Simple Eating Changes for Optimal Body Performance

So many views are available today on "healthy eating". You should research them all and implement the ones that speak to you. I hope these simple common sense tips help you on your journey!

Eat Sea Salt, Celtic Salt, Kosher Salt or No Salt instead of table salt.
Your body can use the minerals in these salts and they won’t cause water retention.

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
Eat at least 8 to 10 cups of vegetables each day.
Eat a salad everyday. Don’t eat the same greens every day. Try Kale, Romaine, Cabbage, Broccoli, Zucchini, Asparagus, Arugula and others. By eating a variety of vegetables of many colors you can ensure a wide variety of nutrient availability.
Try dehydrating vegetables for traveling; add sea salt and herbs to the mix. You can bring them in a thermos on the plane and ask for hot water, instant healthy soup!
Having trouble getting in all your greens? Add in the blender 1/2 cup of water with your soft greens and blend until liquid.

Unfortunately I can’t promote spinach on this list due to the irradiation. Irradiation is a new method of preserving food by zapping it with high energy rays that disrupt DNA. It is said that it kills off organisms but it is not yet proven. It may or may not be harmful to humans but is being pushed anyway out to the market without any clear labeling. Spinach is being irradiated. If you would like to learn more about this zapping procedure click here.

Eating more than 2 cups of fruit each day? You can over eat fruit, so be careful. Fruit is a natural sugar and too much of it is not good for healthy blood sugar levels. A good daily intake for fruit is 2 cups per day for adults. There is a type 2 diabetes epidemic happening now in our children and studies are showing it is due to drinking too much fruit juice. Cut the fruit juice with pure water for the entire family.

Fats
My best pick is a fresh handful of ground flax seeds added to salad or cereal with a few good grade fish oil caps daily is really all you need. For cooking, grape seed oil has the highest heat rate. For salads or cooking, extra virgin olive oil goes rancid the slowest and also has a high heat rate. Avoid saturated fat. It is a medical fact that saturated fat promotes arthrosclerosis. Don’t use old oil. If you have old bottles of safflower, sunflower or other oils they may have become rancid. When they are rancid and the fat oxidizes dangerous compounds build up. You can usually smell a change in the oil, throw it away.

Sweets
If you crave something sweet, eat it natural. The problem occurs when we mix sugar with loaded carbohydrates and fats, like bread, peanut butter and jelly. The calories are a catastrophe, digestion takes more effort and we gain weight easier. If you want a sweet, eat a piece of hard candy or a maple syrup treat. Go for the real thing, not a mixture of carbohydrates, sweets and fats.

Supplementation
If you are skipping breakfast or not eating your daily requirement of vegetables you will need to supplement. Get a good quality supplement that is organic and food based and does not have a long list of “other ingredients”. Avoid synthetic supplements made in a laboratory. If you don’t get enough calcium for example your body will pull it out of your bones to nurture a more important need in your body like an organ, hence osteoporosis in some cases. Nutrition is a delicate balance, as too much calcium can cause you problems as well. Speak with a knowledgeable health practitioner to ensure your needs are properly addressed. Breakfast is important. If you just won’t or can’t eat it, supplement it with a good organic food based shake.

How much protein?
This answer changes depending on what nutritionist or doctor you are asking. I always have to go back to the well known philosophy of “look the elephant or gorilla, they are vegetarians and pure muscle”. I happen to agree with Dr. Andrew Weil, MD. Dr. Weil’s take is that we really only need about 3 oz of protein each day, even if we are athletes. I have worked with many people who complain of a lack of energy, and when we cut their protein back to 3 ounces a day, they have a big energy increase.

It takes a lot of energy to digest protein and in that process we also work to eliminate toxins.
Fish has become a controversial subject. Eat fish that is wild caught and preferably from Canada or America. Farmed fish does not support local fishermen or indigenous tribes like in Canada; in fact it has devastated many tribes and fisherman.

Just I case you were wondering there is no such thing as “organic fish”.

If you do not eat animal protein or animal products for your protein requirements you are probably getting all you need from beans, peas, lentils, wheat meat or soy meat. Grains are not as high in protein, but a very important part of your diet, except for corn, grains are low fat. Try to eat your grains in whole form rather than as pastas or bread. Millet, buckwheat, quinoa are a few you can try in whole form.

Try to eat food the way nature intended.

Avoid foods that are pre-packaged. There are no trees that grow crackers in a box, cookies in a bag or vegetables in a can.

Avoid eating out too much.
If you do eat out a lot it is worth the effort to do your homework and find the cleanest, most nutritious offerings in your area and frequent them.

Don’t overcook your food.
You can reduce the nutrients in your food by “cooking them to death”. However, you must cook beans, lentils, chickpeas and eggplant longer then other vegetables.

Chew your food well and slow down while you are eating.
“Only eat at a table”. This excludes your desk, in the car and on the run. Your body will be able to absorb nutrients and eliminate waste easier if you eat slower.

Don’t eat when upset.
Watching the news or one of those “murder” stories can upset you on a physiological level so avoid it. If you are upset in any way, get yourself centered again before eating. An easy way to do this is to sit quietly and focus on your breath in and out. You will calm down and then you can enjoy your meal.

Less can be better.
Most of us over eat at one time or another. In most cases less is better. Eat small meals throughout the day. I recommend 5 to 6 small meals per day and to stop eating after 7 PM. Drink organic herbal teas at night to help stop the night eating habit.

Nutrient Deficient.
Many overweight people are actually nutrient deficient and starving. Eating processed foods can lead to calorie, fat loading and obesity. You simply cannot get proper nutrition through foods not of nature.

Enjoy your food.
Don't eat what you don't like just because someone said it is healthy.
You should enjoy every bite of your food. Eat what you know provides optimal nutrition and that you like!

Whatever path you are on, I encourage you to eat in season, local, non-genetically modified organic foods.
Yours in Health,
Renay Matthews

Renay Matthews is a Certified Holistic Life Coach, Nutritionist and Reiki III Practitioner practicing in Southern California. You can reach her at www.organeewellness.com or practitioner@organeewellness.com