People come to our clinic in an attempt to become and remain healthy. One of the things that we encourage is healthy eating. “If your grandmother wouldn’t recognise it as food then it isn’t” is such an important statement that you should keep it in mind every time you think about eating or planning your meals – including snacks.
When it comes down to it, grandma would only recognise food that is fresh and whole. Processed, fast food shouldn’t be on the menu. If you’re a parent and think that taking your children to a fast food outlet is a treat then please rethink. If you’re not sure what I mean by fresh, whole food then look in the downloads “Nutrition” section for the article on “Basic Principles of a Whole Food Diet”.
The problem with eating healthily of course, is that you have to plan. This is something you’ll get used to but it will take a few weeks to develop a system that works. We’ve been eating this way at home for the last 20 years so we’re on automatic. On the weekend we plan our meals for the week and buy fresh ingredients. We don’t have food that contains additives. That means preservatives, flavours, colours etc. Often we’ll cook a larger meal and freeze the left over so that when we come in late during the week we’re not stuck cooking for a long time. We also have a rule that says if you can’t prepare a weekday recipe in 20 minutes then forget it.
Try changing gradually. If you have take away every so often, that’s not such a big deal. If you have it a few times a week then maybe it’s time to change to a healthier option. Look in the downloads “Kids stuff” section for “Can the additives” if you need some guidance with what counts as an additive.
Try it. Enjoy the new you and the change in your children.