What to Eat?

Hatch Into Health
with Patrice McArthy, R.N. B.S.N.

Let's cover some of Freedom Step One that has been fundemental to Amy's recovery - nutrition. I completely agree that she placed it at the top for it is critical for your health and we all know this, right? But there's so much conflicting information, and too much misinformation out there regarding nutrition that it becomes confusing and frustrating! We have to wonder, what on earth SHOULD I be eating and avoiding?

It's best to keep it simple and I tell my clients what I learned from another nutrition expert. Here is a really super simple answer to - what do I eat?
Real Food
Mostly Plants
Not so muchAnother way to think of this is -"Does it move around or come from the ground?"

Real food - we know what this means. Real, whole foods, not processed. Not from a bag or a box or a wrapper. Not a "FrankenFood". Not fast food eaten in a "dashboard dining" fashion. This of course eliminates plenty of troublesome things such as additives, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, colorings, neurotoxins like aspartame and MSG, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), added sugar, "flavorings", and the list goes on. Whole foods in their most untouched state. Food we have to touch, handle, chop and prepare. We should feel a connection to our food and be grateful when we purchase it, handle it, prepare it for consumption or even eat it raw. I'm stating the obvious when I say eating this way adds into our diet the antioxidents, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber that we need for optimum health.

Mostly Plants - if it grows from the ground, from a vine, or from a tree it is nature's food ready made to go into your body! Our ancesters from Paleolithic times ate this way and our bodies were designed to receive and digest these foods.Not so much - I need help here. I try to remember what it was like not to be hungry all the time. I have insulin resistance (aka metabolic syndrome or prediabetes) so this is a struggle for me. But when I eat properly and take my supplements my hunger declines and my cravings lessen. More on this in the future. Emotional eating is a problem for many and we medicate our anxiety with food, usually the wrong foods. I've never known someone to binge and overeat broccoli or spinach.

When struggling with stress, anxiety and depression it becomes very difficult to take care of ourselves and nourish our bodies with proper nutrition. If you begin by making small changes, not too overwhelming, your body can respond in turn. Try eating more salad - use precut veggies to save time. Find a favorite salad dressing recipe or if you can only manage prepared dressings, thin them down with filtered water or skim milk and use less. Amy loves just simple vinegar on her salads and I am going to try this as well and give myself a chance to like it. I made coleslaw last night with a quick homemade dressing and used prepackaged slaw. It came together in a jiffy. It was naturally sweet with cabbage and carrots and left us very satisfied. Of course smoothies and green drinks are great as well. I will get some recipes up on the site.

I know it's hard to eat healthfully when you're in the daily struggle - next time you're making a food choice ask yourself if it fits in the above categories. If not, think about it again the next time you have an opportunity. Be kind to yourself and avoid beating yourself up. Every effort counts, every effort matters!

Please ask any health or nutrition question anytime - I'm here to help.

Wishing you wellness,
Patrice

Quote of the Day

"Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained."~ Arthur Somers Roche