Clean and Conscious Nutrition Guide

Over 2000 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of modern botanical ingredient, stressed the importance of our intestines to our overall health: All diseases begin in the intestines. If the intestines are diseased, the rest of the body is diseased.

Your diet, i.e. what you eat, when you eat, what you digest, means that our intestines are now widely recognised as our second brain, and it is now generally accepted that around 90% of illnesses are caused by the intestines.

Serotonin, known as the happiness hormone, is secreted in the gut; hunger and satiety signals are sent to the brain via the vagus nerve through the gut; healthy gut absorption allows us to get the vitamins and minerals we need from food and keeps our immune system alive… Gut health clearly shows us that the body is a whole, with everything from our nervous system to our physical functions.

In this case, our diet should have a system that protects our intestinal flora, purifies toxins in the intestines, supports intestinal absorption and does not damage the intestinal barriers.

Experts use 6 criteria to assess whether a diet is healthy and beneficial:

1. Whether it is good for gut health,
2. Whether it helps to shed excess pounds,
3. Sustainability,
4. Whether it is safe, whether it promotes unhealthy rapid weight loss,
5. Whether it supports heart health,
6. Whether it is accessible to different socio-economic classes.

In this case, it makes sense to start by looking at your health and what your body needs.

Our recommendations include a path that a good nutritionist can determine after checking your blood values, as well as Ayurvedic advice. Therefore, whatever you choose, the most reliable way to start is to consult your doctor with your blood values and work out the most appropriate path for you with an expert.

How to Start a Diet?

Whichever dietary discipline you choose, achieving a healthy digestive system and keeping your blood values within reference ranges should be your priorities.

When deciding on a dietary habit/routine, also consider how it will fit into your life. Think about what you will do differently each day. Then decide how you will fit these changes into your life. Once you have chosen an approach, you can experiment for a few days to see if it works for you. When you start, it is important to anticipate the challenges you may face and have a plan to overcome them. For example, if your previous eating habits included processed, tinned, frozen, etc., the first step in transitioning to a new and healthier eating system should be to clean out your cupboards.

How Do You Stick to a Diet System?

In order to incorporate clean and mindful eating into your life as a system, you first need to decide why you really want to change, what your needs and expectations are, and keep them in mind. Think about what is useful to you in the system you have chosen, how determined you are to adopt this new system, and always remember your answers. Eating habits should be spread over a lifetime; it should be an ongoing system that takes into account our age and the periods our body goes through. In other words, the diet you adopt should be a set of habits that you can adapt to suit your agenda, but that you can maintain consistently throughout your life.

Remember that what works for your friends may not work for you. Consider your food preferences, lifestyle, budget and personal health goals.

Ask yourself the following questions about the diet you are following, or the one you are about to start:

• Are there any foods in my diet that I enjoy eating?
• What are my habits and preferences that make this particular approach work for me?
• What will I change to help me lose weight, lower my cholesterol or _____?
• Are the foods in this diet affordable?
• Do I have time to shop for and prepare the recommended meals?

What is the Safest Diet to Follow?

The safest diet is one that has been recommended by a qualified doctor and/or nutritionist. It should contain all the nutrients you need and, if you are trying to lose weight, it should be of a quality that will allow you to lose about 1 to 2 kilos per week. Safe and effective diets often recommended by experts include the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and the flexible diet, which emphasises moderation (not total restriction).

Setting realistic and healthy goals will help keep your system safer, as trying to lose weight too quickly can cause health problems such as loss of muscle, water and bone density. Losing weight too quickly can also lead to:

• Burnout
• Constipation
• Gut
• Nausea and diarrhoea
• Gallstones

Are there any diet plans to avoid?

Experts recommend avoiding the following diet plans:

• Strict calorie restriction,
• Those that restrict whole food groups or macronutrients such as carbohydrates,
• Those that cause rapid weight loss of more than 2kg per week,
• Those that make outlandish claims and promote the use of pills or supplements,
• Those that encourage you not to exercise,
• Those that contain foods you don’t like and force you to eat them.

Most Preferred Nutrition Habits

Let us remind you anyway; any one or more of the nutrition plans you see below may appeal to you, it is best to get support from an expert to understand how to systematise it, what your needs are and whether it meets them.

The Best Nutrition Plans of 2024 According to Nutrition Experts*

Mediterranean Diet

• Fruit, vegetables, wholemeal cereals, nuts and pulses predominate.
• The use of olive oil in cooking is emphasised.
• Moderate amounts of fish and lean poultry are recommended for protein.
• Red and processed meats are avoided.
• Limits/prohibits added sugars and highly processed foods.
• Limits/prohibits saturated fats and refined carbohydrates.

DASH Diet

• Emphasises whole grains, lean meats, poultry and fish.
• Emphasises daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.
• Recommends consumption of potassium-rich foods for healthy blood pressure.
• Provides moderate amounts of low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fats and oils.
• Limits fatty meats, full-fat dairy products and sweets.
• Does not use tropical oils.
• Keep sodium to 2,300 milligrams per day.

Flexible Diet

• Emphasises fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
• Emphasises protein from eggs and dairy.
• Allows occasional or small portions of meat.
• Limits/prohibits red and processed meats.
• Limits/prohibits saturated fats, sodium and added sugars.
• Limits/prohibits sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.

Pescetarian Diet

• Consumes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes.
• Emphasises animal protein sources from fish.
• Includes shellfish.
• Emphasises the consumption of a variety of fish and seafood.
• Includes milk and eggs.
• Restricts / prohibits meats such as beef, chicken and pork.

Vegetarian Diet

• Encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Includes healthy fats from avocado and olive oil.
• It does not include meat, fish or poultry.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Prohibits meat, fish and poultry, but allows dairy and eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarian: Prohibits meat, fish, poultry and eggs, but allows dairy products.
• Ovo-vegetarian: Prohibits meat, fish, poultry and dairy products, but allows eggs.

Volumetric Diet

• Emphasises foods with low energy density.
• Recommends low-fat dairy, lean protein and whole grains in moderation.
• Emphasises portion control of bread and fatty meats.
• Suggests adding water to foods.
• Limits/prohibits sweets, roasted nuts and fatty meats.

The Mind Diet

• Eat two or more portions of vegetables a day. At least one serving should be green leafy vegetables.
• At least two to five servings of berries a week are recommended.
• Three or more daily servings of whole grains.
• Five or more servings of nuts or seeds a week.
• At least three to four servings of beans a week.
• At least one serving of seafood and two or more servings of poultry per week.

*Forbes Health