Foods, same with eating, have become complicated these past few years. People rely too much on experts to tell what people should eat – diet books, doctors, media, and health claims on food packages and government advisories. However, after some realization to the supposedly complicated on food intake, it pointed to the fact that it is not complicated after all. In fact, it can be simplified in seven words: “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.”
Here are simple rules for eating well:
RULE #1: EAT FOOD
- This is easier said than done. With all the 17,000 new food products that comes out every year vying for your hard earned money. However, most of these foods do not deserve to be in the same category as Food – you may call them edible items such as substances. They are mostly composed of processed concoctions that no ordinary consumer would keep in his pantry. Nowadays, it is a challenge to eat foods that comes down to picking real food and avoiding industrial concoctions.
RULE #2: EAT FOOD THAT WILL EVENTUALLY ROT
- Food processing began as a way to extend the food’s life shelter by protecting it from bacteria and fungi. This is usually done by making the food less appealing to these creatures by removing all the nutrients that attracts them. The more processed your food is, the longer the shelf life, the less healthy and nutritious the food will be.
Remember that real food is alive so like humans and all other living things, it will soon die. However, there are exceptions like the honey. Honey has a shelf life that can last a century. Also take note that most of the immortal food-like substances are placed in the middle aisle of the supermarket.
RULE #3: EAT YOUR COLOURS
- A good example of a healthy plate is it features several different colors. Why? The different colors of many vegetables reflect the various antioxidant phytochemicals they contain like polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids and flavonoids to name a few. Many of these chemicals aide in protecting you from any chronic diseases; however, each may give protection in just a slightly different way. So the best way to be fully protected is to eat a meal that contains as many different kinds of phytochemicals as possible.
RULE #4: THE WHITER THE BREAD, THE SOONER YOU WILL DIE
- As far as your body is concerned, white flour is not too different from sugar. It gives the body none of the good things like B vitamins, fiber and healthy fats. Large spikes of glucose in our body causes inflammatory and may wreck havoc on your insulin metabolism. So you must start eating whole grains and try avoiding white flour.
RULE #5: PAY MORE, EAT LESS
- If you spend more in better foods, you will probably eat less and treat it with more care. Choose quality over quantity, as the old saying goes: “It is better to pay your grocer than your doctor”.
RULE #6: AVOID FOODS THAT CONTAIN MORE THAN 5 INGREDIENTS
- The more ingredients in a packaged food you buy, the more processed it probably is.
