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Back to Basics is Key to Mindful Eating
By: Angela Dennison
Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market Naperville
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Good health requires a combination of good habits and we should never underestimate the power of healthy eating. Exercise although very important, seems to reign supreme in the mentality of good health. But did you know that healthy eating is more than half of the battle? The food we consume plays a much larger role than we think and maintaining a healthy diet is crucial.
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Focusing on these principles are a great foundation and contributing factor to a healthy lifestyle no matter your dietary path.
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Eat close to nature
Eat foods that are closest to their natural form and decrease your processed food intake. Processed foods add a significant amount of processed sugars, processed grains and salt into your diet and are typically void of important nutrients.
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Eat your greens first
When sitting down to a meal, eat your vegetables first. This will ensure you are packing in the nutrition at every meal. If you always save your vegetables until last, you might be too full to squeeze them in!
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Make your grains whole
Whole grains are loaded with fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins. When they are processed, they are stripped of their naturally occurring nutrients and are sometimes chemically added back in.
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Focus on nourishment
If we focus on foods that are truly health promoting, we will naturally have a very healthy diet. When you sit down to a meal or snack, ask yourself: How is this nourishing my body? Focus on fiber, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
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By focusing on these four principles, you will be on the right path to good health. Dieting and healthy eating are not the same thing; be careful not to confuse those terms. Healthy eating is a lifestyle and it centers on healthy habits. Diets are temporary and focus on calorie restriction and deprivation. After we see results, we end the diet and go back to our old habits and that is not true progress. True progress takes real change and a new outlook on food.
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We live in a society where we take new information to heart without further researching it ourselves and sometimes fall into the gimmicks and fads. Know that healthy eating is basic and simple and can be successfully done by anyone. It’s hard to give up the foods we love. Food is not just fuel for us; it’s comfort, tradition and has a strong emotional tie to us all. You can still enjoy the foods that tickle your taste buds but mindful eating is key. That’s why it is important to follow these four principles in order to maintain a daily focus on healthy eating.