I would like to say that I was the only one who had anything to do with my choice to eat healthy. But I would be lying of I said I was. I was one of the lucky ones who had a mother who was not only interested in healthy eating, but also put it into practice. I had a really good foundation as a child. I remember being at school and opening my lunch-- I had 'nasty' brown bread, while all the other kids has that sweet white bread. Although now I would rather eat dirt. I am sure it is more nutritious than white bread anyways! I can even remember thinking my family was so healthy when were young that we had 'whole wheat' toilet paper-- of course, haha, it was just toilet paper made from recycled fibers. I really appreciate the fact that my mother took the time to really invest in our eating habits. When my brother and I got older my mom let us chose whether or not we ate healthy. I, being young and independent chose to eat the unhealthy food. Now that I am 24, and look back on it I wish I would have reconsidered more of my eating habits as a teenager. I went from eating healthy balanced meals to eating fast food sometimes twice a day.
Fast food, slurpies, candy, and, over processed foods all contributed to many consequences I deal with now.
Fast forward to me at the age of 20 I hit a wall where I realized I had to make the choice. My brother had started to eat healthy again-- so I was the odd one out. My mom and brother would eat these super healthy meals while I was snacking on my bag of licorice.
As I said, this wall I hit was a real crossroads for me. I didn't enjoy feeling sick all the time. And I certainly didn't like being out of shape. I started to gain interest in health. Oddly enough, I had always liked the idea of being a health professional. I know it sounds weird. Somewhere deep in me there was the interest, I never took the time to look.
I started to read a book called the "Great physicians Rx for health and wellness". This book gave me a huge craving to learn more about how our bodies were made and how they function. I realized through reading it that my body was much more than I thought it was. Our bodies are pretty incredible. And to add further: we need to treat our body incredibly as well.
For me, I needed to cut everything out of my diet that was doing me harm. My family tend to be on the more extreme side. So if we do something, we dot it all the way. I started by cutting out refined flours, refined sugars, most oils( stuck with the important ones), butters, and even most meat. At first I had some serious cravings, and would think about junk food a lot. But as the time went on I really developed a taste for good food. Salads, fruits, veggies, sprouted whole grain breads.
I know for many of you it seems daunting to think about living a more healthy lifestyle. And at this point I might even say it is the trendy thing to do-- which is one thing that frustrates me. Why you ask? The thing about eating healthy is not about switching to products that tell us they are healthy. So many companies have switched marketing campaigns to target the people who truly are try to adjust their diet. You might even say "but isn't it good for companies to make healthier options?" To which I reply-- if a company has to tell you its healthy. it probably isn't.Don't get me wrong there are some great brands out there that offer amazing products.
I took a photo on my phone while out at the grocery store today. It illustrates exactly what I am talking about. The term Health and wellness is being tossed around like a nobodies business. Carefully examine some of the products on this shelf.
Health and wellness... yea, right! I checked to see if the vitamin shelf was near this section. NOPE! the vitamins were on the other side of the store.
I would not say that I am the healthiest person alive, or that I have some sort of higher knowledge of eating healthy. Not by any means would that be true. But as humans we learn from experience. There were many things I was eating that I 'thought' were healthy. Here is a hint I will give to you out there that want to make better eating habits. IT IS A LEARNING PROCESS! Everything in popular culture tells us us to overeat, and it isn't helping anyone. One statistic says that 34 % of americans are suffering from obesity. 34 % ! ( With canada not too far behind). However I will say we can't only want to be healthy to be thin. I know many thin people who are unhealthy. Being healthy is a lifestyle. It encompasses more than weight, but also mental clarity, energy ,and emotions.
If we also take a look at the numbers for child obesity it is coming in at 17 %. What we need is to form good habits, instill them in our children. But we need to start first.
Here are helpful hints I have learned along the way:
- Read food labels. I always read the label of something I am buying. Unless I already know that brand.
- If you don't know if something is bad for you-- look it up. We have a ton of resources on the internet and libraries full of books.
- Take interest in your body. Learn new things about how our bodies work. We don't care to make something work unless we care about what we are fixing.
- Don't be a sucker for these labels : Light, Low fat , no trans fats, no sugar, whole grains. Many of these labels are misleading. Companies can put 'no trans fat' on labels as long as there is a low amount PER SERVING.
- Buy foods that aren't in packages. Almost everything in a package is processed. Even if it says it is healthy.
- Meal plan. Going to the grocery store without a plan is good idea, saves money, time and keeps you from buying more junk food.
- Don't be apathetic. This is one of the problems holding me back from eating healthy. I didn't care to until I learned that it mattered.
- Don't buy GMO. This is a critical one. GMO foods are toxic. Here is a very helpful resource.
- Buy organic. ( this can be tough since they are expensive. But it is worth it. Plus if everyone buys more prices will go down)
- Get an accountability partner, do it with a friend. Support can make a world of difference. Plus you can give each other feedback on recipes, split food bills and so on.
- Remember you are human. We all crave things that are not good for us. But we crave those things because our bodies have been trained to. Now it is time to undo it. There will be difficulties and mood swings. BUT! I assure you if you stick to it you will be stronger for it.
- Learn to discipline yourself. Most of the reasons why I ate junk food was because I couldn't say no.
- Keep it simple. Being healthy is a lot simpler than we make it out to be. Don't worry about the latest health products, health scams, and overpriced berry drinks. Think : Veggies, fruits, Legumes, whole grains and nuts. You can find all these items in the grocery store--mostly in one aisle.
- Listen to your body, it speaks louder than you think. Sometimes we don't listen because we are ignoring it or covering symptoms.
- The body is a WHOLE unit. When you put something in it, it affects the whole.
- Learn that eating healthy is a choice. If you don't make it for yourself you won't stick with it.
- eating healthy is not a diet. It is a lifestyle
- You may want to start with adding healthy food, and taking away the bad instead of doing cold turkey like I did.
Hopefully some if those tips will help. They are things I have learned over the years.
Like I said before, eating healthy should be simple, but, there will be a learning curve-- as there is to anything. But having a little bit of patience will see you through. And besides, it's your health we are talking about.
Have you been living a healthy lifestyle? Care to share your story? Or do you have any tips? Let me know!
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