Over the years, especially since becoming a Holistic Health Counselor in 2007, I’ve read countless books on nutrition. Some feel more like encyclopedias than books, but most of them are great reads! Over the years one has stood out as a great, very simple introduction book for anyone who wants to make changes towards a healthier life, but doesn’t really know where to start.
This particular book is called “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” by Michael Pollan. This author has written several books on food, but this is by far the easiest read. It is simply a list of easy to follow “rules”. So today I thought I’d try to inspire you by sharing some of the great tips he shares along with my thoughts on them.
Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in their pantry
This means you should read labels closely! Gluten free packaged foods are especially culprits of containing things like cellulose, xanthan gum and other additives that you wouldn’t find outside of a food lab.
Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they’re not
Products like “meats” made from soy, imitation butter that’s not made from butter or creamer (and doesn’t contain any cream), go through extreme amounts of processing to morph into the final products. They are not real foods, they’re science experiments. So keep them out of your kitchen and body.
Eat your colors
Foods found in nature come in a wide variety of colors, and with each color comes different vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. To make sure you’re getting a wide range of nutrition eat as many colors as you can!
Eat animals that have themselves eaten well
An animals diet directly impacts its nutritional quality. Most animals are healthier when they have access to green grass. Beware of animals that have evolved to eat greens, but are fed grains to fatten them up. Meat from healthy animals eating what nature intended them to eat, will contain higher levels of vitamins and omega-3 fats.
Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored
This is pretty self explanatory- food is fuel, not a recreational activity. But so many of us use food as comfort or as a reward. Instead, check in with your body to make sure you’re really hungry and keep handy a list of other things you can do to pick you up out of a slump other than searching for momentary pleasure in a pint of ice cream.
Jacqueline Banks, who grew up in Casa de Campo, is a certified holistic health counselor and busy mother.
Her focus is on helping other busy moms in all stages of motherhood keep themselves and families healthy and happy. She uses natural and organic solutions to solve individual health problems and promote clean living.
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