Self Care September Day Twenty Six: Real food, real self care.
The first step in self care is what you put into your body.. are you guys surprised I didn’t plan this for the FIRST of September? Real food for real self care.
We all know the saying “you are what you eat?”The standard American diet is one of the most processed, fast foods, overloaded with sugar, sodium, and chemicals. There is an obesity epidemic and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer are increasing at an alarming rate.. NOW is the time more than ever that we get back to REAL WHOLE foods.
The benefits of eating real food are endless and especially apparent when you consider what goes into prepackaged and processed foods.
DO you know what you are putting into your body??
Eating real food allows you to control the amount of additives and junk like sugar and salt in your food. There’s a TON of hidden sugar in processed foods, including a lot of the foods that are labeled health foods.. like granola and fiber bars, yogurt, dried fruit, and more. Our foods are not being made the same they were 20 years ago. Along with the unnecessary sugars and salts, there are the other harmful additives avoided when you opt for real food.
YOU GET TO KEEP ALL THE GOOD STUFF!!
Even though you do lose a small amount of nutrients when you cook certain foods, for the most part eating real food lets you get the nutritional benefits from what you eat. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and all of the other goods that increase your overall wellness, keep your digestive tract running smoothly, and make you feel your VERY best are all still there when you consume real whole food, plant based options. You could literally never count calories, maintain a healthy, slim figure, and eat all the foods you want. You can feel and look your best.
This is a huge point I have to make to clients.. those “fiber bars and other added fiber” products are the same quality of fiber as the fiber from real, whole, plant based foods. They’re actually pumped full of “fake” isolated fiber. So don’t just settle for the added isolated fiber when eating real food gives you the health and digestive benefits. If you consume your fiber from whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, you will reap the benefits of lowered cholesterol, increased bowel and digestive health, and optimized blood sugar levels.
So today.. make it a point to eat whole, real food. Minimize the ingredient list as much as possible.
Have trouble cooking for just yourself? Check out the cooking conundrum.
