Food Rules to live by; my Food Philosophy
These days we are inundated with information about food and nutrition. We are told which foods are good for us, which are bad, which are ‘super’ foods, which can cure this thing or that and which you should steer clear of like the plague.
Left right and centre people are quitting sugar, giving gluten the boot, eating only raw food, embarking on liquid diets, turning back time to eat like cave men and overall radically changing their eating habits. Put simply, it’s really damn hard to keep up.
In my time studying nutrition and along my own personal wellness journey, I’ve come up with some principles that I live by which I consider to be my food philosophy.
Eat wholefoods
I’m talking about seasonal fruits and vegetables, healthy grains, lean meats and oily fish. If you’re eating a balanced diet and including plenty of wholefoods, you’re on the right track, which brings us nicely onto the next point.
Include variety in your diet
Different foods contain different nutrients, so in order to get the range of vitamins and minerals necessary for our body to function we need to ensure we’re including a variety of food sources. People often say that you should eat the rainbow, this refers to including all different colours into your diet and is a big part of balanced eating.
Introduce good things to crowd out the bad
When you add in healthy wholesome foods you have less room in your diet for the refined, unhealthy kind. This makes a huge difference and it wont leave you feeling like you’re missing out. By doing this you’re taking steps towards incorporating more nutrients and you’ll hardly even notice the changes you're making.
Moderation not deprivation
Feel like having some of your favourite chocolate? Or are you out for dinner and something on the menu sounds mouth-wateringly good but may not be the healthiest choice? Go for it! Once in a while it’s okay to indulge. Depriving yourself from your favourite foods is only going to make it harder to live a healthy life. Have you ever tried to go on a diet only to have it end in binge eating everything you can get your hands on? Don’t worry we’ve all been there. This is because when we deprive ourselves completely its really hard to stay on track. Over time you’ll learn to replace these unhealthy ‘indulgences’ with a healthier version, going on to my next point…
Healthy swaps
This one can be as simple as swapping to brown rice from white rice or something a bit more advanced like swapping a sugar filled cheesecake for a raw vegan 'cheesecake'. When we choose to go for the more nutritious options of the foods we love, we can still enjoy them and have more peace of mind. And you’d be surprised at how amazing the healthier versions can taste!
Eat what makes you feel good in the long run
Start making connections between the food that you're putting into your body and how it makes you feel. You may start to notice those foods that give instant gratification might later leave you in an energy slump. Begin to see which foods leave you feeling content and energised, and eat more of those. Remember no two people are the same, just because someone else might thrive off a particular way of eating its most important to find what works best for you.
Drink plenty of water
I know it’s not a food but this ones really important. Water is absolutely vital to our existence and so valuable to our health. If you’re only going to make one change towards being healthier, let it be drinking more water. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
Moving towards living a healthy life doesn't have to be hard, and its so worthwhile in the long run. A nutritious diet that best serves your body and allows you to do all of the things you love with lots of energy is well worth the effort and is a huge part of living a nourished life.
