Food, food everywhere- what is worth eating?!
I’ve been slow in posting, since I’m working on a special project: a Philosophy of Health. Yes, there are some sites on the web which claim the title, but those I’ve found so far are woefully deficient. My basic concerns can be found here in the General category. More about the Philosophy of Health project later…
In the meantime, I thought today I’d post my thoughts on what a healthy eating plan should look like:
1. Timing. Make sure you eat breakfast, and spread your eating plan through 5 or 6 small meals. Also, make sure your last meal of the day is at least 2 hours before bed.
2. Whole Grains. Okay, your birthday cake doesn’t have to be whole grain, but your morning toast, etc. definitely should be!
3. Quality Protein. Fish, chicken, turkey, eggs (I recommend 4-Grain Omega 3), low-fat dairy, occasionally lean beef that’s been fed only a vegetarian diet, lean pork, soy, beans, nuts, seeds. Combine beans with whole grains, or nuts with seeds to make their combined protein complete.
4. Vegetables and Fruits. Preferably fresh, in-season, locally grown and organic; remember 5 a day is a minimum! Eat as many and as wide a variety as your caloric needs and food budget will allow. The more color the better. Look for more about this important subject in a later post.
5. Healthy Fats. Extra Virgin olive oil and canola oil, as well as foods like peanut butter, wild Pacific salmon and walnuts are all great choices.
6. Healing Spices. Turmeric or curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cumin or chili powder, and dark chocolate all contribute to your health, as well as enhancing enjoyment of healthy foods.
A good resource is You: Staying Young’s Healthy Foods Shopping List.
There’s not a lot of news in this post for you, probably, but we all need to be reminded to reassess our eating plan periodically. And look under the Recipes category here at healthwiseliving.com for some of my favorites which use the principles above. Enjoy the terrific healing foods we’ve been blessed with!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Brenda,
I have a question for you: what do you consider to be the best source of information for understanding the diet-sleep-exercise relationship?
I was researching it online the other day, but couldn’t seem to find many websites that combined these topics…
Let me know when you get a chance. Thanks!
Jon
Hi Jon,
Try taking a look at http://www.realage.com/homepage.aspx ; scroll down the page of topics, use their search engine, and also take their RealAge Test to get a gauge on your health status. In addition, they have a Tip of the day that’s very informative. The main emphasis at RealAge is prevention through proper diet, exercise, rest, stress management and supplementation. Why, sounds a lot like healthwiseliving.com, doesn’t it?!
Another place to look is http://www.webmd.com/, which of course is more about treatment, but still has some preventive health info as well.
Keep me advised about how your search for better health goes!
Thanks for the info! I’ll check out those websites and let you know how it goes…
Just out of curiosity….Do you know where I can purchase good quality foods online? I am now trying to order from online stores only because of various reasons…….can you help me with any suggestions??????
There is only one place, out of all that I have tried that really stood out for true quailty, and that is Celebrityfoods.
If you can help me grow my list of quality services or stores, where I can buy my food, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you!
Hi leo!
I checked out Celebrityfoods, and they look pretty good. Have you checked for any local businesses that you could shop with online which deliver? I did a google search last year and found a store in my area (South Florida) which does that: http://shop.deliciousorganics.com/index.cfm . I’ve been very happy with their quality and service. I see that they have recently started to ship orders as well. Amazon.com also has a grocery section now with the standard health and organic brands. If you are a Melaleuca.com customer, they have some limited but excellent food items with supplements and household needs. Ideally a local business which delivered could provide you with fresher, local produce. Let me know what else you may find. If I find anything else, I will likewise pass it along to you!