All foods are real foods–that’s why it’s called food, right?
Well technically, sure, but health benefits and nutrition is more likely with which?
a garden-fresh organically grown salad topped with a piece of grilled-to-perfection wild Alaskan salmon?
or a trans-fat laden, artificially-flavored and
-colored cupcake from a plastic package?
By real foods I mean the most natural, wholesome food possible; definitely not the Genetically Modified (GMO) or “improved by science” foodstuffs that are synthesized or have added ingredients that may not have even existed before this century.
I mean foods that have desirable functions (like nutrition?) to enhance our everyday lives.
It’s All About Choices
You’ve got lots of tasty choices. Healthy, nutritious foods almost always hold more “flavor satisfaction” than their un-healthy counterparts.
But because our society today tends to put more emphasis on trends and political correctness than on reality, most people don’t really understand that the foods that work best to nourish your system also seem to be the best-tasting.
Junk food is addictive and generally unsatisfying, has little benefit (except maybe for the weight loss industry), and is far too accessible.
So, Who to Believe?
If you read as many nutrition articles as I do, you’re already aware that they regularly contradict one another.
After years of studying, advising clients, hearing from customers, watching their results, and adding practicality to the equation, I’ve come to accept some guidelines.
I certainly don’t pretend to have all the answers, but there is a lot of good research out there: it’s weeding out the bad information that’s the trick.
Whole Foods are Better
Foods that are still relatively intact by the time you eat them are much more nutritious than extracted, and especially synthesized substances, even though these substances may be necessary for survival (many of the “scientifically created” functional foods are this type).
As much as humans have learned about the way things work, the Creator still has a better grasp of the “Big Picture.”
Most people have at least heard that whole grains are better for you than refined flours. The same is also true of other real foods.
Eat Organic When Possible
The advantages to using organic foods and other organic products are so huge, that it would take an entire website (and probably more than one) to cover them.
Greatly condensed: almost always more nutritious; less toxic material for the body to process and dispose of; less toxic material for the planet to process; less dependent on petroleum-based energy and other products.
(Aren’t those reasons good enough?)
Eat Locally Grown and Produced Foods
When Possible
For so many reasons…
big corporate entity.
Natural Processes
Make Nutrients More Available
Sprouting seeds, nuts, and beans before eating (or even before cooking) increases the value of the proteins and fats they contain (learn how to grow sprouts yourself).
Natural fermentation of many foods raises the levels of vitamins and enzymes, and neutralizes some of the negative components.
Natural Meats are Better
Unless you’re a strict vegetarian, or just can’t afford it financially, you probably eat at least some meat (I’m including seafood and poultry here).
Animals that are allowed a natural environment and are fed their
natural diet
are much healthier themselves.
And let’s face it: if you’re going to eat meat, wouldn’t you rather take in (to your own body) a
healthy, happy animal
than a sickly one?
Did you know that Omega-3s Linked to Lower Heart-Risking Inflammation? A new finding adds weight to prior evidence that diets rich in omega-3s may lower levels of a protein associated with inflammation and higher heart risks.
Health authorities worldwide recommend fatty fish and fish oil to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its adverse outcomes. The adverse outcomes that omega-3-rich diets may help prevent include stroke and second heart attacks.
A Varied Diet Covers More Bases
I believe in simple meals, as in just a few things on your plate.
But changing things up from meal to meal, and day to day, makes it much more likely that you will get the nutrients that you need for the daily repairs and rebuilding your body requires, not to mention disease prevention.
Food Combining
The way you
combine foods
in a meal can be very important, especially if you’re not well.
Different foods call for different digestive juices and enzymes. Let’s not confuse your GI tract, OK?
Special Diets
Obviously, if you’re allergic to certain edibles, they can’t be considered beneficial in your case (even if they’re real foods), and should be avoided (at least as long as you’re still allergic to them). Other than that, I’ve never been much of a fan of specialized diet plans.
The “Eat Right for Your Blood Type” diet makes sense to me, but as a guideline, not as an absolute.
Macrobiotic diet seems to be very helpful when you’re ill, but for the long term, many people prefer more variety, and a combination of cooked and raw foods.
The low-carb phenomenon seems to have peaked. (Thank goodness!)
It’s true that most of us are too high on the carb scale, but carbohydrates are necessary to the carbon based organisms that we are. Getting whole food carbs is the challenge in our fast food society.
Pure Air and Pure Water
I never said it would be easy, now did I?
Pollution has spoiled the natural resources all over the world, thanks to the jet stream (sometimes it’s not so nice to share) and the effects of colonialization by our corporate empires.
Air and water are not really considered food products, but they definitely are nutrients and necessary for good health (and even for survival), so I’ve included them here with real foods.
“If it’s worth doing….”
The most beneficial foods can be a little more difficult to find, and sometimes take a bit of preparation, but your taste buds will tell you it’s well worth the trouble.
Are you satisfied with your current state of health and wellness?
Are your daily eating habits getting you and your body where you want to be?
Does the food on your plate serve the function you desire?
In other words–
Are you getting (and enjoying) the nutrition benefits you need to achieve the level of health you deserve?
Healing your body can, and should be, a delicious experience.
Stick with us and you’ll learn how to:
Find out:
And finally:
Just Say “NO” to SAD
It’s true that Western culture pushes refined sugar, chemical additives, and generally low-quality foodstuffs (Standard American Diet).
You can change that, at least in your own and your family’s case.
And you can do it today.
Use the links at the bottom of this page to explore some of the possibilities in the World of Real Foods….
And remember–
The More You Can Heal,
The Better You’ll FEEL!
