How to Eat for Your Health
By Sara Butler
Americans worry a lot about what they eat, but they also have some of the highest rates of chronic disease in the world. How is this possible? According to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it may be the foods that have been invented as healthy that are the problem. Here are a few tips to help you get back to healthy eating basics and leave unhealthy health food behind.
Did Your Great Grandmother Eat It?
Part of the problem with the American diet is the sheer number of processed foods eaten on a daily basis. A great rule of thumb to follow is to ask yourself if what you have in front of you is something that would have been available to your great-grandparents. Yogurt tubes with a plethora of ingredients you can’t pronounce probably weren’t on their menu. If it wasn’t, then give it a pass.
Speaking of Pronunciation
Another good rule to follow is to eat things with fewer than five ingredients -- all of which you can reasonably pronounce. Something with so little added will be as close to a whole food as you can get. And many fruits and vegetables have no additional ingredients, so you can eat those to your heart’s content.
Shop the Perimeter
When you’re at the grocery store make sure to only shop the perimeter of the market -- that’s where the whole foods will be. Produce, meats, and even frozen fruits and vegetables are where you want to focus. The food located in the center of the store is more likely to be very processed. An exception would be the frozen vegetable aisle where you can get carrots, peas and whatnot that were flash frozen.
Only Eat It if It Goes Bad Eventually
Some foods have a long shelf life -- and nuclear fallout aside, these are foods you generally don’t want to be a part of your diet. If it’s a food that doesn’t expire in a reasonable amount of time, then it’s probably not good for you. Honey may be the only exception -- Twinkies definitely aren’t.
Eat Together
Families have traditionally eaten together at mealtime at a kitchen table, not in front of a television. Keep that tradition alive and enjoy real food with the people you care about in your life. That can add a lot more meaning to the food you serve and eat together.
Eating well is one way to ensure your continued health and wellness. If you have questions about your diet, talk to a chiropractor at The Joint today!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Renton, Wash.