A Healthy Guide to Eating
INTRODUCTION
For some reason, one of the hardest things for a human to do is to eat right. Whether that is
because we have limited access to resources in all areas or if it is because we
simply have too much access to unhealthy food, many reasons eating healthy is a challenge.
Sure, we can eat just about anything and it will sustain us. We will move from one moment to the next and be able to call ourselves healthy. But is it healthy to subsist on a diet of processed foods and sugary drinks? Just because we are alive does not mean that we are healthy. And the older we get, the more our bad habits begin to catch up with us.
It is unbelievably important to form healthy eating habits
early on in life, or at least, as early as possible to prevent any future
issues from occurring. You do not want to wake up one day and realize that you
have had a nutrient deficiency for years and it is causing complications that
are almost impossible to rectify. All of us need to take more responsibility
for what we put into our bodies because if we don’t, it can become extremely
dangerous.
Of course, when we are older and we can look back on
our mistakes, hindsight is 20/20. We realize that there were things that we could
have done and probably should have done that we simply didn’t do because we
were either unconscious of the ill effects, or simply lazy. Just having simple knowledge does not necessarily make the need to do something health-conscious a reality.
For the most part, it takes us truly being exposed to the
suffering that can occur because of bad health choices before we are more
conscious of the way we treat our bodies and our health in general. When we
aren’t able to see the reality of the consequences of our actions, it can make
them feel very far away and difficult to
relate to. We may even blow them off entirely. This can be a
very debilitating place to find yourself. Especially when you are already
dealing with the side effects of poor eating and a lack of a healthy diet.
Everybody deserves a chance to become the greatest version of
themselves possible. Still, if we are not even acknowledging the fact that
unhealthy eating can take us right off course, even in the present moment, then
we are ultimately waving goodbye to the best future possible.
But all of this can change. By reading this book, you are
going to understand the importance of eating healthy and how food impacts our
bodies and functions.
We need to understand exactly why our bodies react to food
the way they do to stay on track. But there are
many ways that you can begin to understand why eating healthy foods is so
important, and exactly how to begin a healthy eating journey. Let’s not
waste any more time. We should begin eating healthy today!
WHY EAT HEALTHY?
Healthy eating is important for a lot of reasons. Most of us
are already aware of the increasing obesity epidemic in North America. This is
particularly true of the United States in general. There is even a phrase for
the way many Americans eat, and that is called the SAD diet.
SAD stands for standard American diet, which refers to a
diet low in vegetables, high in fat and sugar, and lacking in nutrition.
Processed foods are definitely a part of the SAD diet. These
are foods that are easily available and quick to consume and prepare but have
long-lasting negative health effects.
If you do not want to find yourself obese, it is generally
considered a good idea to avoid eating such processed foods and keep your focus
on eating whole grains fruits and vegetables, and meat that has not been
treated with hormones and other chemicals that can ultimately end up in your
body and cause issues. Unfortunately, in North America, we are given a lot of
options to slack off when it comes to preparing meals.
We have so many things readily available to us, and the
amount of money that you have to spend to buy bad food is far less than it is
to buy good food. It seems strange that it costs more money to buy organic than
it does to buy foods that will ultimately cause health problems in the long
run, but that is the rule of supply and demand.
Not only that, but processed foods are mass-produced and make
a huge profit because of their convenience. That is why, in many ways, and
obesity epidemic in North America is not particularly surprising. Nutrition is
not number one on the list of companies that are attempting to cash in on
people’s laziness in the kitchen.
However, in many ways eating healthy is
important, and good reasons to avoid processed foods and the standard American
diet. For example, if you do not want to be obese, you should definitely look
into the rest of this book for ways to improve your diet and begin a healthier
lifestyle.
Another reason to eat healthy is because you can make yourself
prone to diseases by eating unhealthy foods and by staying on a standard
American diet that is full of fat and sugar. Diabetes is something that can be
developed because of poor eating and can oftentimes be treated with healthy
eating.
Type II diabetes is ultimately something that can be
maintained and controlled with proper eating habits and triggered by poor
eating habits. If you want to avoid these types of difficulties and
complications, you should do your best to be conscientious about your food
choices.
Other diseases can result from poor eating as well. High
blood pressure is common, as well as other chronic diseases. Osteoporosis is
something that can affect many people later in life because they are not
making healthy eating choices earlier on. You may find yourself suffering from
poor bone health, hypertension, or even heart problems. All of which can be
very demanding on your body and cause major stress that can ultimately be very
dangerous.
If you want to show your family that you care about them, you
should begin making choices now that will help you to stay in their lives for
as long as possible. Poor health is not something that only affects you. It is
also something that affects the people around you. If they are watching you
suffer because of poor choices that you have made, in a way, that is quite
selfish. They are suffering too. Now, do your best to make the choices that
will be the best not only for yourself but for your family in the long run.
This book will show you how.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR RELATIONSHI WITH FOOD
Over time, everybody begins to develop certain
habits. We develop habits in all areas of our lives. We develop hygiene
habits, food habits, work habits, and all sorts of other types of habits.
However, they are usually pretty oblivious to our habits until they
begin to affect us negatively. And even then, when we begin
to understand that we are being poorly impacted by our habits, it can be very
difficult to change them. Because that is what I have it is like.
A habit is something that we do almost unconsciously. We are
programmed to follow these habits, and it takes a great amount of willpower to
break free from the cycle.
Once you begin to understand that your relationship with food
has everything to do with the habits that you have created and habits that you
can continue to mold and cultivate, then it becomes far easier to change your
mindset.
When you realize the impact and importance of your future and
make positive choices about these things, it can make you more primed toward
healthy eating and less inclined to make choices that negatively impact you and
your future.
To be truthful, many of us seem to consider the future bleak.
We do not see reasons enough to change our habits because if we do not believe
that we have anything good to look forward to, then it doesn’t matter whether
we make good choices or not. We do not see how we can actually pave our future
to be in our best interests. Probably because we do not believe that we have
any power over our lives.
If you can relate to this feeling, don’t be alarmed. It is
very common in the human experience. We are generally discouraged from taking
control and utilizing our power from an early age and sometimes stop
believing we have any authority over our lives because we are usually told what
to do by other people.
As children, that makes sense. Children don’t always know
what is best for them. But it can encourage a very helpless type of mindset
that causes us to have a hard time understanding that the consequences of our
actions can truly begin to shape who we are and how we present ourselves to the
world.
This is why it is important to truly take steps to help you
understand yourself and your dietary habits. When did your habit begin? How did
you form that habit? Why? What benefits do you have from this habit? What
negative effects do you have from this habit?
Ask yourself as many of these questions as you possibly can
so that you begin to truly have an understanding of how it is that you are
shaping your future with the food that you are eating. Are you creating a
healthy and energized future, or are you creating a future that is bleak and
potentially full of negative health consequences?
Next, evaluate your sense of self-discipline. Are you capable
of maintaining discipline over your choices? Or is this an area where you
struggle? Discipline can be difficult for everybody, and if you find yourself
having a hard time staying disciplined, it would do you well to look into
different ways that you can encourage yourself to be a more disciplined
person both in practice and mentally.
Only then will you truly have what it takes to begin a
journey of healthy eating? Whether we like it or not, bad health
choices are everywhere. They are easy and they are addicting.
If we allow ourselves to be swayed by these poor choices, and
do nothing to change our habits, then it doesn’t matter whether
you eat healthy sometimes or not. The negative effects will
still be gripping your body and waiting to spring up on you when you least
expect it.
In a way, unhealthy eating is a self-destructive pattern that
a lot of us take part in. Whether this is because of poor self-esteem, or
simply because we are unhappy with our situations and have no faith in the
future, self-destructive eating patterns are dangerous. You have to look to
yourself and truly value your life and your future before eating healthy will
stick.
There are many ways that you can do this, and if possible,
you may even want to consult a mental health professional for support.
Sometimes, they can help us to see biases and negative patterns in our lives
that we remain oblivious to. Once those are understood and accepted, then it
can be that much easier to overcome them and take the steps that you need to
take to make positive choices.
Whether you seek out the help of a qualified professional or
not, there are many things that you can do to change your mindset. As long as
you understand that you are worthy of a healthy body and a positive future,
then you will allow yourself to take the steps necessary to get there.
But if you do not feel good about yourself, it is going to be
a lot harder. Overall, understanding yourself, your habits, your mental
roadblocks, and your discipline, will help you in your
journey. All of us can take steps every day toward becoming
our best possible selves, and healthy eating is one great step in that
direction. And it is a step we can take today!
THE DANGERS OF DIET TRENDS
Diet trends are rampant in our society today, and almost all
of them come with dangers attached to them. Unfortunately, most people who are
desperate to make money often don’t look at the long-term health consequences
of their products. What they are truly concerned about is making money and
doing something that will help them capitalize off of a desperate desire
that many people have to lose weight in a fast and easy way.
There is something that you are going to have to accept if
diet trends are something that captivate your interest. The unfortunate fact of
the matter is that there is no healthy way to lose weight fast and easily with
no work no healthy eating and no exercise. Losing weight is a good goal if
you are obese or if you are lacking in fitness and you need extra mobility.
All of us have at times needed to start making better
lifestyle choices, and that is something that we can do with food and healthy
body movement as opposed to trusting companies that want to exploit us to make money.
Some of the diet trends out there are exceptionally dangerous
and have dire health consequences both long-term and short-
term. Many of them rely on methods that cause us to starve
ourselves and Robert bodies of essential nutrients. Sometimes, even dehydrating
us.
These types of diet trends are extremely disgusting. They are
taking advantage of people who want to be healthy but don’t know how to go
about it. They are taking advantage of people, often women in particular, who
are crumbling under the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards and women who
are told that to have any value, they must look a certain way.
That is absolutely untrue. Whether you weigh 100 pounds or
700 pounds, you have value. However, healthy eating is one of the only real
ways that you are going to be able to kickstart your metabolism and provide
your body with the nutrients that it needs to function at its highest possible
capacity.
If you are robbing your body of the vitamins and minerals
that it needs to thrive and trusting a diet trend to teach you how to
lose weight and have value when all they really want is your money, then you
are going to end up further behind the line then you were to start out with.
The unfortunate truth about many diet trends is that they cause the body to go
into starvation mode.
This can wreck your metabolism and cause you to gain weight
even faster in the future. Don’t let yourself be exploited by the
advertisements promising that you will lose weight fast and
easy way. All of that will come with a price. Not only that,
but there are health trends out there such as the hCG diet that can really
screw up your body and your hormones.
The ironic thing about diet trends is that they often will
make it harder for you to lose weight in the future because you are
implementing unhealthy and difficult ways of maintaining your weight. If you
want to be skinny, don’t trust a pill on TV to make you skinny. Start cutting
out unhealthy sugary and processed foods and replace them with healthy
whole-grain wheat and organic fruits and vegetables that will not introduce
chemicals into your body that will make it even harder for you to lose weight
and that will ultimately mess up your body chemistry.
It may seem tempting to be able to lose weight quickly and
not have to sacrifice the negative eating habits that you have developed over
your lifetime, but it is not healthy. You are hurting yourself and priming your
body for further health complications in the future if you are not careful
about the way you attempt to lose weight. Make sure that you are doing
everything in your power to make choices that you would want other people to
make for themselves.
Do research before you let yourself be swayed by the snake
oil salesman on TV. Look into these things because you are worth doing things
the right way and you deserve a positive future and not one that is complicated
by the side effects of a sales pitch that only wants your money and not your
health.
THE FOOD PYRAMID
Most of us have probably seen the food pyramid. Growing up,
the food pyramid was often used as a guideline to provide us with an
idea of how much food and what kind of food we should eat every day to
maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Of course, there is always evidence to state that the food pyramid is flexible, but overall, if you can observe the food pyramid you will have a general idea of what is acceptable in a healthy and nutritious diet.
While this may sometimes be controversial, it is still good to have basic food. Possibly one that you create yourself. A lot of people will say that it is no longer considered the most healthy thing to do to eat as many grains as the food pyramid may have suggested.
In fact, with recent outbreaks of celiac disease, a lot of
people are touting a no-grain lifestyle as the most healthy choice.
Rather than relying on the food pyramid for your basic
guideline of what is healthy to eat, try to take into consideration your own
personal experiences with food and go from there. Some people are
healthier with a lot of grains, and some are not. Use your judgment
here to the best of your ability so that you will be able to take steps
in the right direction for your health.
The standard food pyramid recommends as follows:
• Rice, cereal,
pasta, and bread, can be as many as 11 servings per day.
• For vegetables
and fruits, you should have between three and five servings.
• As far as their
eggs, you can have two or three servings every day, provided you are not
allergic or lactose intolerant.
• When it comes to
meat and beans, and other things like nuts and fish or poultry, it is
recommended that you have two or three servings every day.
• Unsurprisingly,
things such as sugar fat, and oil are the very tip of the. Because you
should not have any of these things in excess. Rather, use them only as
necessary to guarantee your healthiest possible lifestyle.
Again, this is only referencing the standard food pyramid. Depending on your own singular needs and dietary functions, you may need to modify this chart for yourself. But if you do not have any specific requirements, this is the standard for the food pyramid that can be utilized to your greatest possible advantage in creating a healthier lifestyle.
HOW FOOD CAN BE YOUR MEDICINE
In the same way that not eating healthy can make you sick,
eating healthy foods can oftentimes cure you of illness and provide you with
relief when you are suffering.
It can also act as a preventative measure to take against
illness. In fact, there has been an entire method of healing around India for
thousands of years called Aryuveda.
This ancient healing style is utilized to treat any
illness simply by changing your diet. Food is literally the medicine that has
helped to keep the people of India alive for centuries. And it can still be
applicable today.
In fact, many remedies are simply healthy foods that have
anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to nourish your body from the
inside out. Everything from infection to cancer has been known to be impacted
by healthy eating choices.
And with this ancient healing art, that has never been more apparent.
Of course, a lot of modern technology will frown upon these methods because they have not been scientifically investigated, but a lot of it has been tried and true for thousands of years and will continue to impact the body.
Whether you believe in the ancient healing art or not, the
fact remains that food can ultimately determine whether or not you are
susceptible to illness. If you eat well, your body will be stronger and it will
be able to fight off illness and infection far easier than it would if you find
yourself malnourished on a standard American diet.
Without the proper vitamins and minerals in your body, it can
be almost impossible to fight off the negative effects of illness.
Sometimes, it can even cause illness. If you are eating
unhealthy unprocessed foods, certain types of these foods can actually lead to
illnesses and make you more susceptible to certain types of cancer as well.
Although cancer is still being researched and has not fully
been understood by the scientific community well enough to actually cure it,
there are many instances of people who were able to live long and healthy lives
simply by changing the way they need it. Healthy eating can help in decreasing the
symptoms of many difficult and impossible-to-cure diseases, such as multiple
sclerosis.
As long as you are making sure that everything that you put
into your body is nourishing and is providing your organs and cells with all of
the fuel and resources that they need to keep your body strong, they
will continue to do that. And they will do it to the best of their ability.
However, if you are actively sabotaging your body, they will
not be able to put up the same fight as they would if they were receiving
adequate nutrition. That is why it is so important for you to take heed of the
way you are nourishing your body. If you are not making active and
conscientious choices about the food that you eat, you could be setting
yourself up for failure in ways that you may live to regret.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING VEGETABLES
Vegetables are one of the most unsung foods in existence, especially when it comes to the standard American diet. Most people don’t realize just how important it is to provide the body with the vitamins and minerals that vegetables and vegetables alone can provide. Sometimes, people will look into vegetables as a way of improving their beauty, but when it comes to improving their health, they become somewhat disinterested.
However, now that you are here and reading this book, it is
safe to assume that you are willing and able to take into consideration why it
is important to eat vegetables. Here are some of the best reasons to provide
yourself with vegetables daily as a part of your diet.
First of all, the body needs fiber to get rid of
excess waste. Without a way to find the waste together and eliminate it, it stays
stuck in the body and can contribute to weight gain and other potential
complications.
Fiber is extremely important for other reasons as well. It can help you to prevent your blood cholesterol from rising and can even prevent heart disease, or at least lower the chances of suffering from it.
Folic acid is also present in vegetables, and when you are providing your body with this substance, it can generate the production of your red blood cells. This can be very important in helping you to prevent anemia from occurring and can be very beneficial to women in particular, who have a tendency to need this substance during pregnancy and menstruation.
Vegetables are also naturally high in many vitamins, such as
A and C, which help fight infection and keep the body healthy.
It can help you to speed up the healing process and to absorb iron, which is
another way of helping to combat and prevent anemia from occurring. Vitamins
are high in potassium and this is very useful because it prevents the body from
succumbing to high blood pressure.
Vegetables have been proven to reduce the risk of strokes and
other heart-related complications. They can prevent kidney stones from
developing and prevent the disintegration of bone matter. Filling yourself up
on vegetables is a good way to help you manage type II diabetes and obesity.
Not only that, but it can help you to stay strong in the fight against cancer and in cancer prevention. Perhaps one of the most redeeming qualities of eating vegetables is the fact that they are very low in fat and are definitely not calorie-dense.
This means that you can eat as many vegetables as you want to
without having to worry too much about gaining weight. Snacking on vegetables
is a great way to help you to reduce hunger cravings and to stay focused on a
healthy lifestyle.
There are so many great things about vegetables. Surprisingly, they are so rare to come by in the standard American diet. One
of the best ways that you can help yourself avoid high fat high sugar
and high salt processed foods is by walking around the outside of your grocery
store first.
Go along the fresh produce section so that you are making
conscious choices in providing your body with healthy fresh vegetable options
rather than skipping to the end and cheating by buying pasta and other
processed foods that are low in genuinely nutritious vegetable content.
Healthy eating starts with making the choices to nourish your
body, and there are few things more nourishing than vegetables.
We can often lose our taste for healthy foods because of
unhealthy and poor eating habits early in life, or even self-imposed later in
life, but it is easy to get back on track. Make time in your life for
vegetables. They may take a little bit longer to prepare, but the benefits are
worth it.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING FRUITS
It is unfortunate but common knowledge that people who
follow the standard American diet do not eat enough fruit. What fruit they eat is usually found in cans or saturated with sugar. The added sugar and fruit
are definitely something that take away any health benefits that eating fruit
in its natural state can provide the body.
There can be some complications to eating too much fruit,
especially if you have diabetes. Fruit is high in natural sugars, and when it
is juiced, you get a lot of sugar without a lot of fiber, which can provide the
body with an excess.
The fiber present in the fruit is one of the things that
makes it the healthiest and helps the body to lower heart disease and avoid
constipation. Not only that, but fiber-rich foods like fruit and vegetables are
very beneficial for weight management because they help you to feel full with
fewer calories. Not only that, but fruit is high in many vitamins and minerals,
especially citrus fruits when it comes to vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a powerhouse when it comes to helping the body
to heal, and if you need something that will help you keep your teeth and
gums healthy, vitamin C-rich fruits will definitely do the trick.
Another thing that fruit can help the body achieve is stroke
prevention and kidney stone prevention. Fruits are very helpful in supporting
the body and preventing and fighting disorders such as skin conditions and
heart problems. Fruit can be one of the most healthy ways to help you get a
boost of energy and get rid of sugar cravings that you may have when you are
attempting to cut unhealthy foods out of your diet.
As long as you aren’t overdoing it with your fruits, such as
throwing a bunch of them in the blender and ultimately consuming a ridiculous
amount of sugar, then you can have a healthy snack that satisfies your sweet
tooth if you are willing to utilize the tremendous power of fruit.
If you are interested in the benefits that food can have to
your health, both fruits and vegetables have a natural tendency to help your
skin glow and appear far more hydrated and nourished. Fruits and vegetables are
high in antioxidants vitamins and minerals that provide your body with the
hydration necessary to keep your skin and appearance healthy.
It can help your hair to grow softer and more healthy, as well as retain the youthful look of your skin. Fruit can even help you to stop acne in its tracks by keeping your body free of waste products that come out through your pores and hydrating your skin.
Fruit is excellent for helping the body to stay hydrated because of its high water content, and you will quickly begin to see the benefits and that aspect.
Not only that, but the fruit is particularly helpful for
digestion. Because of the high fiber content, it helps to bind waste and helps
the body eliminate things that might otherwise cause issues. Because of
this, fruit and vegetables can also aid in weight loss. Rather than allowing
waste to be broken down and stored as fat, the body eliminates it before it has
the chance.
Fruit is another great way to help you fight and prevent
disease, even cancer. Some fruits, such as apples, help to keep asthma at bay.
Others can significantly lower cholesterol levels.
Grapes have been known to be used in the combat of cancer as
well, particularly red-skinned grapes. They are also helpful in fighting
eye issues and kidney problems. If you suffer from infection, berries are
especially helpful. They are high in antioxidants.
Just make sure that you are eating fruits and vegetables that
are not treated with commercial pesticides, as they can absorb these chemicals
and actually complicate weight loss and cause issues in the body.
You can even eat dry fruits as a way of substituting
unhealthy and sugary snacks and providing your body with a sweet snack that
will pack quite a nutritional punch. Just be conscientious of the sugar levels
in dried fruits, because sometimes when they are commercially sold, added
sugars make what could be a healthy treat into something that may ultimately
help you to pack on the pounds.
However, when you are eating fruit in a healthy way and regularly, fruit can help to aid you in weight loss. As long as you are not
overeating things that are high in sugar, the fibers and water content of
fruit will help your body feel full and your cells and organs nourished. The
fibers and water content will help you to eliminate issues that are
contributing to obesity, and overall you will feel an immense shift in your
energy levels.
You can utilize this energy to exercise and work harder
toward a healthy lifestyle. This can be especially effective if you are
replacing sugary junk foods with healthier fruit alternatives as you continue
to transition on your journey toward better health and well-being.
THE BEST MEAT TO EAT FOR HEALTHY LIVING
Meat is generally considered one of the primary staple foods
in an email, but it may be surprising to find that there are actually some
meats that are healthier than others. Of course, we know the difference between
red meats and white meats. Red meats are more often linked to health problems
and coronary issues, while white meats are considered leaner and healthier
overall.
What some people may be surprised to find is that other issues make meats unhealthy. Issues such as the things that they are
fed while the animals are still alive and antibiotics and hormones that may be
injected into them to make them grow faster or produce more milk, at least in
the case of cows.
These types of hormones ultimately enter the meat that we
consume and can cause problems in our own bodies. If we are not conscientious
of the choices that we make when we are choosing our foods, they can ultimately contribute to poor health in the future, including but not limited to
cancers and hormone changes that can be quite debilitating.
However, if you are confident that you are receiving your
meat from sources that are healthy and do not feed animals over
steroids and antibiotics, then you are already ahead of the game. If not, try
to do some research about local places where you can receive meat that is
untainted by some dangerous industry standards.
That being said, even considering the healthy meat options, certain meats are healthier than others. One of the healthiest
meats that you can eat, especially if you are hoping to lose weight, is fish.
Fish is lean and packed with nutrients. However, you have to be careful about
the source of your fish.
Some fish are raised in unhealthy conditions, while other fish
may come from areas that could be contaminated with mercury. This is why it is
frowned upon for pregnant women to eat fish or shellfish.
But if you find a healthy source of fish, this can be very
beneficial for your body. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help
brain function and memory. Overall, Omega threes are highly coveted and
the body needs them to function at its highest possible potential,
especially when it comes to intellectual matters.
Chicken that has been raised in a good environment is another
great option. Chicken is high in protein. In fact, it is the highest in protein
of any other meat. They are usually raised in good conditions, or at least fed
foods that will not cause the human body issues the same way a lot of beef can.
However, if you are eating grass that beef from a trustworthy
supplier, that can also be a great option as well. If you are going to eat
organic chicken, there is generally less likelihood of these animals being
raised with dangerous carcinogens.
Chickens that have been conventionally grown are usually fed
foods that increase the rate at which they grow, which can lead to serious health
problems for the chickens themselves and for the humans that consume them. They
are also given a large supply of antidepressants and painkillers, sometimes,
even arsenic and caffeine.
It is dangerous to consume a lot of conventionally grown
meat, but if you can find a good supplier, then you definitely should
do so.
Turkey is another great meat because it is high in selenium.
This is great for the body, especially because it can help to
eliminate free radicals and other toxic substances.
Again though, you want to try to make sure that you are
receiving your meat from trustworthy sources because it is standard for
conventionally grown chicken and turkey to be treated similarly and fed
dangerous chemicals that unnaturally increase their rate of growth and
ultimately contaminate human bodies with those chemicals.
Eating meat overall can be very beneficial for the body, as
long as you are not eating meat that comes from dangerous and conventionally
grown methods. The chemicals that these animals are often subject to our
exceptionally dangerous, both to the animals themselves and to the humans who
consume them. If you want to eat healthy and lose weight, it is better to avoid
any chemicals that may end up staying stuck in your body and preventing weight
loss from occurring.
Even if you are not hoping to lose weight, eating healthy
includes avoiding anything that could be dangerous to the body, such as the
hormones and chemicals that are disruptive to our sensitive systems.
Fortunately, there are many sources for healthy meats, whether you want to
indulge in chicken, beef, or even lamb. There are ways that you can get
healthy, ethically raised me to satisfy any cravings you may have.
It does not come as a surprise to anybody that processed
foods are dangerous. What does come as a surprise however is that they are
still allowed out on the shelves, despite the havoc that they wreak on our
bodies and minds. Eating unhealthy food isn’t just a personal choice for some
people.
Sometimes, because of the way the economy works, people in
poverty are forced to turn to processed foods because they are a cheap and easy
way to feed large families on a low budget.
The hard thing about that is that these foods ultimately
cause medical problems down the line that cost even more money than it would
take to feed a large family healthy, sustainable options. Ultimately, it seems
that people with little money are suffering either way.
Even if you don’t have to feed a family on a budget,
processed foods are simply unhealthy. Part of what makes them so addicting is
their high fat and sugar content.
They are often boxed meals that include pasta and an
exceptional amount of sugar. Excessive sugar is dangerous in general, but
especially to people who are prone to developing type II diabetes. If you
consume sugar and high amounts, you are ultimately going to overload your body
and not only will you become obese, more than likely, but you also develop
health issues.
Sugar can help speed along the process of diabetes because of
the fact that it causes insulin resistance to occur which ultimately makes it
difficult, if not impossible, to control your blood sugar levels.
If you eat foods like this excessively, such as for every
meal, or at least every day, there is bound to be a negative consequence.
Consuming that high amount of fat and sugar consistently can lead to
not only diabetes and obesity, which are commonly known but also heart disease
and even cancer. This is exceptionally dangerous, and if possible, processed
foods should be avoided at all costs.
Another danger of eating processed foods is that not only are
they addicting, but they are highly artificial. Most of the ingredients in
those foods are not nourishing the body. Rather, they are leading us to feel
full while depriving our bodies of the essential nutrients that are required for
healthy functioning.
When we are eating a diet that is bland and not nourishing,
we are ultimately allowing ourselves to be dumbed down. We are not thinking
properly, we are not moving properly, and we are not functioning at our highest
possible potential. All of these things are highly damaging and can lead to
poor coordination and even depression.
On some level, we all know that processed foods are not as
healthy as the types of foods we should be consuming regularly. Our
bodies know it, even if our minds are not aware. And we suffer for it. We have
stress about it.
When we indulge in unhealthy foods, whether we are addicted
to them or not, our bodies know it. And, whether it’s a subconscious occurrence
or not, we often punish ourselves. We know that we are doing something wrong.
We feel upset about it and dissatisfied, even if we are processing it at the
moment.
Processed foods are also high in artificial colorings that
have been proven to be highly carcinogenic. When we are eating foods that have
fixed coloring in them, we are essentially swallowing dye. Would you want to eat
hair dye? Not really. But these types of chemicals are what are used in your
food. They stay in your body and do not come out. They dye your organs on the
inside. They are highly dangerous and can lead to cancer.
There also full of preservatives. Processed food stays on the
shelf for a very long time. Longer than is healthy and normal. Any
a typical bottle of milk would not last for months on end at a
time. It would curdle and spoil. The same as with cheeses, and the same as with
other foods that you find on the shelves that have long shelf lives.
Shelf lives are important for companies to establish because
they can make more money if their food can stay on the shelf
longer. They will do whatever it takes, whether it is healthier or not the
human body, to ensure that they are making the most money possible.
Preservatives often include unhealthy and unnatural chemicals
and excessive amounts of salt. Neither of these are good for the body at all.
Processed foods can lead to issues with the heart, and hypertension, because of
the excessive amount of salt present in these foods. High blood pressure is a
common occurrence among people who survive off of processed foods, and obesity
and heart attacks are some of the number one killers in North America.
This has absolutely everything to do with the standard
American diet. The sad part about it is that even if you know it is unhealthy,
the chemicals and high sugar and fat content make these processed foods
extremely addicting.
The body begins to crave them, and it can be almost as
dangerous as a drug addiction. When you are addicted to a food
that is neither nourishing nor healthy, it can have long-term
consequences on your health and development.
Another way that processed foods contribute to obesity is
because we digest them far too quickly compared to foods that are rich in
healthy dietary fiber. If we are digesting these foods quickly and they are not
filling us up because we are not receiving the fiber that provides us with the
full feeling, we are not even burning the same amount of energy as we would to
digest healthy foods.
This means that we eat more and digest less, leading to fast
and rapid weight gain. The calories present in your body are much higher when
you are on a diet of processed foods. You burn far more calories when you are
eating healthy, whole foods that are rich in dietary fibers.
Unfortunately, this means that people who live and subsist on
a diet of processed foods are ultimately going to gain weight whether they want
to or not. And they will not provide you with the same amount of energy because
they are not nourishing. They are likely to leave you tired and sluggish, and
feeling far too full because you eat a lot more of these unhealthy, sugar-filled
foods without feeling content or satiated.
Processed food is not metabolized properly in our bodies.
They are quickly turned to fat. Not only that, but they are high in fat. They
are often full of hidden fat and sugars. Vegetable oil is one of the primary
ingredients in many of these processed meals,
along with things such as high fructose corn syrup, which is
a huge culprit in weight gain.
If every processed food on the shelves contained high
fructose corn syrup, and most of them do, it is no wonder that North America is
facing the worst obesity epidemic in world history. Hydrogenated oils are
highly unhealthy because they do not break down.
They remain in your body and become merged with the fat
cells. These oils make fat far more difficult to burn off. They are harder to
get rid of, and that type of stubborn fat can lead to obesity very quickly. The
ingredients in processed foods lack most of the nutritional value that humans
need to function at their highest potential. We need the fibers and
the vitamins and minerals that are present in real food before we can truly
thrive.
If you find that processed foods can’t be entirely avoided,
they should at least be eaten in moderation. They are dangerous. They can make
us feel sluggish, irritable, and unhappy overall.
Our dispositions can go from positive to negative when we go
from a healthy diet and ultimately find ourselves consumed with nothing but
processed foods that are too sugary, too fatty, and too unhealthy.
Our bodies crave nutrition. The easiest and most beneficial
thing you can do for yourself is to provide your body with that nutrition. It
can be hard to get used to changing routines such as subsisting off of
processed foods, and it can be very frustrating at times.
You have to spend a lot more time in the kitchen cooking and
taking your health and your meals into consideration. But ultimately, eating
processed foods is something that can kill you and cut you off from yourself.
You are actually consuming toxins and avoiding foods that can act as
antioxidants that will provide you with a chance to get rid of the waste that
you are putting into your body.
Processed foods are the same as junk foods. They are no
different. They are healthier seemingly junk foods. They are snacks in disguise.
To become healthy and to actually feel healthy, avoiding processed
foods at all costs is the first and most effective step that you can take.
Don’t let yourself be fooled by packaging that claims these foods are healthy.
They are saturated and fat and sugar and salt, and lacking in
anything that gives your body nourishment. Do everything you can to change your
habit of relying on processed foods. Eating healthy is easy and possible if you
set your mind to it.
Just remember the strategy of walking around the grocery
store to pick up the fresh produce and meat as opposed to walking through the
aisles that are full of dangerous and alluring packaging that hides the
dangers of the processed food within.
Meal planning can be one of the single most important aspects
of developing a healthy lifestyle. When we are unable to visualize the future
of our eating, it can be very easy to succumb to the temptations of unhealthy
foods that we have become addicted to. Especially if it is our habit to eat
them rather than eating the foods that will nourish us.
Meal planning is quite an endeavor. It can be somewhat
intimidating, especially to somebody who suffers from organization. If you find
yourself having a hard time with meal planning, don’t fret. There are many ways
that you can begin to delve into meal planning that is fun and easy, whether
you struggle with creativity in the kitchen or not.
There are many meal-planning kits that you can buy. Many of
them have the option of ordering boxes full of fresh foods to cook with and
include recipes that you can use. This can be very helpful if you are not used
to cooking, which is often the case.
Especially when poor eating habits and a busy work schedule
make it seem difficult to carve out the time necessary to make full,
nourishing meals. The first step in meal planning is research. If you are going
to get yourself healthy, you have to look at your options.
Researching recipes is the best first place to start.
Accumulating a binder full of healthy foods that you want to try out can be
both fun and educational. It will open your mind to several food possibilities
you may have otherwise scoffed at as too difficult for you to prepare, or maybe
teach you things you had never known before.
Recipes can be very mind-opening. Especially when you are
interested in making new discoveries. Cooking can be a hard habit to get into,
but once you begin to master it, you will be surprised by just how much freedom
you can find in putting a meal together for yourself that is both
health-conscious and delicious!
Look at recipe books and magazines and get an accumulation of
recipes that you want to try. Start with the things that look the most
delicious and nourishing, and if you are a novice in the kitchen, you may also
want to look at the things that seem the most simple.
Next, you should keep your recipes organized in a simple way
that is easy to navigate. If you find yourself overwhelmed by a lack of
organization, it will make meal planning that much more difficult.
When you are beginning a new habit, you want to make sure
that you are doing everything as simply as possible. Too much change at once
can be demanding on your system, and you should always try to implement small,
easy changes until they have become a new habit.
Make sure that they are easily accessible so that when you
want to begin preparing your meal you can do so easily. If you are using a
binder, you may want to consider laminating the pages or using plastic sleeves,
so that if you are using it in the kitchen, they are not affected by water or
other food contamination.
When you organize your recipes, it would help to put them in
order of breakfast meals, lunch meals, dinner meals, and snacks. This will help
you to reference the proper recipes more easily once you begin to start
cooking. If you like, you could even organize your binder by day of the week,
and have your meals planned out for every day and printed out in the binder
that way.
There are many ways you could organize your recipes. Do what
seems to make the most sense to you intuitively. Don’t force yourself to adhere
to a type of organization that doesn’t work
for you. Instead, make sure that you are doing what works
best for you in your own life.
Make sure that you are taking the time to regularly seek out
new recipes that stand out to you to keep your creative juices flowing and your
kitchen exciting. There are many types of recipes you can try, and the more you
attempt, the more interesting going on a journey of healthy eating can be!
Next, you should explore software such as Excel or Microsoft
Office that will help you to organize your meal planning. On Excel, you will
find a plethora of templates you can choose from to help yourself plan out your
meals by the day, time, and week. This can be a hugely valuable resource!
If you would prefer not to use Excel, there are also apps you
could download on your phone tablet, or another device to help you to utilize
your time and resources better.
You can even go the old-fashioned route and buy a notebook
that is specially designed for planning meals. This is an important step in
making sure your meals are organized and easily accessible.
Having a meal plan is extremely helpful when it comes to
embarking upon a journey of healthy eating. Creating good habits takes time and
patience, and you will inevitably slip somewhere along the way.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to stay stuck on the
ground! Actually, it just means that you are going to have to get back up and
keep trying because giving up is far easier than sticking to your plans.
One thing that can really help when it comes to meal planning
is sticking with the theme. For example, a lot of people have specific themes
like Taco Tuesday or another day that is assigned for a specific type of meal.
If you think that would help you to stay on track, feel free to imitate that
type of meal planning. It is done for a reason, it works and it helps
to keep things simple and streamlined.
It can be very annoying to find yourself stuck doing a lot of
planning and preparation every single week or month, so if you want to keep
things easy, that can be a good way to do it. You could have a theme for
biweekly meals, such as taco Tuesday one night and maybe rice and vegetables
Tuesday the next, and alternate between them. There is no wrong way to plan your
meals. What you have to make sure you do is to observe and follow through.
Without follow-through, everything else becomes redundant and
difficult. Something that can truly help you to succeed at meal planning is
accountability. If you let somebody who knows you and cares about you know that
you are attempting to plan
your meals, ask them if they would be willing to help you to
stick to your routine.
They can help you by asking questions about how things are
going and whether or not you are staying on track. They may also choose to
encourage you and cheer you on through your endeavors.
However they choose to support you, they can be very
rewarding for both of you. If they are a positive and supportive person, it can
be great to know that you have people rallied in your corner who truly want you
to succeed. Just make sure that you are weeding out toxic people who bring you
down by turning the attention onto themselves or by making you feel as if it
will be difficult for you to accomplish your goals.
Sure, constructive feedback can be incredibly useful, but if
you are not seeking constructive feedback, it can at times be toxic.
Make sure you understand the difference between a toxic
person masquerading as a supportive person and a supportive person who truly
wants to see you thrive.
Another way to take accountability is by taking personal
accountability. Personal accountability can be achieved through journaling and
self-affirmations. Talking to yourself about your goals, what you do internally or out loud, can be a good way
to help you stay focused and ask yourself whether or not
you are doing the things that you hope to accomplish.
If you find that you are not, instead of beating yourself up
about it, consider your obstacles and move on as you begin to uncover them. The
only way you will ever be a failure is if you do not try. If you try,
everything will ultimately fall into place because you are making an effort and
creating positive changes in your life.
Journaling is useful for many reasons. They can help you to
write down what you have eaten and when and how much. This will give you a good
idea of what you can realistically expect from yourself. The things that you
are unhappy with, you should address and take note of. But instead of being
angry at yourself for not being a trickle right away, remember that it is a
process and you need to go slowly.
Instead of implementing an entire change in routine and
planning out every meal for the next month when you have never done it before,
instead, start slow by easing into one or two meals a week, and then gradually
adding in the rest as you feel comfortable with the process.
Make it something that does not shock your system. Gradual
change is the most lasting. Journaling about your experiences will help you uncover your innermost thoughts about the process and things that you might
not even realize were holding you back.
You will begin to sense patterns in your behavior and
possibly predict when you might find yourself tempted to get off track and why.
If you can identify these trigger points, it will be easier to avoid
them in the future.
Meal planning can be a very fun and exciting endeavor. Even
if you aren’t the type who enjoys that type of organization, it can be very
rewarding to think about exactly what you are going to be putting in your body
and take the steps necessary to actually do so. Everybody deserves a chance
to become the healthiest and most healthy version of themselves possible, and
with meal planning and a healthy dose of self-esteem, you will be well on your
way to a lifestyle of healthy eating.
Healthy eating is something that can be very difficult to
begin doing, especially if you were not able to develop healthy eating habits
from a young age. However, it is not impossible to become a more health-conscious and proactive person.
Fortunately, every single day that we wake up living and
breathing is a day that we can begin to better ourselves and move forward in
our lives.
Becoming the best version of ourselves can seem intimidating
at first, but once you start to realize that every choice you make has an
impact on your life, whether positive or negative, then it becomes a lot easier
to see the course of our actions before they come back to haunt us. Poor eating
habits are definitely choices that will come back to haunt us.
If we are not careful, we will begin to develop health
problems later in life because we were not conscientious of what we put into
our bodies when we were younger. Healthy eating and exercise is the only way to
create a healthy and happy body and mind.
We become stir-crazy and restless when we stay stuck in our
homes all day eating nothing but sugar and fat-laden processed foods and
sitting around watching TV without exercising. The standard American diet is
dangerous, and it is costing people their lives. Don’t let yourself become one
of those people.
Instead, make the choices that you need to make to
truly better yourself and become the best version of yourself possible. Make
choices that will make your family proud and will provide them with your
presence in their lives for years to come.
When we are not taking care of ourselves, this is actually
very selfish. There are people around us who care deeply for the people that we
are and the value that we bring to their lives, whether we realize it or not.
Everybody deserves a chance to take their future into their own hands and
create positive changes that will benefit them for years to come.
Healthy eating is just one of many ways that you can begin to
better yourself and prepare your mind and body for the future. If you want to
be independent and active for as long as possible without costing yourself
thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical bills and other expenses, then
healthy eating is something that you should begin sooner rather than later.
If not, it is bound to become a drain on your life, both
materially and physically. By reading this book and utilizing the information
within it, you are now more prepared to take the first
step toward a healthy lifestyle.
Planning your meals and becoming more aware of why it is
important to make healthy food choices will drastically improve your quality of
life now and for years to come. All you have to do is stick with it, and you
will begin to see the positive health effects of healthy eating right away! All
you have to do is try. You can do this!
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