So you’re scrolling through your Facebook feed and you see an ad for a new diet pill that promises to help you lose weight without any effort. You’ve seen these before, and you know they’re just trying to take your money. But then another ad pops up next to it for a juicing program that sounds healthy. You’ve heard about juicing before, but is it worth the cost? What’s the best way to eat healthy without spending a fortune?
Clean Eating – Just a fad?
What is clean eating? Wikipedia may have told you that clean eating is a fad diet based on the belief that consuming whole foods, and avoiding convenience foods and other processed foods. This is supposed to give you some kind of health benefit. Albeit, I prefer this one: clean eating is a diet concept where a person avoids refined and processed foods, particularly those that have artificial ingredients such as certain preservatives and additives.
The goal is to eat natural foods as they came from nature. When you eat clean, you are eating close to nature, getting your groceries the way they come from a farm. Does pasta grow on a farm? No. Do Cheetos grow on a farm? No. So they are not as clean as other fresher items.
I am ardent about helping you understand that the key to your health and longevity is in your hands. It’s not in your doctor’s hands nor modern science. It’s not in the next new drug or your genetics.
For whatever reason, Western culture is forcefully bent on ignoring, disbelieving, and twisting the truth about what we should be eating. They ignore the truth about food and what we should be eating. It can be hard to know what is true and what we should eat.
Food Medicine
Food is medicine. It is a secret that a lot of people do not know about. I am frustrated because it is hard to share this information with other people. It makes sense, and we should be using food from nature to help us grow and heal. The insurance-based conventional medicine model helps us when we are in a crisis, but it does not help us stay healthy in the long run.
It is not a healthcare system. It is a disease management system. What they won’t tell you is that if you change the way you eat and practice clean eating, you can transform your help for the better.
In 2016, Americans spent more money at restaurants than they did at grocery stores. Restaurant meals are often high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories. This not only affects us as adults, but it also affects the health of our children as they grow. When we eat with our families, we learn from them about healthy eating habits. Eating habits can help us stay healthy or lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, and other serious health problems.
Do you think of how healthy your diet is? Most people think they eat well, but the question is whether your diet includes enough fruits and vegetables to give you the right amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, and other essential nutrients. If you’re eating fewer than 25 servings of vegetables and fruits each week, you’re probably not getting all the nutrients you need.
You may have been told that you don’t need to take vitamins because you are getting the nutrients you need from the food you eat. That could be true, but if your diet does not include enough fruits and vegetables, then you should consider taking supplements. Supplements will not make up for a diet that is missing important nutrients, but they can help add some of those nutrients to your diet.
“When I pass a flowering zucchini plant in a garden, my heart skips a beat.” – Gwyneth Paltrow
Eating more plants helps to reduce our level of inflammation. It does provide essential nutrients and it does help restore body function.
Zucchini is a good vegetable to eat. It helps the liver cleanse and it is helpful for liver hydration. Some people have a fatty liver and zucchini can help the liver release toxins. Zucchini also helps with digestion, as it is a digestive helper, pushing out unwanted bacteria and fungus, and helping with nutrient absorption. It’s soothing to the intestinal tract walls.
Zucchini is good food for your gallbladder. It has chemicals that reduce inflammation in the gallbladder. It also helps to cut back on constipation and bloating. Most of us want something anti-aging. Zucchini is rich in polyphenolic antioxidants that are essential in helping protect the body from illness and disease. It also contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, which can help with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia.
Zucchini is important for prostate health due to the important phytonutrients it contains. These phytonutrients can help reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), an enlargement of the prostate gland. In addition, zucchini is a good source of antioxidant nutrients, which can help to protect the prostate from free radical damage. Furthermore, zucchini is a good source of fiber.
Zucchini helps prevent heart disease. It is a good source of potassium, which is important for keeping your body healthy. Potassium helps keep fluid balance and blood pressure normal. It can also help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Ain’t no party like a breakfast party!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is one of the statements about health that mainstream America has gotten right.
Breakfast is a time for champions. It should be eaten and it should be eaten well. What I mean by that is it shouldn’t be eaten on the go. You should take your time and eat a good breakfast that is nutrient-dense. Breakfast is the opening act of your performance on this next day of your life. We should eat breakfast like the king or the queen that we are.
Some people say that they are not hungry in the morning and cannot eat a lot. I suggest starting with something small and nutritious, like a smoothie. When it comes to breakfast, you need to start thinking outside of the box. The standard eggs, bacon, cereal, and bagels are not going to be good for you if you want to be healthy. The food industry wants us to eat those things for breakfast, but we know better now because you are here and learning that is not the best choice for you.
Five servings of fruits and vegetables
Our daily goal is to consume no less than five servings of fruits and vegetables. If we don’t have any fruits or vegetables with breakfast, it becomes difficult to meet this requirement as the day goes on.
Here’s a very simple, easy smoothie recipe. You will need:
- a cup of water or plant-based milk
- a handful of baby spinach or some other type of green
- half a cup of berries
- Half of a banana
- one to two scoops of plant-based protein powder
Simply blend it all up, store it in your to-go cup and you’re ready.
Start with these five key changes if you want to start eating clean.
- Remove the bad fats and replace them with good fats. Bad fats are typically high in saturated or trans fats. These types of fat can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. Instead of bad fats, try substituting them with unsaturated fats, which can improve your cholesterol levels and protect your heart.
- You can make your meat healthier by eating lean poultry and fish, and a little bit of grass-fed beef. Avoid processed meats.
- Replace refined sugars with natural sugars. Avoid artificial sugars. We have formed a habit of avoiding refined sugar, and instead, reach for sugar-free alternatives. These are filled with artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, which can be harmful to your health.
- Replace the refined grains with whole grains. Refined grains have lower nutritional value and fiber, plus, they’re associated with insulin resistance and inflammation.
- Drink more water. Our bodies don’t know the difference between hunger and thirst. If you’re hungry, try drinking a glass of water and then see how you feel.
Be meticulous enough when grocery shopping, read the labels. Foods should have five ingredients or less when you read the labels. Buy foods as close to its original form as possible. It’s best to avoid foods that come in a bag, a box, or a can, especially if they have more than five ingredients. These tend to be refined, and have additives, flavorings, colorings, extra sugar, and chemical preservatives.
As for fats, how to determine the best is through remembering the acronym B.A.C.O.N.
- B – organic butter or ghee, in moderation
- A – avocado oil
- C – coconut oil
- O – olive oil
- N -nut oils that are unrefined
What about sugars?
Natural sweeteners are best. Maple syrup, raw honey, and stevia are examples. When you’re baking, you can use bananas or dates. Choose real cane sugar before you get any of the other alternatives.
Although clean eating may seem like just another passing fad, the principles behind it are based in sound science. When you eat clean, you’re providing your body with essential nutrients that allow it to function optimally. Making small changes to your diet can have a big impact on your health, energy levels, and waistline. Ready to get started? Schedule for a free discovery call today and let us help you create a plan that will make healthy eating easy and delicious. Thanks for reading!
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DISCLAIMER: The information in this email is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional
