The problem with most diet plans is that it’s a short term solution that doesn’t yield life-long results. Many people gain back the weight they lost as soon as they return to their normal lifestyle and eating routines. Clean eating is a lifestyle choice that helps us change our relationship to food and how we prepare it, and we can make adjustments that work best with our body type and lifestyle.

Clean eating focuses on getting as close to the source of food as possible. Eating whole foods that come in their natural form is the easiest way for our body to digest its nutrients. Eating packaged or processed foods and leave our body starving for nutrition. This leads to consuming more hoping to satiate ourselves, but in reality we are still hungry. When we rely heavily on processed foods or eating out, the packaged and prepared food is often loaded with unhealthy amounts of salt and other ingredients that are difficult for the gut to process. Food is fuel and the quality of our food matters if we want to feel good and look good too.

The quality of our food not only impacts our physical health, but our emotional and mental health too. Studies have shown the connection between our gut and our brain. Our gut has been called the “second brain” as it’s the home to billions of bacteria that influence the neurotransmitters that carry messages from the gut to the brain. Symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, and even depression can be linked to how we care for our body. Knowing this, eating clean becomes a simple yet sustainable way to maintain mental and emotional health on a daily basis.

Numerous studies have shown that being mindful about the foods we eat can prevent chronic illness and disease. Not only is food fuel, but in the east food is considered medicine. In traditions like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain foods are presecribed to patients as medical treatments and remedies. Roots like tumeric and ginger have been known to provide anti-inflammatory properties and have become popular among modern home remedies. In alternative treatments to chronic diease and illness, clean eating has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The benefits of clean eating are many, but one that is often overlooked is saving money. When we switch to clean eating, we reduce the need to buy pre-packaged snacks and meals. Spending money eating out at restaurants or buying conveniently packaged foods adds up quickly. The average American household spends almost half of its food budget eating out. Out of $6,000 a year on food, around $2700 is spent eating out and $500 on alcohol a year. If you’ve been wanting to save up money for a vacation or something meaningful, consider saving your money by switching to clean eating.