Five Tips for Clean Eating This Winter

Five Tips for Clean, Healthy Eating This Winter

It’s starting to get a little chilly outside, and winter means finding ways to satisfy your comfort food cravings. This season, balance out those comforting with these five tips for eating clean and staying healthy:  

1. Drink lemon water.

Lemon water is an ideal, simple drink to improve your health. Fresh lemon is packed with vitamin C and helps flush out toxins, so it gives you a great morning boost if you drink it right when you wake up. Drinking water throughout the day can be tough for some people – adding lemon can give you that extra flavor to help you hydrate more. 

2. Enjoy healthy chocolate.

Who doesn’t love chocolate? But your average chocolate bar packs a lot of fat and sugar and little nutrients. Instead, opt for healthy chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth. Healthy, dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants and can even improve brain function. Look for dark chocolate with greater than 70% cacao, such as Theo’s Dark Chocolate. Or try FlavaNaturals chocolate bars, which contain 5 times more cocoa flavanols – plant-based anti-oxidants – than the standard dark chocolate bar. 

3. Go grass-fed!

Steak is a real favorite for dinner, any time of year. Pair it with creamy mashed potatoes for a comfort food staple. Or serve up a warm, spicy bowl of beef chili for a crowd. But not all beef is created equal. Grass-fed beef has fewer calories, more good fats and higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals, such as beta-carotene, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, than other beef. It’s also better for the environment. 

4. Cook with good fats.

The oil you cook with really matters when it comes to health benefits – or a lack thereof. Many oils, such as vegetable or canola, are heated to high temperatures when they are processed. The heat oxidizes the oils, creating free radicals, which can damage your cells. Instead of highly processed oils, choose avocado oil or coconut oil for high-heat cooking. These oils are minimally processed and have significant nutritious value, while still maintaining a high-smoke point.

5. Boost your intake of fiber and complex carbs.

Fiber improves digestion, helps maintain a healthy weight, and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Studies show that the majority of Americans don’t get nearly enough fiber in their day-to-day lifestyle. Get more fiber this winter by adding more green vegetables to your winter cooking. Also find sides that are higher in complex carbohydrates, which are absorbed more slowly in the bloodstream and less likely to be stored as fat. Swap out that burger bun for complex carbs, such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, or quinoa.