Here’s Why You Feel Like Crap….

Did you know…

Recent studies show that 60% of food intake in the U.S. comes from ultraprocessed food. That number jumps to 70% for kids.

Ultraprocessed foods most likely have many added ingredients such as sugar, salt, fat, and artificial colors or preservatives. Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes, and salty snacks. -Harvard Medical School

Believe it or not, your diet is the number one contributer to your health.

What you eat affects your brain/mood, your weight, your energy, your susceptibility to illness and your chances of having a chronic disease or illness in the future.

The average person I work with is eating LESS THAN one serving (one cup) per day of veggies.

Our bodies need vitamins and minerals from a variety of clean foods in order to function properly. Ideally, 7-9 servings of a variety of veggies is required for full nutrition. Lack of nutrition causes our important systems to function improperly. Our bodies cannot process and eliminate all of the fillers, toxins and preservatives in processed foods. This extreme burden causes our systems to break down leading to all kinds of symptoms and chronic illness.

A recent study published in the journal, Cell Metabolism, researchers found that participants placed on an ultraprocessed diet for 14 days ate an average of 500 more calories per day than participants on an unprocessed diet. This contributed to an average weight gain of two pounds over the course of the 14 days for those on the ultraprocessed diet. A couple of the participants gained as much as 13 pounds. Participants on the unprocessed diet lost an average of two pounds.

These ultraprocessed foods are not only causing weight issues but contributing to cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease,diabetes and many more health issues.

Are you experiencing fatigue, skin issues, digestive issues, constipation or diarrhea? How about headaches, autoimmune issues, depression or anxiety?

These can all be directly related to the foods you are, or are not, eating.

If you’re ready to make some changes, here are a couple of tips to help you get started:

Take Note - Use a notebook or journal to keep track of your daily eating for one week. You might be suprised about how many processed foods,and how few healthy foods, you’re eating.

Remove Toxins -

• Use cleaner oils (olive, coconut, avocado) at home and avoid eating at fast food restaurants.

• Check your labels. If there are ingredients that you can't pronounce or don’t recognize, don’t by it.

• Buy organic produce and avoid processed dairy and meat products.

• Avoid packaged and canned products as much as possible.

Be Intentional - Eat for health and energy. The majority of the food you consume should be food that is going to make you feel better, not worse. Plan ahead so you aren’t in a situation where you have to grab something unhealthy for a quick snack or meal.

Increase Awareness - Are you prone to unconscious eating or overeating? Begin to notice where your traps are. Do you eat more when you’re bored, depressed, celebrating, etc?

Eat Real Food - There are a variety of products that claim to supply ample amounts of veggies and nutrition in a powder form. These are a great to supplement but should not be substituted for real food. Chewing and digesting real food is part of the process for absorbing nutrients. Our bodies can absorb more vitamins and minerals from real food than from supplemements. Powders and other supplements are a great addition to a healthy diet but should not be depended on for complete nutrition.

Making just a few small changes can create BIG results.

It just takes one decision…the decision to start today! Cutting out packaged and processed foods and adding more whole, clean foods to your diet can bring results within just a week or two. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Need help getting started? Let’s chat!

Set up a Complimentary 15 minute Consultation today!