Eat Healthy
What we eat, digest, absorb and assimilate becomes us. The food we eat provides the building blocks for our bodies.
WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!! What kind of building blocks do you want to use to build your body??
Food is Information
Nutrients and chemicals found in our food provide information to the cells of our bodies. This information activates the expression of healthy and unhealthy genes. Genes contain the blueprints for our body's structure and function. Natural nutrient-dense foods activate the expression of healthy genes and down-regulate the expression of genes containing unhealthy blueprints (i.e. Type 2 Diabetes). Unnatural nutrient-depleted, genetically-altered foods that are loaded with chemicals, pesticides, and synthetic ingredients, activate the expression of unhealthy genes and down-regulate the expression of genes containing healthy blueprints (i.e. strong heart). What kind of information do you want to provide to the cells of your body??
Simply-Eat-Healthy
It seems today that healthy eating has been made out to be this complex undertaking. There are thousands of different diets to choose from when you combine approaches to eating (i.e. keto, paleo, vegan, raw foods, etc.) and cultural diets (i.e. Mediterranean, Greek, Mexican, Chinese, etc.). How does a person choose the best diet to support their health?
Here at Positive Patterns for Life, we take a flexible approach to supplying the body with the nutrients it needs to support optimum health. SIMPLY-EAT-HEALTHY! Here are a few simple guidelines to eating healthy:
- Eat to meet your body's macronutrient needs (protein, fat, carbs);
- Eat to meet your body's micronutrient needs (vitamins, minerals);
- Eat to meet your body' energy needs;
- Eat a variety of whole foods, from each food group;
- Avoid unnatural, processed, nutrient-depleted foods;
- Include brightly colored fruits and vegetables in your diet to provide your body with disease-preventing, anti-aging phytonutrients (i.e. antioxidants, anti-inflammatory substances);
- Choose non-GMO and organic foods as much as possible;
- Properly clean fresh produce with an effective cleaner that removes pesticides from your food;
- Stay hydrated with clean water.
Every Body is Different
There is one more thing you need to take into consideration when it comes to finding the healthiest nutrition plan for your body. Every body is different! There are nutritional guidelines established for macronutrients and micronutrients needed for different age groups, genders, and body sizes. There are no nutritional guidelines that take into account the different biochemical makeup of each individual body. So how do you tweak your nutrition plan for your unique biochemical makeup?
Here's how! Listen to your body. When you eat food that supports your health, it should make you feel energized, your thoughts should be clear, your digestive system should be happy. Foods that make you feel lethargic, sleeping, give you brain fog, or cause digestive upset (i.e. gas, bloating, indigestion, discomfort), are not supporting the health of your unique body. These foods could be healthy foods, but not for your unique body.
Need Help with Your Nutrition Plan?
FIRST, Check out the Positive Patterns for Life - Whole Foods Nutrition Manual BELOW. It will provide you with a foundation for a healthy diet and help you choose nutrient dense foods from each food group. This manual includes kitchen exercises which will help you identify healthy and unhealthy foods in your kitchen. Plus the Blue Print for a Healthier Kitchen will help you develop a plan to phase unhealthy foods out of your kitchen.
If you would like help with changing your eating habits, check out the helpful information and handouts on the CHANGING HABITS PAGE.
If you would like to know how to eat to meet your body's 1) macronutrient needs (protein, fat, carbs), or 2) micronutrient needs (vitamins, minerals), or 3) energy needs, or 4) hydration needs ... LAURIE JEAN ELLIS WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU!! If you would like to make an appointment with Laurie, CLICK HERE.
