I know this may seem silly to some, but I often get berated because of my eating habits, mostly the fact that I don’t eat cake, so I thought it was time to give a little discussion on why I choose to eat a mostly clean diet (I say mostly because I have another post coming that explains the reasons I cheat on my diet also). I started out making a list of the reason I eat clean, but quickly realized that I could bunch them together in tiers of Immediate, semi-immediate, and long-term, this is also pretty much ranked by importance for me.

The main reasons I eat clean are because of how it makes me feel. I like the way my body and mind function on a clean diet; I feel alive, healthy and strong. When I overeat or eat a lot of carbs in one meal I feel fat and sluggish. Overly greasy food, or food with little nutritional value makes me actually feel greasy, my face, and hair mostly, I also tend to have an upswing in zits when I eat a lot of it, such as around the holidays. Keeping a clean lifestyle makes it easier for me to say no to sweets since I simply don’t crave them anymore. If I am going to waste some of the day’s calories on sweets it had better be the most decadent, amazing thing available, or I better have been craving it for a month. That’s right a month. I do not give in to my bad cravings (except for maybe wine) unless I have wanted them for a long time, cravings usually pass, or give way for something else, which means I don’t really need it.

The next set of reasons is semi-immediate health concerns; I am anemic, and I get awful migraines. Lean red meat, egg yolks, and green leafy vegetables are all very high in iron.  I know there is some debate about the yolks part, but I don’t skimp on my yolks, I eat lots of spinach, and am always trying to add a salad to every meal, and who doesn’t love a good juicy steak? A lot of sea food is high in iron as well, such as clams, mollusks and scallops. Like you need another excuse to eat seafood! I noticed that I often get headaches if I am dehydrated and then they often turn into migraines, so I am always sure to drink a lot of water, and eat citrus fruits, I don’t know what it is about them but if I don’t have something citrus for a few days I always get a headache.

The final set of reasons is long-term health, obesity, heart disease and diabetes runs in my family. Most of these are diet related, and can be avoided, or at least curbed with proper diet and exercise. I have seen the struggle of my parents and grandparents and I do not want to face the same reality.

The last reason doesn’t really have a category, but is the single most important reason as to why I eat clean. I have pride in myself, my body, and my capabilities. I never want to have to ask for help with any physical activity. I want to be able to wear whatever I want and feel confident. I know this is vain, prideful, sinful maybe, but it’s the truth.

There are a million other reasons to eat clean. These are just mine. What are yours?