Healthy Eating
…“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Edward Stanley
More than 68% of all deaths are from nutrition-related diseases! More than 60% of children are considered overweight by nutrition standards! Healthy eating really does matter!
Forget fad diets and learn to eat healthy! Make a commitment to yourself to seek optimal health for you and your family by learning about the links between what we eat and health issues and diseases. Below I've compiled my Top 10 Healthy Eating Tips you can follow to get you on your way. Some may seem hard or you may feel you'd be depriving yourself, but honestly once you make the changes and begin to feel better, you won't miss those things and you'll forever thank yourself for making these changes!
Inflammation: The Root of All Evil!
In general, you want to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. Inflammation is at the root of most all disease including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, allergies and many others. Inflammation is caused when you put foods, particularly acidic foods, into your body and it is not equipped to process them. The body has to work harder, and sometimes thinks it's being attacked and therefore invokes an "inflammatory response". Many times the body has to rob its tissues of vital nutrients in order to process the food you've ingested. The immune system is compromised as a result. The modern diet of high carbohydrates, sugar, high protein and few fruits and vegetables is the biggest contributor to inflammation. Dr. Andrew Weil has compiled a very helpful Anti-Inflammatory Pyramid that provides a practical guide to healthy eating.
Top 10 Healthy Eating Tips
I've compiled my top 10 tips that should help you in your quest towards healthy eating. Try them for just one month and you'll see a big difference in the way you look and feel!
- Eat whole foods. Whole foods are those that are as close to their original form as is possible; think fruits and vegetables like they come from the garden. They contain a lot more nutrients than processed foods. Avoid processed foods because nutrients are often damaged, removed or altered. So eat a whole apple instead of applesauce from a can or jar. Start getting away from meals that come packaged in a box, can or plastic container. Enjoy foods the way Mother Nature intended! Your body with thank you with increased immunity and fewer illnesses.
- Read labels. I can't stress this enough! It is not enough to look at the calories, fat, carbs & protein. Look at the ingredient list. Know what you are eating. Watch out for and avoid products that contain high fructose corn syrup, MSG, hydrogenated oils and chemical sounding ingredients you can't pronounce. Fats and sugars are the main ingredients in poor quality foods. When you see the word "enriched", think "processed". Enriched foods are those that have been stripped of their original wholeness and then stuff has been added back in to try and make it similar to the original form.
- Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. They should form the bulk of your diet (75% in a combination of cooked and raw) because they contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and also help move toxins out of the body. Opt for local and/or organic whenever possible and look for lots of variety in color and texture. Leafy greens, red and orange fruits and veggies are always great choices! The top fruits and vegetables that are often treated with pesticides and should always be bought organic are: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, strawberries. For an easy way to make sure you have plenty of fresh organic produce on hand, visit Gaia's Greens, our organic produce delivery business!
- Eat less meat, and especially cut back on red meat which has been linked to cancer and other diseases. Opt for fish whenever possible and then opt for "wild caught" and not farm-raised fish. Beans are a good source of protein as well and have many other beneficial nutrients. If you must eat meat, opt for organically raised, grass fed meats. Meat is very difficult for the body to digest and contributes to inflammation in the body as a result. Also, experts have found that in order for the body to process excess protein, it has to rob calcium from the bones, which could lead to osteoporosis.
- Eat less sugar and avoid artificial sweeteners. Sugar is very inflammatory, and artificial sweeteners are nothing more than chemicals that the body is not prepared to process. Try plant-based stevia (my favorite brand is Truvia) or agave nectar for a natural sweetener.
- Eat more whole grains - but they must be whole grains and not "pretending" to be whole grains. Excellent choices are Ezekial sprouted grain breads (look in the freezer section), brown rice, and spelt breads. Avoid "enriched flour" which has nutrients and fiber removed and they are replaced (enriched) with certain vitamins required by the FDA. When the bran and germ from the whole grain are removed, the body processes the flour differently causing it to work harder (think inflammation again). Whole grains contain essential nutrients, fiber and vitamins that help remove toxins from the body.
- Eat healthy fats containing omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fats are typically of vegetable origin, such as olive oil and canola oil. Coldwater fishes also contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and walnuts and almonds (raw, unsalted) do as well. Avoid anything that contains "hydrogenated" oils. Fats should be no more than 10-15% of total caloric intake.
- Adults should consider reducing dairy intake. Dairy is known to cause mucus in the body, and 3 out of 4 adults are lactose intolerant. Turns out the pasteurization process renders milk difficult to digest which causes the body to work harder and lowers the immune system (that darn inflammation again!). Yogurt is the exception here as long as it contains it's beneficial bacteria and no added sugars. Greek yogurt is typically lowest in fat and sugar.
- Consider adding Asian mushrooms such as maitake and shitake to your diet. These mushrooms have been shown to boost immune function and to keep cancers at bay.
- Drink plenty of clean water, eliminate sodas, & limit alcohol. Soda (sugar + caffeine) causes excessive loss of calcium, and the phosphorus in sodas also inhibits the intake of calcium - not good for the structure of your body. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day and distilled water is best. At a minimum drink water that has been filtered of chlorine which has been linked to increase risk of colon cancer. Limit alcohol consumption to no more than 2 drinks per day. Alcohol is very inflammatory and causes the liver to have to work extra hard to clean the blood.
You only get one body to live in, take care of it!! By the time you begin to see signs of disease or illness, you will have to work even harder to regain health. Start eating healthy today! Call us - we are here to help!