I am sharing a column I read from one of our Nutritional supplement suppliers, Designs for Health. I have been hearing so many bad things about our food sources lately it's easy to get overwhelmed and hard to figure out whats ok to eat. Especially if you are trying to lose a few pounds. I agree with the author of the list below and if pared with even simple exercise your body and mind will benefit greatly! I added one of my own, #13!
1.Do not eat ANY food with guilt, ie. enjoy the darn cookie every now and then
2.If your grandmother does not or would not recognize the food, it’s probably NOT A FOOD.
3.Spice it up. Spices are therapeutic and just taste good. Rosemary, garlic, thyme, turmeric, oregano are all good. Added to food – even your omelet.
4.If the food takes a long time to spoil or it doesn’t spoil, it’s not good for you. All good food spoils within a relatively short time.
5.If the ingredients list is more than 4 unpronounceable words, it’s probably JUNK. Best foods have just one word as an ingredient, e.g. broccoli
6.Limit sugars, fruit juices and white flour foods as much as Godly possible. Yes fruit juice too. It’s only marginally better than soda. Very few exceptions.
7.If eating MEATS, no problem. Meat consumption is not the evil food it has been made out to be. Just don’t overcook. Best if the animal source was eating their natural diet before it ended up on your plate. e.g. Cattle should eat grass not corn or grains. Chickens eat worms.
8.Drink 6 to 8 glasses of CLEAN water a day. If eating lots of fruits and vegetables, only 4 to 6 cups a day is needed. Tea also counts.
9.Portion control – is OK to leave food on your plate – don’t tell your mother I said that.
10.Eat mostly plants, especially greens. They are filled with tons of plant chemicals that are more anti-carcinogenic. Eat the DIRTY DOZEN organically.
11.Exclude diets of exclusion; low-fat this, low-carb that, diet this, low sugar that. If you are going to have ice cream, have the real thing. See rule #1.
12.Buy foods from LOCAL FARMS or FARMERS MARKETS (even if it’s not labeled organic) first, then health food stores.
13. Include daily a probiotic strain that supports immune health and take a daily magnesium supplement. These will aid in digestion and absorption and elimination! (always check with your health care provider before adding supplements.)
Valuable sources:
In Defense of Food - An Eater's Manifesto by Micheal Pollan
Anti-Cancer – a new way of life by David Servan-Schreiber