No Nonsense Nutrition

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No Nonsense Nutrition

By Dr. Rita Louise

 

At the turn of the century, America's relationship with food changed

dramatically, with fast or convenience foods becoming a staple for

many. Woman alone, account for a substantial percentage of convenience

foods purchases, with sales exceeding 4.5 billion dollars annually.

When natural and whole food substances are transformed from raw food

products into canned, boxed, precooked or instant foods, many of the

vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients are lost. In addition, the use

of hydrogenated vegetable oils, food additives, preservatives,

fillers, artificial flavorings and color have transformed something

that was once good for you, into something that has very little, to no

nutritional value left.

 

When you walk down the aisles of the supermarket, many of the choices

available are not " whole " foods nor natural. They are not filled with

the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients we need to thrive. Instead,

they are preprocessed, presweetened and laden with artificial flavors,

colors and preservatives. They have very little, if any nutritional

value left within them. Take a moment to inventory your eating

habits. How many of these foods do you eat? Kraft macaroni and

cheese: box-o-chemicals, Betty Crocker potatoes a gratin:

box-o-chemicals, hamburger helper: box-o-chemicals, Spam, Vienna

sausages, Franco-American Spaghetti-O's, Cheese Wiz, all chemical

laden. This is only a small list of products available to American

consumers that we happily and whole-heartedly consume.

 

The truth is, our bodies were not designed to handle these non-food.

There are no keys in our genetic make-up designed to utilize these

products. Instead of promoting health, they promote disease. While

nutritionists contend that soft drinks, white flour and other

calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods can fit into a good diet, in theory,

they are correct. However, they regrettably ignore the fact that most

Americans consume great quantities of these nutrient poor foods and

only meager quantities of healthful foods.

 

The good news is that many American women are becoming more proactive

about their health and well being. A great place to start any kind of

health program is by adopting a healthful diet. Many health

enthusiasts have led people to believe that in order to be healthy,

the solitary route is to eat only organic foods, or to become a

vegetarian, leaving many with the feeling that it is an " all or

nothing " proposition. In the big picture of things, yes, they may be

right in their assertion, but making the transition from the typical

American diet to one a more healthful one may seem like an

insurmountable task. Many quit before they even try. If you are

raising a family, you might not be able to financially afford to live

this lifestyle. This, however, shouldn't exclude you from peak and

optimal health.

 

Like so many woman, I am constantly on the go and have to translate

the concerns of proper nutrition to meet a fast food lifestyle. An

important key to health and healthful dining is to become an active

chooser when it comes to our food choices. Being an active chooser is

easy. It is the art of shopping selectively, picking healthful

alternatives over nutritionally poor ones. This can be accomplished,

even if you are on a budget!

 

When creating a healthful food plan for yourself or your family, here

are a few guidelines you can use to help you as you transition to a

healthful diet and lifestyle.

 

First, we all need to drink at least 8 - 8oz glasses of water daily.

Water, not soda, coffee or other beverage, is a necessary component in

maintaining health. Other than it's role in the many biochemical

processes our bodies perform, another of its functions is to help to

remove toxins from the body. A high quality vitamin and mineral

supplement is also another must. Americans currently spend in excess

of 2.5 billion dollars annually on vitamin and mineral supplements.

Certainly these individual must think they are getting some value out

of them. Supplements, however, should not replace good foods. They

should instead help compensate for the many demands placed on a

woman's body as well as make up for nutrients you are not getting from

your regular diet.

 

When selecting foods, we should eat from a variety of whole,

unprocessed foods...the more variety, the greater the pallet of

vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients we will be ingesting. Try to

ensure that you eat at least one leafy green salad and a piece of

fresh fruit daily. While this is still below the recommended

standards, it is a great place to start. Reduce or eliminate

preprocessed, prepackaged, chemical laden food as well as foods that

are high in refined sugars, including white bread and white rice.

 

When preparing meals, I always ask myself, is any of the food I am

serving fresh? Fresh fruits and vegetables have enzymes in them that

are essential to good health. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the

best, followed by frozen ones, with canned foods following poorly

behind. Food processing of any kind destroys vitamins and

phytonutrients, so frozen foods while still having some nutritional

value, are nutritionally inferior to fresh. Canned foods have little

to no nutritional value left. Limit canned food purchases to items

such as tuna, tomatoes and beans.

 

Many of us don't always have time to cook hardy nutritious meals.

When time is short, I look to my crock-pot to do the cooking for me.

If that is out of the question, it is a time in which you will have to

choose " the lesser evil " . For example, you are running late and don't

have time to cook dinner, instead of opting for fried chicken or a

greasy burger, select roasted chicken or opt for a hearty salad

instead. When looking for something quick and healthy to make at

home, prepare sandwiches served on whole-wheat bread or in a

whole-wheat pita with lettuce and tomato. Try serving it with a few

slices of fruit. If something pre-made seems to be the way to go,

select foods that feel good, or at least seem like the best choice for

your health and well being.

 

Following the same vein, we are not perfect and sometimes a Quarter

Pounder with cheese will just hit the spot. Whether you eat this meal

at home or out, the point is, be aware that you are eating devitalized

foods and try to limit it to a once in a while kind of thing. Now

granted, while eating healthy may be your plan, give yourself

permission to have bad weeks too. At times, we all end up eating on

the run. So don't get discouraged. I like to think of it this way,

each time you eat a healthful meal; you are improving your health that

day. Thinking of it this way affirms the changes that you are making.

 

When looking for a quick pick me up, many of us turn to snack foods

such as cookies, candy or chips. Selecting healthy snack foods can be

a problem all by themselves. There are, however, many healthful

alternatives that you can eat. Go-Gurts - these handy yogurt snacks

are always a crowd pleaser. String cheese never lasts long at our

house. Baby carrots and ranch dressing is another favorite. Remember

the little gold fish? They are baked, not fried. Even nuts, although

high in fat, they are also high in protein and other nutrients our

bodies needs. While many snacks do not fall into the same category as

fresh fruit, there are many food items that can be bought or prepared

that you can feel good about eating. Weeding through all of the total

junk to find a healthy food choice can be time consuming but well

worth the effort.

 

Taking the first steps toward a healthy lifestyle is always the

hardest. At first, you may feel a bit intimidated by these changes,

but armed with this information, you will have a better opportunity to

make more responsible choices. As time goes on, you will also find

that it will become easier and easier to incorporate healthful food

choices into your life.

 

© Copyright 2003 Body, Mind & SoulHealer, .

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About the Author

Rediscover Your Wholeness with SoulHealer Dr. Rita Louise. Rita

Louise, ND works with the whole person, addressing physical, emotional

and spiritual issues, thus helping to restore harmony and order to all

levels of human functioning. Author of the book " The Power Within " ,

Dr. Louise is a Naturopath, Medical Intuitive, Professional

Clairvoyant, Reiki Master, Master Herbalist and Certified

Hypnotherapist. For information regarding any of Dr. Louise'

services, please visit her web page at http://www.soulhealer.com

(http://www.soulhealer.com).

 

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