More Holistic Eating

 We are what we eat. How many times have we heard that adage? Yet it's true. If we eat better and more holistically , we'll feel better. It's just a question of eating what's best for our bodies and not our taste buds.

I felt this way yesterday when I underwent my third gall bladder cleanse. Yes, I finally got rid of what looked like hundreds of stones but I couldn;t stop wondering, what if I had eaten better? I wouldn't be in this dilemma It was a rough flushing out that did and didn't end well. (it was vile let's leave it at that).However if I had eaten sensibly I wouldn't have gone through all of this, the horrific prep and the even more so aftermath. This is where holistic  food shopping and eating comes in.  Holistic nutrition means eating food in its' most natural state.This means what we ingest has to be unrefined, unprocessed, and organic locally grown food. If I had been on a diet of these food stuffs, I definitely would not have the problems I have now. This is not only true for me but for others who succumb to taste over value. Can I reform my eating habits? Definitely. There's another old adage -you're never too late to learn. Anyone can refine his or her diet. It';s just a question of will power and determination. 

How do you start a holistic diet when you're feeding yourself one of sweet and salty fat and transfat laden foods?Take it easy for starters. Start with sweet. We're hard wired to reach for sweets since our Neanderthal days when sweet meant safe. We should go back to those fruit gathering days. Start thinking about having fresh fruit for dessert and when you're craving a cupcake or cookie. One  favorite snack/dessert of my  is a Winesap apple sliced and rolled in pure cinnamon. Don't add any sugar to the cinnamon. The Winesaps are sweet enough.  Pears are out right now and again, they're the perfect as an lunch or dinner time dessert. Groceries also offer containers of all varieties of cut melon. These are not only refreshing but low in calories. From the sweet graduate to the savory. Fresh veggies are hard to come buy right now however there are frozen veggies that  have the same nutritional value  more or less. Think about a broccoli salad with good for you olive oil and fresh garlic or even better a string bean salad. As for protein , yes you can have meat but only lean cuts. Try white meat poultry such as chicken or turkey breasts grilled with a little lemon and herbs. Fatty fish is a must so stock up on salmon, lake trout and mackerel. These can be steamed with sage or turmeric for flavor. Holistic dining can include beef but make it very lean sirloin and try to have it only once in a great while. 

Eating better means feeling better. It's just s question of steeling yourself away from the bad and eating the good. It will be hard but it's the first step towards a better life and a better body.

Holistic Eating In The New Year

 Now that Christmas is over and a better year (hopefully awaits) it's time to start thinking about eating better. Holistic eating is a start in the right direction. You can lose weight  but without the strident rules of other diets.

Some may dismiss holistic eating as being too New Age. However it's the best thing that can happen to you and your body. You can finally break up with the diet culture and trust your own instincts about what's good for you. Another important aspect is seeing it as fuel, something to drive you. It's not filler. It's also honoring your body and the signals its' giving you. Doing such will give you satisfaction and a new self respect. Start off with a temporary food journal - nothing long term or you'll make yourself crazy. Do it for the first couple of months. Record how hungry you were when you sat down as well as the mood you were in. Did you eat everything or left some on the plate? How satisfied were you with the food and what did you eat. Other questions deal with experiencing emotions and did you feel any gastrointestinal problems? Note flavors. You may notice patterns arising during your meal times. You may feel hangry or a mix of hungry and angry when you eat lunch. There may be stress at breakfast or tiredness at dinner. are you gravitating towards more processed than fresh foods? Do you drink soda and tea with your meals or just water? Look at all the bad habits you have and try to amend them.

What should you eat on a holistic diet? Load up on fruits and veggies. Try to get as much organic as possible. Hit the farmer;s market when they eventually come back (this may take a while thanks to Covid and the communities welcome back to open air markets). Try to eat as much raw as possible however don't feel guilty if you have steamed broccoli or pan roasted carrots. One of the most important steps in  creating a holistic diet is ditching all those white flour and processed products. Go for whole grain and gluten free. If you're into baking then go for King Arthur and  Bob's Red Mill gluten free barley, oat and buckwheat flours. There is even a  holistic cookie recipe that calls for white beans. Beans and legumes are a must. Think chickpeas, black beans , lentils and peas. They are full of protein, Vitamin B and dietary fiber. They  also help build the much needed healthy gut bacteria.Just don;t eat them raw. Cook them if they're not already cooked before canning. You will need healthy fats. Eat more avocados, nuts and olive oil. All three are very versatile and can be used in a number of dishes. What do you get rid of? Sugar!!!!!! Ditch the white stuff and switch to honey and/or maple sugar. That means nixing all those sodas and drinking water or flavored seltzer.

The New Year is fast approaching. Treat yourself and your body with a holistic eating. It's a way of getting in shape not just with your body but also your mind and life.