You have to start somewhere, below are steps to begin a journey of eating intentionally for better health. Consider what you have been eating. Like most people in the country, world, have been overwhelmed with pressure to eat ultra processed foods (UPFs) gained traction in the early 1980’s. We believed eating Cheerios for breakfast every morning was good for us because it contained oats, when in fact one serving (which the size varies depending on what flavor) 9-25 grams of sugar. Almost a full daily allotment of sugar before you leave the breakfast table. Aside from the added sugar we really do not need to start our day, read the ingredients. “Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup” are the top ingredients. Then we get to the other stuff, then the added vitamins and minerals. Why not eat the oats with fruit and get all their vitamins and minerals directly without all the other “stuff”.
Steps to Start Eating Better, Choosing Better Food, and Feeling Better
- Educate yourself. Learn about real food, ultra processed foods, affects of sugar and UPFs on your body, and how to read labels. Give yourself a week to investigate the difference between whole foods and what is processed. Learn how to identify different types of sugars.
- Drink water, coffee, or tea for a beverage. Lots of water. Not soda, juice, or other sweet processed beverages. Avoid alcoholic beverages for one week.
- Google “plant based recipes” and plan some meals you will like to eat. Lentils and Rice, Butternut-Apple Soup, Chicken-Brown Rice Pilaf-Veggies, Grilled-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms, to name a few.
- Oats for breakfast every morning. Take the worry about deciding what to eat, perhaps lower your cholesterol, and begin eating real whole food every day.
- Eat lots of fruit. Want candy, eat an orange. Want ice cream, blend a frozen banana with cocoa and enjoy. Hungry, eat apple slices with cheese. Grab fruit instead of junk with added sugars and chemicals to get through the cravings for sugar.
- Make Brown Rice Pilaf x3 and refrigerate to later blend with steamed broccoli and carrots or any steamed veggie for a quick lunch or snack. Once a week cook a pot of flavorful lentils or beans to mix with the rice and veggies.
- Choose foods that have one ingredient (i.e., apple, almonds).
- Cook from scratch at home as often as possible.
