Looking After Your Health NOW: Nutrition

We are inundated with nutrition advice. Everywhere you look someone or something is telling you “don’t eat this”, “do eat this”, “don’t do that”, “you should really be doing that”. But really what should we be doing about nutrition and our health? There are so many medical conditions which are directly related to our poor eating choices. Our bodies are finely-tuned machines which take what we “nourish” it with and use it for energy and muscle building. Why then do we feed it food that has no nutritional value what so ever?

If you were to take the commitment to your health seriously and realize that you alone are responsible for your health, where would you start? We can help. For the first post in the “Looking After Your Health” series, we are taking a look at food and drink and what you’re putting into your body.

FOOD & DRINK:

• When you eat you are not just putting food into your mouth, but actually nourishing your body. Anything that comes in a package and has more than 5 ingredients, isn’t food that is going to nourish our body.

• When we commit to being responsible for what nourishes our body, our eating habits will change.

• Do the research! Learn and read. Nobody knows exactly what is best, but you know what is best for your body.

• Start with not eating anything that comes in a package, no prepackaged food.

• No sugary drinks. That means pop, high-fructose juices, specialty lattes (even if it’s in season) and yes, alcohol. It is the sugar content in our food that is KILLING US.

• When eating out at restaurants, eat half of the portion that they serve you. Restaurants have given “portion” sizes a whole new meaning.

• How do we expect our body to perform and keep us well and fight off disease when we feed it “food’ that is made up of pure chemicals. The body was never meant to know how to resist “food” that is one large list of simulated flavours and artificial colouring

• If you can’t even pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t eat it.

Think of any change you make as improving your health. Once your health deteriorates, your life is forever altered and there may be no chance to make changes. The hardest part is starting, so start small and pick one or two of these changes to implement right NOW.