1. Eat [real] food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Parathas oozing melted butter and veggies, spiced with chili. A cold cardamom lassi or caramel macchiato. Pizza. Chips and guacamole. Apples and peanut butter. Bright paneer masala with sweet tomatoes and fenugreek.
2. What kind of foods are you looking for? What satisfies you? Probably different things on different days. But generally speaking, what do you reach for? Sweets? Fried foods? Fresh fruit? Bread and cheese? Anything vegetarian? Only vegan foods?
3. Naturally, you want food to taste good. No question about that! But you also want other things. Energy. Feeling good, not just full. The connections with friends and family that are often made over food. A healthy planet, one whose people and animals aren't being harmed by what you choose to eat.
4. So it makes sense to think about what goes in your mouth. Does it leave you feeling good in every way? You know that fresh foods are better for you than processed foods. If you read the label of ingredients on a package ( Yes! Do that!) and don't recognize most of the words, put the darn thing back on the shelf.
5. Preservatives and sugars are really tough on your body. Same for palm oil and food coloring and artificial sweeteners. If you see that a package has maltodextrin, high-fructose corn syrup, saccharin, or aspartame, do yourself a favor and choose something else. Some on-line research will quickly show you that these ingredients can lead to a variety of health problems. Ironically, artificial sweeteners can even lead to weight gain! Our taste buds get used to their intense sweetness, making fruits and vegetables less appealing.
6. But whether or not you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, do choose to be aware of what you're eating. A lot of people unfortunately don't realize that what they eat affects their body and mind. Athletes, doctors, and nutritionists know better, and so can you. Like a runner in training for competition, eat food that makes you strong and healthy, tastes good, and makes you feel great.
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