This is the first entry in my nutrition and health blog, so I decided an overview of how to improve one’s diet would be the most appropriate beginning. In subsequent blogs, I will go into further depth of many of the topics mentioned here. With that said, I will try to make all of these writings as interesting and informative as possible, so… here goes!
What has ruined healthy eating in America? Fast food, T.V. dinners, and processed box foods that are ready to eat after adding hot water. And why do we turn to unhealthy, quick alternatives instead of REAL food? Because as a society, we’ve decided that it’s more important to push ourselves to work hard to live the American dream by becoming the CEO of company X and raising a family at the same time. Isn’t there more to life than working ourselves to the bone and not even having time to sit down to a home-cooked dinner. Let’s take a step back and remember one of those meals in which everything was made from scratch, everyone sat together at the table, and we took our time eating really good food. This is important too, and it’s not only good for the health of our bodies but also for the health of our minds and emotions. We need to start making a healthy diet and relaxation a part of our daily lives again. What good is a third car in the driveway if you feel tired or sick all the time? So if you’ve stuck with me this far, then I trust that you are searching for a change like I’m talking about. (I’m very trusting, so please don’t let me down.) Great! So you’re ready for a change! Here are some places to start.
Eat 3 meals a day! That’s right, no more skipping breakfast. I know some of you are saying, “but I’m not hungry in the morning.” Well that’s because you’ve trained you’re body to lie to you. You haven’t had breakfast in so long, it’s forgotten about that meal. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need it, and if you start eating it, you’re body will remember and will happily accept it again.
Drink lots of water! Yes, I said, water – not soda or coffee. You’re body is made up of about 70% water; do you think soda is going to replenish that properly? I’m not going to get all exact on you and tell you that you need to drink 8 glasses a day, but that’s not a bad goal. Drinking water helps flush toxins out of your body, while drinking things like soda adds toxins to your body (caramel coloring is not exactly nature’s way of saying “drink me”). Basically, drink enough water so that your pee is relatively clear. The darker it is (assuming your body is functioning properly and you aren’t taking B vitamins), the more dehydrated you are.
COOK! I know this is a tough one in our busy lives, but we simply cannot be healthy by always eating processed foods. I will go into detail about what’s wrong with processed foods in a later blog, but for now, just know that the best things to eat and cook with are fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and fresh meats. If this is really new to you (you haven’t cooked a meal from scratch in years or ever), then take the first step and plan a home-cooked dinner one weekend night when you’ll have plenty of time. You could even make it a family event where everyone helps. The first step is the hardest, but once you start cooking, it will become easier and even enjoyable.
Read labels! Avoid hydrogenated oils (or partially hydrogenated), sugar substitutes (fewer calories – yes, but more healthy – NO!), high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup in general, monosodium glutamate, food colors, artificial flavors, natural flavors, and pretty much any word over 10 letters long that you’ve never heard of (does hydroxypropyl methylcellulose sound yummy to you?). A good rule of thumb is the shorter the list and the more ingredients that you know are food rather than a chemical, the better.
Eat organic foods! I know that they are more expensive than the foods that we have drenched in hundreds of different pesticides, but they are SO much better for us. OK, I’m going to get on my soapbox now, because there are just so many critics of eating organic foods. If anything might convert a pesticide-lover, it’d be the book Silent Spring written by Rachel Carson in the 1960s about DDT. And don’t think that just because DDT was banned in the US that it’s not on foods from outside the US or that other pesticides aren’t just as bad. Think about it, does it really make sense that it’s harmless to eat something on our food that has a skull and crossbones on the bottle?! Let’s give nature and ourselves a hand by eating more organic foods and lessening the chemical burden on our bodies.
Well, I have so much more to say, but I think I should save them for another blog before you start to think that this is an e-novel. To quickly conclude, let’s take time to focus on our well-being by cooking and eating healthy foods and creating life-long nutrition habits that help us to feel good all day and all life long!
Thanks for reading, and stay healthy and happy! ☺
Great post! Very informative.
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