You are what you eat

You've heard the old saying, "you are what you eat."  I am constantly reminded of the importance of diet in staying healthy. Besides all the unknowns we're being exposed to such as pesticides, toxins, hormones in the food we eat, sugar can be just as dangerous.

My rule of thumb is to try to stay away from sugar and processed food. It seems like it takes about two weeks to kick the sugar habit completely. When you first stop eating it, your body will crave it, sometimes something fierce. Eat fruit, whole grain, something that is naturally sweet and just keep telling yourself that this is good and healthy, and eventually you won’t crave it so badly.

We tend to crave sugar in the middle of the afternoon because our blood sugar has dropped from lunch. Instead of a sugar snack or even chips, try eating a hardboiled egg or some turkey. The protein will satisfy the sugar craving and it will last you through to dinner.

Also beware of hidden sugar—it’s used in practically everything. It’s vital to read those labels. If it’s got sugar in it, don’t eat it. The same holds true for chemicals. If what you’re about to eat has a chemical you can’t pronounce, chances are, it’s not really going to do your body any good. And watch out for sugar substitutes, too.

It takes a little bit of work to eat wholesomely. It’s so easy to buy some frozen dinners and pop them in the microwave, but the end result can be extremely harmful to your health. I'm a huge fan of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which has provided me a wealth of information in creating a healthy diet. Check out their blog which includes the Health Food Store Tour for a great 101 on some important foods with suggested recipes!

Once you start to detoxify your body, the foods you thought tasted great will soon taste like chemicals. And that’s a good place to be! There’s a whole new world of food waiting to be found, so happy shopping and bon appetit.