Foundational Pillar #2: Nutrition

 “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food.”

-Hippocrates

The second foundational pillar of health and wellbeing is nutrition. We must eat to live and food can either be nourishing for the body or detrimentally damaging. Unfortunately diet and nutrition has become over complicated with all of the social media, influencers, and companies out there just trying to sell you something. Let me assure you that good health and optimal nutrition is not rocket science and is relatively easy to understand and obtain.
If it has a mother or comes from mother earth it is a great choice. The best choice.

When it comes to eating I recommend you focus on whole, unprocessed foods.

This means: 

Meats

Vegetables

Fruits

Beans

Legumes

Rice

Whole Grains

Again, if it has a mother or comes from mother earth it is a great choice. The best choice.

But what about dairy products? 

Technically dairy products are created from animals which have mothers. So if you can tolerate dairy, great. Go for it. 

Your girl loves her some cheese, butter, and I literally refuse to drink my coffee without cream (I use half & half or whipping cream)! 

But the key here is I can tolerate it. Dairy does not give me stomach upsets or make me bloated nor does it cause skin issues for me. If you suffer from these things it may be worth cutting out dairy for a while to see if it is the culprit. 
Okay, so now we know what we should be eating but what about sauces and flavorings? 

Again, if it has a mother or comes from mother earth it is a great choice. The best choice.

There are brands out there that make dressings and sauces from natural sources that do not have the chemicals in them that wreak havoc on your body systems. 

Primal Kitchen is a great option available in most stores. But another great way to learn which options are best is to start reading the ingredient labels. You should be able to recognize every ingredient in the list. If you can it is probably a safe and great choice. 

Okay so I know what to eat now but how should my plate look? How much or how often should I eat? 
I recommend that people eat 3meals per day with 1-2 small snacks as needed.

As for treats, sweets, and splurges…

It is okay to splurge but we must do so in moderation. Special events and holidays are just one day here and there per year. This will not destroy your health and wellness. Treating multiple days a week as a “cheat day” or splurge will. So practice being more selective about what you consider a special event and worth the splurge. 

“Nutrition isn’t just about eating. It’s about learning to live.” 

-Patricia Comptton