Making Changes to Your Diet – The Easy Way!
Do you feel tired, sluggish or bloated on a regular basis? Have you gained weight, or have pain or unusual symptoms? Maybe you’re thinking you definitely need to change your diet, but are not sure where to begin? Here are some Naturopathic tips to help you:
1) Look at your refrigerator and pantry shelves – How many prepackaged/pre-prepared foods do you have? Is it more than your fresh fruits and vegetables? Rebalance that by getting rid of some of the high offenders below, and trying 1 new fruit or vegetable each month to add to your palate.
2) Read labels – Is sugar the number 1 or 2 ingredient? Remember there are many names for sugar: glucose, fructose, agave, corn syrup, honey, dates, the list is almost endless. Buy the version with no sugar or low sugar, and add your own. (FYI – this does not mean, “sugar-free” or “low-calorie”, where they replace sugar with harmful sweeteners!)
3) Watch out for salt. Many packaged foods are also packed with salt. Best bet – skip it! (And skip the dye’s as well…)
4) Can you pronounce the words on the ingredient list? If you can’t figure out what chemical is on the label, chances are your body won’t be able to either.
5) Wheat and gluten are huge suspects in a lot of strange health symptoms. Minimize your intake of all grains (seeds from grasses), and replace them with green leafy and colourful vegetables. Going from white flour to whole wheat does not solve the problem.
6) What about “fat-free”? Not the healthiest choice – our bodies need good fats, and “fat-free” usually means “sugar-filled”.
7) Make sure you are always properly hydrated. Drink lots of water and nourishing herbal infusions, instead of coffee, black tea, and other caffeinated, carbonated, or sugary drinks.
8) Re-evaluate the amount of cow’s milk products you are consuming. You may not need as much as you think!
9) Look for non-GMO (genetically modified) foods, and eat organic as much as possible.
10) Don’t microwave your food!
Unless you’re having serious health challenges, it’s ok to take baby steps when revamping your diet. If you’re trying to get your family onboard, start simply, by cooking with fresh vegetables instead of canned products.
Here is a great video, from Vani, the “Food Babe”, who helps people become aware of what they’re actually eating, so they can make easy changes:
Don’t let the idea of diet change become too overwhelming for you. You’re not failing if you don’t quite reach your goal right away. Any healthy change or addition to your diet is a positive step in the right direction, and as a Naturopathic doctor, I can help you do that.
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