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Okay,
so you want to make some dietary changes...but where to begin?
1. Eat a
rainbow! The vibrant, beautiful colors of different fruits and vegetables represent the various chemical elements
that they contain. Each offers a unique mix of nutrients that support the various systems your body uses to survive- and thrive!
2. Simplify! The less processed, refined and tinkered-with your food is- the closer it is
to a "whole food," which offers a higher nutritional value. You'll be surprised at how your taste buds awaken without
the constant onslaught of white sugar, altered fats and packaged salt. Enjoy the subtle flavors that you were one unable to
perceive!
3. Relax about fat! We all require a certain percentage of dietary fats and oils
to perform vital functions within our bodies. It is actually the type of fat you consume that translates into whether it is
either harmful or healthful for your body. Avoid saturated, fried, hydrogenated and trans-fats as much as possible. Learning
about and selecting the proper foods negates having to be concerned about fat grams EVER AGAIN!!
4. Go
nuts! Containing substantial amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber, nuts and seeds also help to provide
the healthy fats that your body needs. Raw, organic, and unsalted are generally best- "butters" are fabulous!
5. Eat it RAW! Most people don't come close to consuming enough foods that are not cooked.
The recommendation is as high as 60%. Take a minute and think about the percentage of foods in your diet are actually raw.
Be mindful of this the next time you are deciding what to eat.
6. Stop reacting! Many of
us unknowingly suffer from reactions or sensitivities to the very foods most common in our diet - or more accurately, not
in our diet. When the offending item is absent from our bodies for a period of time, we experience symptoms of withdrawal
that can range from headache to nervousness, fatigue and mood swings. Ingest the culprit again and what do you know-- the
symptoms go away! Don't assume, for example, that your morning cup of coffee helps to clear your headache when, in actuality,
it is serving as the very cause!
7. Read up! Learn to decipher food labels and understand
exactly what the product contains so you can decide whether it is something you really want to consume. "Wheat"
bread, for example is no more nutritious than regular white (they are in fact, the same), though the former probably contains
agents to alter it's appearance enough so that the consumer believes they are choosing a healthier product. Colorings, additives
and preservatives, along with flavor enhancers, mold-inhibitors, and bleaching agents can cause health problems ranging from
allergies to cancer! Remember the concept of "WHOLE FOODS?!" Quick tip: if the list of ingredients is half an inch
thick, or more -- skip it!
8. Balance your pH! An acidic condition in the body can
lead to myriad problems from calcium loss to arthritis and the overworking your liver and kidneys. Be aware of the
types of food that are acid or basic and as well as their relative proportions in your diet. The proper balance should be
about a 20/80 split- with a blood pH of about 7.35
9. Think organic! Dismissed some years
ago as merely another point of reference for the delineation of the average American consumer from your bonafied health nut,
science has now confirmed that organic foods are not only tastier -- but contain higher amounts of various vitamins and minerals!
After all, substances don't just magically appear in our food supply, they have to first be present in the soil within which
they are grown in order to be absorbed through the root system. Most soil is so depleted by use of nitrogen-based fertilizers
and the effects of herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and over-farming practices --that it has little to offer
the vegetation. Most growers today are more concerned with the aesthetic quality rather than the nutritional value of their
crops, but don't blame them! Consumer demand sets the stage for supply and most of us want the prettiest, nicest looking apple
in the bunch! It used to be that the cost of organic (largely due to a lower percentage of "pretty," and therefore
purchased items) made it prohibitive or a luxury. Today, however growing consumer awareness about health and a heightened
sensitivity to our environment has increased the volume of organic products sold, thus bringing down the cost. Newly issued
government standards also help to insure quality and that marvels of modern science like genetic modification and irradiation
are not imposed upon organics. So take a quick jaunt through your local natural food market if you haven't been there in a
while- you just might be pleasantly surprised- and healthfully rewarded!
10. Relax and Enjoy! The
process of discovery that unfolds as you become increasingly aware of how your body responds to and is affected by various
foods is truly remarkable. Often, people don't even realize they were feeling so poorly until they begin to feel differently!
Many of our eating patterns, already established by early childhood -- remain relatively unexamined and consequently, unchanged
throughout adulthood. This does not afford us the memory of or the possibility for ever feeling much differently than we do
today. Ironic as it is, the very fact that food is such a basic requirement to our survival leaves it's importance to be overlooked
and undervalued. The responsibility that comes with a knowledge of proper diet is viewed by many as just one more thing to
be added to an already overwhelming and ever growing do list. Don't be dissuaded by what might seem like an impossible task.
Find a person who is well informed and with whom you are comfortable with to assist you in making the proper dietary and lifestyle
transitions as smooth as possible. Don't forget about effective stress management- as stress negatively impacts upon digestion
and assimilation. Exercise can be an outlet for stress while providing other benefits as well. The rewards you'll experience
will extend to all facets of your life and result in the kind of powerful motivation that can only be achieved or maintained
when it is coming from one source -- from within YOU!
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