February 26, 2010
Steps to a Healthy Diet
Steps to a Healy Diet
Eat Local Food
Freshly picked food is rich in enzymes and flavor. A more local food system lessens the chance of food poisoning and ensures that food is richer in vitamins and minerals.
Eat a Variety of Foods
The wider the variety of foods in our diets, the greater the chance of getting all the nutrients we need. The more diversity, the better the chance of resistance to diseases.
Aim for Organic
More than 80 percent of commonly used pesticides today have been classified by NAS as potentially carcinogenic. Birth defects and human reproductive problems as well as many cancers have been attributed to the heavy reliance on pesticides by conventional farms.
Eat Lower on the Food Chain
Eating lower on the food chain can reduce the risk of disease. Studies from around the world confirm that the lower on the food chain a human eats, the greater the protection against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Also, a number of chemicals created for industrial use end up in larger animals each link up the food chain. Mercury found in tuna is a classic example of this concern.
Eat Fresh Food
True fresh food resembles what it looked like in the field and is “alive.” “Living” food is rich in antioxidants and enzymes that haven’t been killed by heating. The shorter the time from field to table, the fresher the food.
Eat Whole Foods
Processed, refined food products can be stripped of fiber, enzymes, and important micronutrients, while unhealthy preservatives, sweeteners, fat, and salt are added. Whole food has the nutrient package your body needs, and is rich in nutritions such as vitamin E, which is found in whole kernel grains.
Stock Your Pantry
If you stock up on staples, cooking healthy meals is always convenient as well as nutritious. Pantry foods (such as canned tomatoes, beans, nuts, rice, flour, etc.) are great sources of fiber, complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, crucial minerals such as zinc, and more.
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