focus on choosing foods that are minimally processed such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. This way of eating can not only boost your wellbeing, but also help you appreciate the natural flavors of various foods.