I’m a firm believer in eating for health and how it can improve your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Clean eating has been the buzz word for health professionals and self-confessed gurus for a couple of years now and for once I’m going to agree with them.
When you’re not eating well, it can make you feel tired and lacking in focus, concentration and motivation. Clean Eating is a movement towards eating less processed, refined foods and more whole, real foods that nourish and support your body. It’s about making sure you are not just fueling your body but providing it with the nutrients it needs to function optimally.
As a business owner, you’ve probably fallen into the trap of not taking breaks and stopping for lunch, eating at your desk and propping yourself up with sugar and caffeine (even I did for a while). But here’s the difference that eating clean can make to your ability to run and grow your business.
More energy to get through the day
When you eat clean it balances your blood glucose levels, which keeps your energy levels consistent throughout the day. You feel more satisfied by the foods you eat and fuller for longer which means you’re not getting the mid-afternoon slump which has you grabbing for coffee and chocolate to get you through the rest of the day.
Focus, mental clarity and concentration
Balanced blood sugars also mean you have a clearer head and are able to concentrate and focus more (bye-bye procrastination). When Clean Eating the foods also contain more nutrients, vitamins and minerals which boost your brain power and improve mental capacity.
Less stress, more motivation
Reduced levels of our stress hormones is another benefit of Clean Eating. Trying to juggle running a business, family and household commitments can be stressful and overwhelming . Eating clean helps support the body through stressful times and reduce feelings of overwhelm, which gives you more motivation to get stuff done! (If you’re struggling with organising yourself, I would recommend checking out this post)
There is however, quite alot of confusion around what Clean Eating actually means and I want to break the myth now that it has to be complicated. In fact, I believe that it’s one of the simplest ways of eating. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change, which means you’re not focusing on depriving yourself but on nourishing your body with food. Here’s the key points:
- Avoid processed, refined foods which create a blood sugar rollercoaster throughout the day, making you tired and mentally fuzzy.
- Have protein with every meal to help keep your energy levels consistent and reduce cravings for sugar and caffeine.
- Eat fat – but the right type! Healthy fats can help to protect our cells from damage, produce hormones and have brain boosting powers.
- Consume a wide range of plant based foods to ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals in your diet, which boost your energy, focus and concentration.
- Replace refined white carbohydrates with complex ones that are more nutritious, keep blood sugar levels stable and you fuller for longer.
- Think about the quality of your food. I’m not saying you have to go all out and buy everything organic (in fact I strongly recommend that you don’t, but that’s another blog post) but try to focus on wild-caught fish, grass fed or free range meats and local, seasonal produce which is rich in nutrients and tastes much better.
For a full breakdown of foods, then check out this Clean Eating Shopping List which will give you all the information you need to get started.
If you’re lacking in energy, focus and motivation, try these tips to help combat that so you can just get on with growing a successful business.
