It is possible to maintain good health through proper diet. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Have you ever been to a zoo and seen signs near the animal enclosures saying, “Do Not Feed the Animals. They are on special diets and will get sick.” It stands to reason that if an animal eats foods that it is not made to eat, it will become ill and possibly die. If veterinarians are smart enough to figure this out in the case of animals, why haven’t we figured it out in the case of humans? It is really quite simple. If you don’t eat the proper foods that nourish your body, you will get sick and over the long term expose yourself to chronic disease and deterioration of health.
I have to admit. I never gave nutrition much thought until I was diagnosed myself with a chronic illness. It was not until then that I realized I needed to take matters into my own hands and eat foods that would help me to regain my health. Luckily for me, it was not too late to do this. Healthy foods are foods that are unprocessed and unadulterated. Here are 5 tips to eating the foods that will keep you healthy.
1. When food shopping, stick to the perimeter of the supermarket. This is the area that consists mostly of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. If you do most of your shopping from this area of the market, you will be working towards taking care of your health. What’s more, choose organic produce and produce that is locally grown. These are the foods that will be the most nutrient rich and the least contaminated by herbicides and pesticides.
2. Eliminate processed junk foods. These are the foods that are in the middle sections of the supermarket. They are loaded with refined sugars, processed grains and simple carbohydrates. These are the foods that will help you retain excess weight and are devoid of nutrition.
3. Know what foods you are sensitive to. If you are suffering from common ailments and have an overall feeling of ill health, you may be suffering from food sensitivities that you are not aware of. Exposing yourself to allergens on a long term basis without addressing the sensitivities could cause long term health problems down the line. A good holistic practitioner can test for sensitivities and help you get your body into balance.
4. Avoid simple sugars. Fructose, malts sucrose and honey are all harmful sugars. Honey, if in its raw and unprocessed state does have health benefits. But, if it has been processed, these benefits are gone. Use sweeteners such as stevia leaf or agave nectar in moderation to sweeten foods. These are lower glycemic and have healthier properties than refined sugar which is devoid of nutrition and damaging to your health.
5. Include some deep water, wild caught fish such as salmon, tuna or mackerel. These fish are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which are heart healthy. Other heart healthy oils are olive oil and coconut oil. Use cold pressed organic olive oil for salads and dressings but not for cooking as it will become rancid when heated. Coconut oil is heart healthy and holds up when exposed to heat. It is the healthiest oil for cooking.
