5 Simple Ways to Eat Healthier

There is no one diet that’s right for everyone. I’m going to say that again, there is no one perfect diet that is right for everyone.

Some folks feel better eating low carb, others feel better eating high fat, then there is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, paleo, south beach, Mediterranean, the list goes on and on.

The next important point is that most of us have not been taught how to properly feed ourselves. Unless you went out of your way to take a nutrition class chances are you didn’t receive any instructions on the proper feeding and care of your body. So where did you learn how to feed your body? Did you learn from your family? Did you learn from your friends? Did you learn by dieting? Watching YouTube videos? Who taught you?

Then think for a moment, is this a reputable source? And when I say reputable I mean where did this person or group get their information from?

If you learned your cooking from your grandma and she now has diabetes, she might not be a reputable source. No judgement against grandma, she was doing the best she could with what she knew at the time. But there is a good chance that those recipes might need to be replaced with leaner options.

There is no ideal diet for everyone but there are some solid suggestions that can be adopted that will benefit nearly everybody. These suggestions will enhance your health in a BIG way. So I want to cover those today.

 

1. Eat More Colors At Each Meal – Mother nature provides a rainbow of colors in her fruits and vegetables. Each color provides different nutrients that act to support your body. A good example of this is potatoes. There are white potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Each type provides a different spectrum of nutrients for your body to extract and build with.

Americans are very bad with breakfast.

We should be eating like kings and queens for breakfast but instead we eat like paupers- Bowls of cereal, bagels, pastries, oatmeal.

Each morning that you have a boring breakfast or just a cup of coffee you are missing out on the opportunity to fortify yourself with a dish full of fruits and vegetables.

Tell me this, would you get in your car at 5am and drive to work with the gas light on? Most of us wouldn’t. Yet, we think nothing of shoving an English muffin in our mouths and sipping coffee on the way to our business meetings.

Any mechanic knows that Poor fuel input causes poor energy output. Fuel up your body with high performance foods. Foods that supply nutrients to build, repair and detoxify. To keep the body engine running clean.

You can make small changes like adding wild blueberries to your oatmeal, eating ½ an avocado with your toast, having a banana or adding veggies to your omelets. If you are already there, the next step is to add 2 colors to each meal. By adding brightly colored fruits and vegetables to your plate at breakfast, lunch, and dinner you double the nutritional value of each meal.

 

2. Live Food Equals Life. Your body is alive – Feed it food to help it grow. Live food equals life. Foods from the produce aisles are alive. Foods from the packaged food aisles are dead. Dead food equals death.

I want you to think about this when you want a snack and are reaching for a cookie. You can just as easily reach for an apple instead. A crisp, juicy apple is cleansing to your liver, balancing to your blood sugar, full of fiber, and boosts cellular function. A crumbly, sweet cookie promotes insulin release and in turn fat storage, it will spike and then crash your blood sugar, and it promotes inflammation.

Processed snack foods are notoriously low in nutrition and fiber.

Better snack choices include: avocado, guacamole, cucumber slices, an apple, veggie sticks, nuts, nut butter, seeds, roasted sweet potatoes, lettuce wraps, hummus, chia seed pudding, green tea, or 70% dark chocolate.

Bottom line: The more you fill up on the good stuff like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean hormone free meats the less you will need to reach for fast, processed, dead food.

 

3. Hydrate with Healthy Beverages – Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about beverages. Coca Cola knows the writing is on the wall that’s why they invested in Dasani water and yerba mate to name a few soda alternatives. There are a lot of new designer beverages out there and some of them can really be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

It’s best to keep it simple. EX: Water, unsweetened tea, sparkling water, plain coconut water, coconut milk, fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices like green juice, smoothies, or adding a splash of 100% fruit juice to your water.

If it has artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, colors, chemicals or ingredients that you cannot pronounce chances are you should leave it on the shelf. Cane sugar is real sugar; you just want to limit that.

 

4. Eat your Fruits! Fruit has gotten a bad reputation in the last 10 years. People seem to think that fruit is sugar. And sugar is bad. I consider fruit to be nature’s fast food. Others call it nature’s candy. Whatever you call it please consider eating more of it.

Fruit provides an incredible array of flavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and countless micro and macro nutrients to the body.

Fruit is deeply hydrating. Fruits keep skin elastic, hydrated and nourished with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruit literally keeps you young and slows down cellular aging.

Fruit makes a great dessert or travel snack. Examples of fruit desserts include: dates, banana slices with coconut milk whipped cream, bowl of fresh berries, or simply snacking on an apple after a meal.

I really like apple slices dipped in pureed dates and cinnamon. (you can check out the recipe of caramelized apple sauce from Anthony William on my Apple blog).

 

5. Prepare More Meals at Home. In 2016 for the first time in recorded history, Americans spent more money at restaurants than grocery stores. Restaurant meals are linked to increased sodium, calories, and fat.

Since the birth of Betty Crocker in the 1950’s we have moved steadily away from fresh foods towards more processed foods. Processed and prepared foods are just more convenient. But they are not better for health.

There are a number of benefits to eating at home that go far beyond counting calories. One of the greatest benefits is family involvement. Couples who cook together report enhanced communication and connection. Children who help prepare their own meals are more likely to try new food items.

Bottom Line: People who prepare their own meals consume less fat, salt, sugar and eat fewer calories overall.

If you are looking for a healthy cookbook and some additional help I recommend my cookbook: Feed your Cells 7 Ways to Make Health Food fast, Easy, and Gluten Free. You can pick it up on Amazon.

(This post was originally a Facebook Live video I did. You can watch that HERE)

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