Healthy Eating
Pre-mixed, pre-made, add water, open the can, snip the pouch, microwave. This is the foundation of what serves as an eating plan for many of us.
There are hundreds of chemical additives in food nowadays, many of which are not even required to be on the label as they are used in processing and not as an official ingredient.
Acidity regulators, Anti-caking agents, Anti-foaming agents, Coloring
Color fixatives, Emulsifiers, Firming agents, Flavor enhancers,
Flour treatment agents, Gelling agents, Humectants, Preservatives,
Stabilizers, Artificial sweeteners, Thickeners
These are just some of the additive classifications. These chemicals are used to make food look better, taste better, feel better, last longer, etc but are they really what our body needs to fuel properly.
There's a lack of nutrition in this pre-mixed/pre-made lifestyle. We're not getting fresh vegetables and grains with all their fabulous vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals and enzymes, you're getting powdered remnants of them. We're also not eating a varied diet, an important way to get all the vitamins and minerals one needs for optimal health.
What can you do? Here are a ten tips.
10 Steps Toward a Healthier Diet
- ELIMINATE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
If one is looking for a healthy way of eating, eliminating all artificial sweeteners is a great place to start. There's not enough safety information on some sweeteners and too much clear and scary info on others.
http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-information.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/
- ELIMINATE PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS
A process to lengthen shelf life can shorten your life! Trans Fatty Acids created by hydogenation have been linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Don't risk it!
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/70/81100.htm
http://www.recoverymedicine.com/hydrogenated_oils.htm
http://www.bantransfats.com/
- ELIMINATE CORN SYRUPS and HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUPS (HFCS)
Linked to obesity and now so very prevalent in just about every food category; tomato sauces, sodas, baked goods, even natural foods. They are also genetically modified. It's cheap, easy to manufacture and it's making us fat and unhealthy.
http://www.antiaginglifeextension.com
http://www.leaflady.org/fructose.htm
- LIMIT PACKAGED FOODS and EAT FOOD IN ITS MOST NATURAL STATE
Ultimately, food in packages has more chance of having additives and chemicals. Unnecessary ingredients that can burden your body and decrease your health. You don't need the chemicals, extra salt, sugar and saturated fat that are prevalent in packaged foods.
Today, labeling is very complex. There are many ingredients that are used in processing and manufacturing that are not required to be on the label. You truly do not know what you are getting in some packages. So save the bags, boxes, cans and make your food from scratch.
Eating foods in their most natural state is best. Fresh broccoli (raw and cooked) will get you the most benefit nutritionally but if you can't get fresh, frozen is your best bet. Though be diligent about label reading as some brands again add unnecessary chemicals.
- ELIMINATE FOOD ADDITIVES; MSG, CHEMICALS IN GENERAL, DYES
Chemicals in our foods are not doing us much good. Dyes are made from coal tar (carcinogen). MSG sensitivites are well known. Our bodies are not meant to process a multitude of chemicals. We need to fuel our bodies with proper nutrition and foods that are wholesome and healthy.
http://www.msgtruth.org/
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html
http://www.nomsg.com/
http://www.msgmyth.com/
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
- ELIMINATE WHITE REFINED PROCESSED FOODS (white flour, white rice, white bread, white pasta) and INCREASE WHOLE GRAINS
These refined foods are devoid of nutrition. Empty calories. White flour has only a small percentage of the nutrition of whole grain flour.
http://www.newstarget.com/000441.html
http://waltonfeed.com/grain/flour.html
Whole grains on the other hand contain the oils, the bran, and all the vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber nature intended. Whole grains are a fabulous source of fiber which has been shown to reduce colon cancer. Some rich sources are; brown rice, whole wheat, bulghur, millet, buckwheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats, quinoa.
- EAT AT LEAST ONE SALAD and FRUIT EVERYDAY
We should be eating at least 5 servings of fruit everyday. The vitamins, minerals, phytonutritients help protect us from disease.
I've found that by just trying to eat one salad each day that it's enough to keep me eating well. I sometimes will have more but if I follow this one salad rule, it seems to help us eat healthy all day.
- CHOOSE ORGANIC
I read once that the average american eats a pound of pesticides per year. Yuck! Can you imagine the toll that takes on the body (combined with all the other toxins from the environment)? The vitamin and mineral content of organic foods is said to be higher than the convential counterparts.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/ops/risk.html
http://www.elsonhaas.com/articles/article_02.html
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/guides/242
http://www.sdearthtimes.com/et0996/et0996s5.html
- EAT HIGH QUALITY FATS
Essential fatty acids are "essential" to optimum health. If you're not taking an EFA supplement be sure to sprinkle freshly ground flax seeds on salads, oatmeal, in smoothies, etc. One tablespoon of ground flaxseeds a day can and will improve your health. A handful of walnuts is a great source as well. Some take fish oil but we believe the risks are too high.
Fatty Acids and Fish Oil
http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/ess_fat_acids.html
http://borntoexplore.org/omega.htm
- EAT 90% FOR NOURISHMENT AND 10% FOR FUN
I read this somewhere recently and I thought it really hit home. If you maintain a healthy foundation, you CAN stray and have fun eating those foods that might not be considered so healthy.
Some more links to help;
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article13.aspx
http://www.holisticmed.com/food.html
http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/healthy-food.html
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Written by Lauren McGinley, copyright 2005-2008
Permission granted to share article if this sig file is left intact and accompanies the article.
http://www.healthyparenting.net
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