“Now, more than ever, as we experience more stress, exercise and move less, breathe in more polluted air and consume food in a form that is very different to its original form, we need to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies,” says Samantha du Tooit, the founder of Eat Clean Namibia.
“Eating clean is striving to eat food in its original form as far as possible. It means eating oats instead of energy bars. It means eating a piece of meat, rather than a patty or sausage. It means swapping your fruit juice for real, fresh fruit. It means drinking water instead of sodas.”
Samantha believes that a healthy diet can make you feel more alive in the sense of achieving a state that is free of disease or injury, and achieving optimal physical, mental and emotional health.
“To feel this way, our body needs to be taken care of in many ways. One of the ways is to ensure a good diet. We certainly need energy (kilojoules) from our diet, as this is the fuel that the body needs to run. We also need a good balance of a variety of nutrients (the building blocks of foods), which are the organic compounds that support every bodily function and organ system.
“If we can manage to eat clean the majority of the time, the health benefit is that our bodies will perform optimally in all ways, not only on a day-to-day basis, but in the long term. For example, we can be more productive in our work, have better mental health and focus, have fewer aches and pains, have healthy, radiant skin and even age better.
Here are Eat Clean Namibia’s five tips to improve eating habits:
- Enjoy a variety of foods. Be creative and make your clean food tasty. Share a meal with your family or friends instead of eating alone in front of the television or your smartphone.
- Eat at least five to nine fist-size portions of fruits and vegetables a day.
- Eat beans, split peas, lentils and soya regularly. They are packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant nutrients.
- Use fats sparingly and choose vegetable fats instead of animal fats.
- Consume foods and drinks containing sugar sparingly.
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