It’s ALL about Baby Steps!

With a gazillion different opinions on what constitutes a healthy diet, it can be very confusing to say the least. Especially, if you are trying to lose weight! There are so many fad diets out there to tempt you and supposedly ‘simplify’ and ‘sugar coat’ the weight loss process (and, YES! many diets are practically predestined to fail).  But whether you’re at your ideal weight, trying to lose a few pounds or perhaps half of yourself, the healthy eating rules are the same and quite SIMPLE.

It’s all about getting back to basics:

First of all, let’s talk about some things that food should not be in your lives.

      It should not be:

…to make you ‘feel better’ when you’re an emotional disaster

            …to ‘keep your hands busy’ while you watch television

            …your only means of social interaction with others

            …your ‘comfort’ when life deals you a bad hand

            …the only thing you have in common with your mate

            …your BEST friend - YIKES!

Unfortunately, many of us have a longstanding ‘Love ♥ Affair’ with food. We quite literally plan our whole lives around it! From shopping trips (have to have that special treat you know), vacations (determines where we travel), eating out (need I say more?), barbecues, picnics, family reunions to birthdays it is a never ending barrage of unhealthy food. Sadly, nutrition usually takes a back burner in our lives.

Why should you eat a nutritious diet?

v  Energy – a balanced diet gives you the energy you need today

v   Nourishment – to build a healthy body

v  Strength - to fight off disease now and in the future

So where does healthy, nutritious eating start?

I cannot stress enough that it is SIMPLE! In the world of foods furnished to us on a silver platter by today’s food industry, we have got so far removed from eating healthy that it’s difficult to remember what it even looks like. And even more frightening, is that at first glance, you’re going to totally reject it. However, after eating healthy for a while, you will find your body craving REAL food and not the junk you were devouring before.

Here are some suggestions, so you will have some idea of where to start:

 

v  Buy fresh (preferably), or frozen fruits and vegetables

v  Buy organic, whenever possible

v  Eliminate most processed foods (yes, it is possible). They have been enhanced with a variety of interesting ingredients/chemicals to make them taste like “REAL’’ food and, in many cases, to be downright addictive.

v  Read labels – If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, you probably shouldn’t be putting it in your mouth. If unsure, you can research ingredients on the internet.

v  Eat lean cuts of meat and limit your intake of red meat

v  Use healthy oils like flax and olive oil and supplement with fish oil

v  If there’s high fructose corn syrup or fructose on the label, leave it at the store

v  Eliminate all sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame. There are a lot of Stevia products now that are chemically processed, too. Try using pure Stevia.

v  Avoid canned foods - they leach chemicals into your foods (tomato products are especially bad, because of their high level of acidity)

v  Eat a limited amount of dairy and wheat products.

v  SUGAR IS A POISON! Treat it as such. The food industry is very tricky about labeling sugar under many different names (example: ingredients ending in “ose” such a fructose, dextrose, maltose, sucrose).

I’m sure by now you’re freaking out and the term “radical” is playing a tune in your head J. But, seriously, to turn your life around and avoid the diseases that are plaguing women these days like diabetes, heart disease, thyroid issues, digestive ailments, and cancer, it’s going to take some radical change in your life. And at the root of many of these ailments is the obesity that is running rampant in America today.

Ladies, you don’t have to conquer the battle in a day. Just START! Start making some healthy changes today and begin the journey to get your life turned around. Eat a healthy, nutritious diet; take quality supplements; and just see how great you start to feel. I guarantee you that it will all be worth it.

Well, I’m positive I have probably overlooked many aspects of nutritious eating, but I’m sure I will be revisiting this topic in the future. In the meantime, learn to savor what REAL food tastes like. Go buy some delicious fruit – there’s so many to choose from in the summer. And quit saying, “It’s too expensive!” You’ve been paying just as much or more for candy, chips, ice cream and junk that’s totally devoid of any nutrition whatsoever.

May God give you the strength and courage for your journey to health and wellness…

~Susan~