Have you noticed how often health care practitioners pull out their prescription pad when you tell them you’re feeling poorly? I hear it all the time from the women who come to see me. All too often, their symptoms have been dismissed, or a pill has been offered as the only solution. But who wants to spend their whole lives taking pills – especially when most of these prescriptions come with side effects as bad as or worse than their original symptoms?
Not me. And not you, either, I’m sure. And I have great news – you simply don’t have to! I’ve helped so many women get off medication – or avoid taking it in the first place – by sharing some simple information. You are already taking the most powerful medicine you will ever need – the food you eat.
To put the full benefits of food to work for you, you need to be sure you’re eating the right kind. What you put into your body is essential to how your body works – and if you’re body isn’t working properly, you won’t feel well.
I have a story that can help illustrate this point clearly. Think for a moment about your car. Your car needs fuel, and if you give it something else instead, it simply won’t run. This happened to me – I filled up my car with what I thought was gasoline, but instead, somehow, I ended up with paint thinner in my tank. Clearly, the car couldn’t run on paint thinner. As I pulled away, it began shaking and making the most awful sounds. $10,000 later, I had learned a very expensive lesson – what you use for fuel is vitally important.
The same is true for your body. Just like my car wouldn’t run on paint thinner, if you are fueling your body with preservatives, refined sugar and simple carbohydrates, it won’t take long before you simply can’t run at all.
So, how can you avoid ending up in the breakdown lane? Awareness is key. Research is showing more and more often how what you eat impacts your health.
Get Your Body What it Needs to Function Optimally
It’s important to know how food works to give you the energy and nutrients you need, and which foods are the best to keep you feeling healthy and strong. I can help. Below are some tips for making sure you get the premium fuel you need.
Eat plenty of healthy fats
Despite the “fat is the enemy” story the media and the sugar industry has sold us for years, it’s just not true. Fat is essential in your diet – as long as it’s the right kind of fat. Fat supplies your body with energy, and some types of fat are only available in what you eat – your body cannot manufacture them. These fats support your cardiovascular health, cholesterol levels, brain health, and healthy skin. But don’t look to processed foods or animal sources to get your fat – naturally occurring plant fats are best. Omega-3 fatty acids should be included; they have been found to be very beneficial to heart health. Some of the best foods to supply you with the fats you need are avocado, nuts and seeds, fish, coconut oil, and olives or olive oil.
Eat the Rainbow
One of the easiest ways to ensure that you are getting a full range of the nutrients you need is to eat foods in a broad spectrum of colors. Green leafy vegetables, juicy red and blue berries, orange squash or sweet potato, bright pink salmon – there’s an endless array of possibilities. And a plate filled with vibrant colors is more appealing visually as well, which can help you slow down and savor your meals instead of rushing through them to get to the next thing on your list.
Choose whole, unprocessed, organic foods
Processed foods simply don’t have the nutrients you need. Processing eliminates much of the nutritional value of the food, and adds all kinds of chemicals and preservatives that can bring nasty side effects when you consume them. If you start with whole foods, and cook from scratch, you can get far more of the valuable nutrients your body needs. Recipes don’t have to be complicated – simply cutting up some fresh vegetables and stir frying in a little coconut oil with some chicken is quick, easy and so much healthier than take-out!
Beware the sugar beast
Although Mary Poppins tells us a “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” she neglects to tell us what happens once that sugar hits our system. That truth wouldn’t make for a very catchy tune, but it’s so important to know! Refined sugar is hard for your system to process. It increases insulin resistance, contributes to obesity, hormonal imbalance, fatigue and mood swings. If you’re trying to lose weight and struggling, sugar is one likely suspect. Don’t be fooled into thinking artificial sweeteners are any better – often, they’re worse! Try to satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally sweet foods like fruit, and if you must use a sweetener, try Stevia instead.
Pay attention to sensitivities
Every woman’s body is different, which means that one might be able to eat gluten all the time without impact, while another eats the tiniest bit and gets sick. We’re all more aware of food allergies these days, but food sensitivities can be an even bigger problem. If you’re allergic, you’ll know it without a doubt. But if you are simply sensitive to gluten, dairy, or other foods it could take a long time to realize it. The five most common things people are sensitive to are: wheat/gluten, corn, soy, dairy/milk, and eggs. If you have symptoms you can’t explain, try an elimination diet for each. Go a week or two without eating any. Do you feel better? Slowly re-introduce the food and it will likely be clear really quickly if it’s best that you avoid it.
Give yourself a boost
It is getting harder and harder to get all of the nutrients your body needs from food alone. Even when you’re choosing whole foods in a rainbow of colors problems like nutrient deficient soil, poor growing practices, and environmental toxins can mean your food packs a far less powerful nutritional punch. When considering a multivitamin, don’t be fooled into thinking anything on the supermarket shelves will do. Look for a pharmaceutical grade vitamin that contains naturally-sourced nutrients in their most bioavailable form, and that doesn’t contain preservatives, sugar, artificial flavorings, colors, dyes, or fillers. Our specially formulated Multi Essentials fits the bill.
Make Your Food Work for You
The secret to feeling great really isn’t a secret at all. Most people know that good, healthy food will keep your body strong and performing at its peak. In our busy modern world, we’ve been fooled into thinking that we don’t have time to cook, or that food can’t be delicious unless we add sugar and artificial flavorings. But neither is true! A tomato fresh from the garden is so delicious and satisfying, and there are plenty of simple recipes that can turn fresh, whole foods into a fantastic meal in under thirty minutes. It’s time to stop treating eating as a chore, and discover the delight in creating healthy, satisfying meals that will keep you feeling your best – no prescription required!
