Eating Real Food = Better Health plus Healthy Body Weight
Regardless of diet preferences, food selection is simplified and clarified in a must-have book by Michael Pollan, Food Rules, An Eaters Manual. The author’s mantra is easy to remember:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
- 70 percent of Americans are considered overweight and obesity is at an alarming 40 percent!
- More than 45 percent of the U.S. adult population is suffering from at least one chronic condition like arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular, depression, or diabetes.
- Whether the goal is to lose weight, stabilize blood sugar, lower blood pressure, or minimize chronic disease, just remember:
Enjoy Health Benefits from Eating Real Food NOW
11 ways to decide if food is real:
- Did Great Grandma eat this? If yes, chances are good that it’s REAL FOOD!
- Does the ingredients list include items you don’t keep in your food pantry? Caramel color, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum? NOT real!
- Is the product “lite,” “low-fat,” “nonfat,” “sugarless,” “sugar-free” or “imitation?” NOT real!
- Are there commercials on tv or radio for this food? NOT real! Think about it… are there advertisements for green peppers or apples?
- If the food was left out for two weeks, would it still look the same and be edible? If it hasn’t rotted, NOT real! An example is potato chips.
- Can you grow it in a garden? REAL food!
- Can you get it at a drive-thru window? NOT real!
- Is it naturally intense in color (without dyes)? Think blackberries, strawberries, and kale. REAL food!
- Is it naturally sweet? REAL food!
- Artificial sweeteners of any variety = NOT real!
- Does it make you lose control and eat too much? NOT real! Have you ever lost self-control while eating apples, spinach, or carrots? It would more likely be chips, crackers, fast food, pasta, or ice cream.
REFRIGERATOR CHALLENGE
Send me a photo of the INSIDE of your refrigerator filled with REAL FOOD!
Better Health. Read Food. Start now.
Share your thoughts in the comment box below…
Are you willing to clean up your refrigerator?
Are you willing to eat real food for the rest of the challenge?
Email your refrigerator photo to Info@AgingGracefully.TV!
Questions? I’m your Health Coach for FREE!
I totally agree with the article. I love fresh fruits and vegetables but during the off seasons you are trusting where they come from. My downfall is that I do overeat the fruits and vegetables at one sitting. It’s amazing how you can leave a loaf of bread out for a month and there is no sign of mold??? Just what are we putting into our bodies. I do buy fresh made bread but if not eaten in two days it gets moldy.
Any thoughts on a Vegan diet.
Yes, lots of vegetables and healthy fats are especially important for you. B Vitamins super important, too. I’ve seen vegans gain weight from empty carbs like bread, pasta, and corn. Eat for the highest nutrition possible!
I don’t eat pasta or bread. Wheat sensitive. Worry about B12 levels.
love my fruits
Vegetables
Salmon (coho)
Salads
Almond milk
Steel cut oats
Easy to enjoy…
Great article today
Linda
WOW
do not like fish or almond milk . do drink 2% at dinner and with cereal. not a big vegetable eater but like fruit. always in the frig.
Almond milk is a processed food. Cereals are processed foods that can increase sugar levels so you may need to watch that. Fruit is delicious and healthy in moderation, but also a source of natural sugars. Can you hide some veggies in eggs/omelets? Or soups?