Have you heard the saying, "You are what you eat?" I believe that is true and that food is medicine. A whole foods diet is the starting point to health.
Our food supply has been tainted with potent, dangerous pesticides and herbicides; and our soils are depleted of nutrients. Fast food has become a daily way of life. We, as a culture, are way too often eating low-nutrient, high-calorie junk non-food. It is no wonder that 38 percent of US adults are obese and 17 percent of teenagers are! ... and it is only going to get worse.
We need change! We need to get back to basics ... eating locally and in season, shopping the farmers' market, preparing meals at home, ditching convenience/processed foods, and including far more fresh veggies in our diets.
You can do it … just make one small change at a time. Start by cleaning the junk out of your pantry and refrigerator. Think "whole" foods only. Anything processed or has more than five ingredients needs to go. When you next go to the grocery store, stick to the perimeter of the store and purchase lots of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits (get a variety!), and fresh dairy and meats. Avoid premade, processed and convenience foods that are chock full of chemicals and things you can't pronounce.
Next, up your vegetable intake … dramatically! This is going to sound crazy, but try to eat five cups of veggies a day. That's about one cup with breakfast and two cups with both your lunch and dinner. Once you get used to it, you'll be craving those extra veggies because your body will start feeling so much better. Try vegetables you've not had before and mix it up; don't just eat corn or peas every day. Feel free to steam, saute, stir fry or microwave your veggies and then put real butter (not the fake margarine chemical stuff) on them with some salt and pepper (garlic powder is great too!). Also, take time and enjoy your food. Be grateful as you enjoy it.
Here's to your health! Cheers!