Blog

Ditch "Diets" for Good & Begin your Real Food Journey Now!

The truth is nobody's body is the same so we can't knowingly all conform to a certain diet, but there is plenty of research and testimonials out there about eating fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and whole grains. We cannot blindly trust anything anymore. Big food companies thrive off us "eating blindly," trusting packaging labels, and marketing strategies that promote health while including many ingredients most of us can't even pronounce. We must learn how to understand labels and read ingredients; alongside learning about food chemistry and how the body breaks down food.

Becoming aware of how our bodies react to certain foods we can eliminate them from our diet and then find replacements for those unhealthy choices. It all steams from a deeper connection to our bodies. When we focus on the fact that we eat to nourish our bodies, we find that we can simplify our nutrition philosophy to one simple concept: Eat real food. Whole foods are more nutrient-dense than their processed counterparts. Plus, they lack the added sugar, salt, additives, preservatives and more that we find in most processed foods. Moving away from processed foods to whole foods is one of the most meaningful lifestyle changes you can make. I'll share my experiences and 7 simple ways that have helped me transition to eating real food.

1. Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

A good rule of thumb for the amount of water your body needs is by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water daily. To stay on track, you can easily calculate the ounces you need for the day and create checkpoints throughout the day. Also, eat your water by eating a serving of fresh fruit and veggies with each meal.

2. Wash, Slice, Dice

Prep your fruits and veggies by washing, slicing, and dicing before you're hungry. Store your sliced cucumbers and diced pineapples in air tight containers on a shelf in the fridge that is eye level. Having more ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables makes it easier to maintain an unprocessed food diet. Instead of grabbing an unhealthy snack, you have precut veggies and your favorite spread right in front of your face!

3. Food Journal - NOT counting calories!

Sometimes we don't realize how the little snacks and unhealthy meal choices add up throughout the day or even by the end of the week. By keeping a food journal, you visualize what you are putting into your body daily. This is simply a reference, in the beginning, to become aware of what you're actually eating throughout the day. (I don't believe in counting calories) And you shouldn't either!

4. A Good Breakfast

 I like to refresh my body with water first and then give myself something warm to wake up - a nice matcha if i need a little boost or a hot green tea with honey! When my body is ready to eat, a nutrient-packed green juice and avocado toast or a BIG smoothie usually satisfies me. Other great healthy and produce-forward breakfast ideas could be fruit cereal, oatmeal with nut butter and dark chocolate, or toast with spread and fruits!

5. Farmer's Markets (personal fav)

Did you know that 90% of our grocery shopping should be spent in the produce section? Do you think you could do it at your local grocery store? I think you can! But it's also really easy to only choose real foods at a local market because that's what they offer REAL WHOLE FOODS, healthy snacks, and things you maybe would have never tried! You can check out our other blog posts to find yummy, healthy recipes.

6. Learn to Juice

I was so intimidated by juicing at first. Not only did I not know where to start when it came to which fruits & veggies to use but I didn't even know how to put the juicer itself together or take it apart once I finally did get it together! So I've done the hard part for us - join me on this juicing journey and I promise you won't regret it. Your skin and hair will be glowing and your tummy will thank you!

7. Learn New Recipes

Learning something new is always fun. It may seem to take a lot of energy at first but you'll begin to know which spices to use together and what fruits and vegetables you enjoy cooking with! This is also another good reason to have a juicer handy: When you notice veggies turning because you keep avoiding them (i'm totally guilty, too) you could just make them into a green juice! Check out our full blog page for our latest recipes. Enjoy!