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This is a recipe I found from my new favorite food blogger, Angela Liddon. Her cookbook “Oh How She Glows” contains creative, easy to make vegan recipes. I have tried several and they are all delicious! These tacos are easy to make and absolutely delicious! The lentil and toasted walnuts create a wonderful texture for tacos, even meat eaters will be amazed! This recipe calls for lettuce wraps to make a super healthy, gluten free meal. However, feel free to experiment with flour or corn tortillas. Enjoy!

YIELD
8 LARGE TACOS (APPROX)
PREP TIME 30 MINUTES
COOK TIME 30 MINUTES

Ingredients:
FOR THE LENTIL-WALNUT MEAT (MAKES 2 1/2 CUPS):
1 cup uncooked French green lentils (you will need 1 3/4 cups cooked lentils)
1 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
*I used canned lentils… make sure you rinse and drain them!

FOR THE TOPPINGS/WRAPS:
1-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used one, but next time I will use 2 for ample leftovers)
1/2-1 large onion, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 onion, but next time will use 1 for ample leftovers)
Cashew Sour Cream (see below)
Diced tomatoes or salsa
Green onion & fresh lime juice, for garnish
lettuce wraps (large romaine, Iceburg, or Butter lettuce leaves)
Other topping options: Sliced avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, etc.

Directions:
Cook the lentils: Rinse lentils in a fine mesh sieve. Add to a medium pot along with a few cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender (cook time will vary depending on the type of lentils you use – see package). Drain off excess water.
Toast the walnuts: Preheat oven to 300F. Add walnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10-13 minutes, watching closely, until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Saute the pepper + onion filling: Add 1/2-1 tablespoon of oil into a large skillet or wok. Cook the onion and peppers over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, reducing heat if necessary and stirring frequently, until translucent.
Prepare the taco meat: Add 1 3/4 cups cooked lentils (you’ll have some leftover) and all the toasted walnuts into a food processor and pulse until chopped (make sure to leave texture). Stir or pulse in the oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir in the oil and the water until combined.
Prepare the rest of your vegetable toppings and wash + dry the lettuce wraps.

Assemble: Add a large lettuce leaf onto a plate, top with taco meat, sauteed peppers + onion, and the rest of your desired toppings.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in sealed containers to be enjoyed the next couple days. The cashew cream will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Use sour cream leftovers on sandwiches, wraps, stirred into salad dressings, on vegan nachos, or with chili or soup.

Tips:
1) I used French green lentils in my taco meat because I love their chewy texture, but regular green and brown lentils work too. Do not use red lentils as they are too mushy and don’t have the required chewy texture for this recipe.
2) Nut-free taco meat: I haven’t tried this yet, but you might want to try subbing the walnuts for 1/2-3/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds. Let us know how it goes if you try it out!
3) See below for Cashew Sour Cream recipe (which really adds to these delicious tacos!)

CASHEW SOUR CREAM
Rich and tangy, this vegan sour cream makes the perfect compliment to any bowl of chili or Mexican entrée. Be sure to soak the cashews in a bowl of water for at least a couple hours (preferable overnight) before you begin.

YIELD
3/4 CUP
SOAK TIME 2-8 HOURS
PREP TIME 5 MINUTES
COOK TIME 0 MINUTES

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/2-3/4 cup water, as needed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste

Directions:
Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight or for 8 hours if you have the time.

Drain and rinse the cashews and place in the blender.
Add water, lemon, vinegar, and salt. Blend on high until smooth. You might have to stop to scrape down the blender now and then or add a touch more water to get it going.
Once it’s super smooth, it’s ready! Transfer into a small container. The cream will thicken up as it sits.

VISIT www.ohhowsheglows.com for more amazing recipes by Angela Liddon

In an ideal world, we would all be preparing our meals each day and sitting with our families to spend time talking and enjoying our food. We would listen to our bodies to determine when we are hungry and how much we should eat to avoid overeating. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know I am fanatical about quality of food and how that plays a part in how well our bodies function. But of particular importance, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, is how much you eat and how mindful you are when eating.

The reptilian part of our brain is responsible for primal drives, including hunger. Your body releases chemicals signaling our bodies when its time to eat. Problem is, there are other factors at work. For instance, every time you eat something you find pleasurable, your body continues to crave and seek out that same feeling of pleasure. The more you “give in” to this craving and give your body that pleasurable food, the more hardwired it becomes in your brain to continually seek this pleasure-giving substance. Even though, eventually, you build a tolerance to the pleasurable effects. When you are on a “diet”, you try to ignore these signals and the result is often a feeling of being hungry and craving these pleasurable foods all the time. In essence, this is why most diets eventually fail.

I’ve created a tool to help you become a more “mindful” eater. What is mindful eating? It is not unlike anything else you do in your life that you become mindful about. When you eliminate all external distractions, truly focus on whatever it is you are doing, and feel the accurate signals your body is sending, you are being mindful. Please use this guide as a way to become more mindful about your eating and see how much better you feel, how much more energy you have, and the weight WILL come off!

MINDFUL EATING: SATIETY SCALE
0 STARVING, WILL PASS OUT IF I DON’T EAT
1
2 DEFINITELY FEEL HUNGRY IN MY STOMACH, ENERGY WAINING
3
4
5 FEELING SATISFIED, IF I EAT MORE I MAY FEEL SLUGGISH
6
7 STOMACH FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE, NOT VERY ENERGETIC
8
9
10 SO FULL I FEEL THAT I MIGHT BURST; EX. THANKSGIVING DINNER

How to Use the Scale
*Before you decide what number you are on the scale, decide if you are feeling physical or emotional “hunger”. Do you desire pleasure or are you actually in need of food?
*Only eat when you are at a “2 or less”. Stop eating when you reach a “5 or 6”.
*Pause before eating and with each bite while eating to check in with how your stomach feels
*Remember the size of your stomach (make a fist with one hand), the amount of food it can hold (make a tight “bowl” with both hands together), and how you will feel if you overfill your stomach.

Today’s discussion is about the rules we create for ourselves. We live in a world full of rules, and in addition to the rules that are put in place for us, we tend to create our own rules that we use to as a guide to how we live our lives. In my line of work, my clients tell me every day about the rules that they have broken as a result of lack of willpower, self sabotage, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You know, that all too familiar feeling of trying to deprive yourself of something only to cave in and end up feeling terrible about yourself. It often becomes a vicious cycle, with the result being that you beat yourself up over breaking the rules you created. Some examples include efforts to abandon all sugar, alcohol, carbohydrates, fast food, overeating, or to follow a specific exercise program. Chronic dieters do permanent damage to their metabolism. Over-exercising (just like under-exercising) can increase cortisol and other hormones that will make you gain weight. As with most things in life, with regards to health, it is important to strike a balance. Our rules contradict finding balance.
There are a couple of problems with these rules that we make for ourselves. First, it can lead to a real phenomenon called Deprivation Fatigue. We deny ourselves so often that we actually become emotionally drained from living within the confines of our rules. Secondly, when we prohibit ourselves from doing something that gives us pleasure or demand that we do something that causes discomfort, it is inevitable that we will eventually gravitate back to those things that give us pleasure. If this sounds familiar to you, and you find yourself in that cycle of deprivation only to break your own rules and end up feeling bad about yourself and you aren’t any closer to meeting your goals, I have a solution for you.
Instead of creating steadfast rules for your life, live by a set of principles that are aligned with your goals. More on that in a minute, but first… Starting right now, let go of all of those things you “aren’t allowed” to do. Give yourself a free pass to indulge in dessert, eat bread, take an afternoon nap, have a glass of wine, order what you want to eat at the restaurant instead of what you should be eating. Take a moment to visualize how it feels to be free from all your self-imposed restrictions. Next, imagine for a moment that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about you. In fact, the only one that sees you is you. Living under the above two assumptions, you can live however you want to live and no one will judge you for it. You should be overwhelmed with a sense of freedom and permission to be yourself, without denial of pleasure or fear of judgement. This is how each of us should be living, without question.
So in the absence of worrying about being deprived or of being judged by others, you are free to really think about what it is you want for yourself. What circumstances allow you to live your best life? In your best life, how do you feel? How is your health? Does your body do all the things you want it to do? Are there certain aspects of your old rules that you still find useful to living your best life, but without the deprivation and judgement?
In this exercise, allow yourself to have complete control over your thoughts. All the rules you have created may be leading to negative thoughts about yourself. This is counterproductive. Abandon your rules, create principles that guide you to living your best life. The principles you create should be based on all the things that make you feel good.
What you may discover is that some of your old rules had validity. For instance, if every time you eat ice cream you feel sick and bloated, maybe your reason for giving up ice cream should be because it makes you feel bad… not because you aren’t allowed to have it. Give yourself the freedom to make decisions based on what is best for you. Maybe you dread going to the gym, but force yourself to go anyways. Wouldn’t a better principle be to find something that you do enjoy, maybe its walking or biking outdoors, so you get pleasure from it? The principles you create should be based on doing what leads to the best you possible while providing as much pleasure as possible.
Live without rules, change your mind, and change your life!

Thanks for reading…

If you are looking for a high-intensity, whole body workout that will torch calories and keep your metabolism revved up for hours, this is it. Make sure you start each workout with a warmup, consisting of 5-10 minutes of cardio (walking/ jogging/ biking/ calisthenics) and dynamic stretching and joint mobility work. Then begin!

10 Minutes: Complete one round of the below exercises at the start of each minute for 10 minutes. If you finish early within each minute, rest until the start of the next round:

Overhead press – dumbbell x 10
Mountain climbers x 10
Squat jump x 10

REST

20 Minutes: Perform the exercises below for as many rounds as possible for 20 minutes. Rest when you need it, otherwise push to complete as much as you can:

Kettlebell swings x 30
Pushups x 20
Lunges x 10 / leg (hold dumbbells at your side)

*If you are new to exercise, please consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. If you are unsure how to perform these exercises properly and safely, consult a professional personal trainer!

I am compelled to write about something I hear from clients often … the many reasons why they can’t lose weight or achieve their health and fitness goals. We all start each endeavor to change with the best of intentions. We make up our minds to do something, we stay on plan for a few days or maybe even a few weeks, and then our motivation starts to fizzle and we settle back in to our old habits. Maybe you attribute your inability to lose weight to a lack of willpower, no time to prepare healthy meals, lack of motivation to exercise, or your inability to say no to dessert when its offered. And likely it is all of these things.

Studies suggest that individuals do not fail in their weight loss efforts (or to maintain weight loss) because of lack of knowledge of healthy food. Rather, because after weeks, months, or even years of “restrictive” dieting and failed attempts at exercise programs, we develop something called “behavioral fatigue”. Restrictive behavior leads to behavioral fatigue, and ultimately dietary sabotage. The ups and downs dieters experience create a mental fatigue that impacts motivation. It becomes a vicious cycle.

You could spend a lot of time, money, and energy reading the latest “fad” diet book, purchasing the latest ab machine that is going to sculpt your midsection, or starving yourself only to find yourself back to square one when those strategies fail. Or, you can acknowledge that you likely know what it takes to lose weight (ie. eating the right foods in the right amounts and exercising) and focus your energy and attention on what is holding you back emotionally.

Change your daily behavior, and you will change your life. It is not what you do one day, but what you do every day that adds up over time to accumulate small changes which contribute to big changes.

Strategies that can help you with your new “behavior”:

*Enlist the help of a professional trainer, life coach, therapist, or even a friend who can hold you accountable and offer support week after week

*Write down your specific goals, how you are going to attain each goal, and why it is important to you

*Identify the “behaviors” that are sabotaging your goal(s), and replace it with something healthier. For example; if you reach for something sweet every night after dinner, instead, drink a cup of tea or eat a cup of fresh berries

*Use “mindfulness” to think about every behavior that either contributes or sabotages your goals, and make a conscious decision not based on impulse or emotional factors

Life is too short to beat yourself up, so don’t get hung up on past attempts. But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. It is true that you have to initiate and sustain change in order to achieve your goals. So set yourself up for success… set small achievable goals, identify the behaviors that are sabotaging your success, and deal with the emotional issues at the core of your behavior.

Thanks for reading!

References

“The No. 1 Obstacle to Weight Loss” Christy Matta, World of Psychology

“Weight Loss Psychology” Dr. George Blair-West

 

This is one of my favorite recipes… it is super easy and fast to make! I recently tried this recipe with a few changes, and it turned out fantastic! You will be amazed at how simple this is to make, and it will feel like you are dining at high-end restaurant. Enjoy!

2 Pieces Wild Fish – 6 oz. each (cod or halibut are ideal)

1/4 c chopped kalamata olives (pitted)

1/4 c artichoke hearts

2 tbspn capers

1/4 c chopped onion

2-3 cloves chopped garlic

2 tbspn olive oil

2 lemon wedges

sea salt

pepper

generous oregano

generous basil

generous dill

4 cups fresh spinach

Place each piece of fish in its’ own large piece of foil. Fold the edges of the foil upward to create a “bowl” for the fish. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to each piece of fish, and divide remaining ingredients (except for spinach) between the two pieces. Season generously with herbs (dried or fresh), and fold the edges of the foil over the top to seal in the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until fish is flaky and opaque and vegetables are tender. Empty contents of foil over a bed of fresh or sauted spinach and squeeze lemon over the top.

Hello readers!

My last post focused on protein, specifically digestion and absorption of it and how to increase the bioavailability of nutrients in your food by eating more raw plant foods and with the help of digestive enzymes. This post is dedicated to the discussion of “clean” sources of protein.

Most fitness buffs would describe a perfectly balanced meal as a grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and brown rice. While you could certainly eat worse things, I would like to examine the notion that chicken breast is a “clean” protein. When I say “clean”, I mean void of added hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and unhealthy feed. If you are buying your chicken (or other meat) at the grocery store or at a restaurant, likely it contains all or most of the above added ingredients. Same is true for beef, pork, dairy, eggs, and some fish. There are a variety of reasons why these additives are used, most of which include a higher yield and lower cost to the food growers, but all of them are extremely dangerous to us and detrimental to our overall health. Don’t take my word for it… look up antiobiotic overexposure and the potential dangers, and then consider that 80% of the antiobiotics used in this country are used in farm animals that we eat. The conditions these animals are raised in can be filthy, and the animals often end up very sick. They are fed a diet of feed that is unnatural to their bodies, so they are given additional medicine to keep them alive. I could go on about the horrors of factory farming, but I think you get the picture.

Our bodies are fantastic, incredibly precise machines that are constantly working to eliminate toxins that we are exposed to in the air we breathe, water we drink, and food we eat. But it is no wonder that in this age of food additives and artificial everything, our bodies can no longer keep up with the demand of detoxification. Getting back to protein… yes, we need protein/amino acids (as discussed in Part 1). But there are better ways to get protein without ingesting all of these unnecessary and harmful toxins. For example, plant based protein sources (all plants contain protein), and animals raised without the use of harmful hormones and antibiotics.

When choosing animal protein, look for the following:

• *Grass “Finished” (not just grass fed) Beef
• Hormone and Antibiotic Free
• Organic (indicates pesticide free)
• Omega-3, Vegetarian Fed Eggs
• Nitrate-Free Pork Products
• rBST-Free Dairy Products
• Wild Fish (check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium list of sustainable fish)

Some of my favorite plant proteins (remember, you must eat a variety of plants to obtain all of the essential amino acids):

• Quinoa (ancient Incan grain, nutty flavor, and contains ALL amino acids!)
• Beans, legumes
• Nuts and Seeds
• Green Leafy Vegetables (spinach, broccoli, etc.) – all contain protein!!
• Soybeans (also a comlete protein!)

In summary, for best absorption and quality of protein without unnecessary toxins, include many plant foods and only “clean” animal proteins. Your overall protein requirement will be less, and you will be consuming a higher content of micronutrients, which will make your body function optimally! The end result will be greater energy, sleep, skin, muscle tone, and overall well being.

Thanks for reading!

With the dedication to healthy eating comes the challenge of balancing the enjoyment of life’s abundance with staying committed to your goals. I think you can do both. Recently, on a cold Colorado evening, I made this recipe with a good friend and we enjoyed everything about the process… shopping for the best ingredients, spending time in the kitchen together, and finally sampling our creation.

While this recipe is not my own, I think it is worth sharing! The flavors are simple and elegant. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

 

 

 

 

Butternut Squash Pizza*

Serves 6

1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 Tbs. Eden Selected Spanish extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Toss together squash, onion, oil, and rosemary in bowl. Spread in large baking dish, and roast 30 minutes, or until  tender.

3. Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Divide pizza dough into 2 pieces, and shape each piece into 8-inch round. Place dough rounds on baking sheet, and top with squash mixture. Bake 13 to 17 minutes, or until crust is crisp. Drizzle pizzas with oil, scatter 1/4 cup spinach over each, and garnish each with 2 Tbs. shaved Parmesan.

Per 1/3 pizza (2 SLICES) 295 cal; 9 g prot; 8 g total fat (2 g sat fat); 47 g carb; 2 mg chol; 448 mg sod; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugars

*Vegetarian Times: Candice Garrett 1st place winner 2012 Reader Recipe Contest

If you’re like most people, you spent the holiday season enjoying family and friends, indulging in traditional holiday food and drinks, and putting off your healthy eating and exercise plan until the new year. This is what the holidays are all about, right? Well now that the sugar cookie dust has settled, its time to get to work.

Rather than refer to this time of year’s goals as “new year’s resolutions”, I prefer to call it what it really is… a commitment to yourself to do what is good for you. I am going to give you a few easy to implement strategies for getting yourself back on a healthy track:

1) Commit to changing 1-2 habits:  It takes approximately 60 days to change a habit. Pick something that you know derails your progress. For instance, if you find yourself snacking on something sweet at the same time of day each day, replace your typical sweet snack with something healthy (a green apple, a mozzarella cheese stick, a handful of raw almonds). Or maybe your best attempt to make it to your workout is delayed when you get home from work and decide to take a short rest before hitting the gym, which turns into vowing to make it tomorrow instead. Try packing your workout clothes and go straight to the gym from work. Small changes will yield big results!

2) Avoid fad diets like the plague!:  It can be tempting to commit to one of the hundreds of “lose weight quick” diet gimicks. Whether its Paleo, Atkins, Cleansing, Fasting, Southbeach, Raw Diet, or countless others, most of them require drastic changes to your lifestyle that will likely leave you feeling deprived. Don’t set yourself up to fail… Better strategies include portion control, bulking (loading up your plate with things like fresh greens and vegetables to give you more food without more calories), food swapping (exchange a poor food choice for a healthy food choice), and indulgence in moderation. You still have to live your life, give yourself some flexibility when it comes to healthy eating!

3) Its all in your head:  Losing weight, dieting, and changing your lifestyle is 100% psychological. We develop habits over a lifetime of eating, and it is not easy to change these ingrained behaviors. The first step is awareness; acknowledge your desire to change and take the necessary steps to replace an unhealthy behavior with a healthy one. The second step is to be specific; as mentioned above, choose only 1 or 2 habits at a time and commit to replacing those old habits with new ones that align with your long term goals. Plan for success! The third step is to plan for long term adherance by keeping those new habits in the forefront of your mind. Practice mindfulness in everything you do! And if you do experience setbacks, don’t beat yourself up. The emotional guilt that occurs when you “fail” at your diet or exercise goals is as detrimental to your success as the actual plan. Instead of dwelling on the momentary lack of will power, focus on why you made the choice that you did and what you can do in the future to avoid making the same mistake. Or, enjoy your moment of indulgence and move on!

4) Move your body:  While it is true you are not likely to lose weight and meet your health goals by ignoring your diet and with exercise alone, the benefits are too numerous to ignore. Exercise releases endorphins, helps you effectively manage stress, burns calories, prevents muscle and bone loss, improves strength and stamina, is a proven treatment for depression, and can also be fun! If working out in the traditional sense (in a gym or on a piece of cardio equipment) isn’t for you, almost everyone can walk. In studies of centenarians (people who live to 100 years or older), one of the  common denominators was walking. If you are new to exercise or walking, start slowly and plan on increasing your distance each week. Shoot for 45 to 60 minutes each day, most days of the week. Within no time you will feel more stamina, focus and vigor. Other activities that “count” as exercise include cleaning your house, gardening, yard work, taking the stairs, washing your car, walking your dog, playing with your kids, etc. Move your body as much and as often as you can!

5) Drink more water:  Plain and simple, water is lubrication for our cells. Without it, our bodies do not function the way they were meant to. Water aids in digestion, healthy skin, prevents muscle fatigue, helps to control appetite, and transports nutrients to our cells. If you are exercising, you are losing fluids rapidly and those fluids need to be replaced. For taste, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, add cucumber slices, fresh ginger, orange slices, fresh mint or basil, or any other combination of fresh additions! Drink more water, aim for 80-100 ounces per day (more if you live in a dry climate or at high altitude). If this is not already a part of your new year’s health plan, it should be.

Your success in the next year with regards to your health and fitness will depend on how you approach each decision. Every choice is an opportunity to get you closer to optimum health or an anchor holding you down. Choose to live fully by treating your body the way it deserves to be treated. You will be rewarded with vitality and the ability to fully engage in life! No one said it would be easy, but I promise it will be worth it.

Thanks for reading, wishing you a healthy 2013!

Tara

 

 

Eat This, Not That…  Good” Food Vs. “Bad” Food:

One of the most commonly asked questions I receive from clients is related to whether a certain food is considered “good” or “bad”. Sometimes the answer is simple. For instance, if we’re talking about French fries covered in cheese sauce, clearly the answer is a definitive “bad”. However, often the topic can be a bit more complicated.

 

Bad Foods  It is not surprising people are more confused than ever about their diet and how to lose weight and achieve optimal health. Whether its Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, Zone, Vegetarian, or any other “diet”, there seems to be some study to justify eliminating this or that food group. While I am not a proponent of elimination diets (diets that suggest you should eliminate a macro-nutrient group entirely, for instance no carbohydrates), I would like to address foods that are considered “empty calories”. These are the undeniably “bad” foods. Empty calorie foods are made up of mostly or all solid fats and/or added sugars. They contribute calories without any real nutrients. Here are a few examples:

• Cookies, cakes, pastries, baked goods, any white flour food
• Soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks
• Sausages, hot dogs, heavily processed meat
• High fat cheese
• Fried food

 

(Click here to view the USDA Food Pyramid’s table showing the amount of “empty calories” in common foods: http://:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/emptycalories_count_table.html)

 

Not only are these “empty calorie” foods low in or completely void of nutrients, but most are very high in calories. Our bodies require a very specific balance of nutrients and if our diets are deficient in certain nutrients, symptoms will arise and your general well being will suffer. I am not referring to macro-nutrients such as protein, carbs or fats, but micro-nutrients like selenium, zinc, B vitamins, iron, and countless others.

 

In addition to lacking micro-nutrients, empty calorie foods typically contain a host of other manufactured food substances that can literally be toxic to our bodies. Familiar ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, and aspartame, for example, may be added to foods to preserve the shelf life or simply to make them taste salty or sweet. There are literally thousands of these additives and chemicals added to our food supply. In very small amounts, our bodies are generally pretty good at processing and filtering unwanted substances. But, over time, these chemicals accumulate and begin to wreak havoc on our health.

 

Good Foods  On the other hand, certain foods provide a high amount and variety of nutrients while contributing fewer calories. These are the “good” foods. Not surprisingly, these foods come predominantly from plants. The following foods are considered extremely nutrient dense:

• Green leafy vegetables
• Beans and legumes
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Orange, yellow, and red colored vegetables
• Berries
• Onions, mushrooms, cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower)
• Oily fish (mackarel, sardines)
• Eggs (omega-3 fed only)

Highly nutrient dense foods contribute to every bodily system functioning properly. The result is increased energy and focus, proper digestion, weight management, disease prevention, and general well being. The problem is, most Americans consume far more “bad” foods than they do “good” ones. The first step to improving the ratio of nutrient dense foods to empty calorie foods in your diet is to eliminate or drastically reduce the amount of processed food you eat. You may have heard the saying, “if your grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food, don’t eat it”. So this leaves fruit, vegetables, meat/poultry/fish, seeds/nuts, and beans/legumes.

 

“Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants. “ … Michael Pollan

 

It may be a difficult transition at first, but by slowly eliminating the “bad” foods from your diet and incorporating as many of the “good” foods as possible, you will notice improvements in every aspect of your health. Check out Revolution Personal Training’s “Food” section for recipes!

Thanks for reading,

 

Tara