Making good dietary changes toward whole organic foods for better nutrition is easier in stages. It seems that making small gradual changes can be more acceptable for some people toward healthy eating.
Start with healthy additions without taking anything away that you enjoy in regard to your diet.
Next, make some substitutions. For example, using mineral rich sweeteners instead of white refined sugar. Another could be fresh cooked vegetables instead of canned. Homemade soup with fresh organic ingredients instead of canned. Adding fish to the menu in place of packaged supermarket deli meat.
Eliminate some unhealthy foods and addictions. This will be easier after you have experienced the effect
of dietary changes so far.
Finally, don't go "bananas" and give yourself a day of grace a week. On the other six days work toward good changes in your diet. All of us need a day of eating for enjoyment.
This will begin one more informational regarding good substitutions. Sorry. But for those who are still on the fence, this is for you.
Sugar.
One "food" to eliminate immediately to boost health is refined sugar in all forms.
Sad but most canned and processed foods and soft drinks fall into this category. Most of the sugar we consume-about 85%-comes from hidden sugar. For example, ketchup contains about 50 percent sugar! In one study, 3 ounces of sucrose eaten in one sitting reduced the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria and other invaders by 40 percent. That effect started within 1/2 hour and lasted for more than 5 hours. Incredible, huh? A single soft drink may contain 2 ounces of sugar.
So why work on boosting immune systems and not adjust sugar intake??
Another sweetener-molasses-is made from the residue left after refinement, and it contains most of those minerals that accompany sugar in its natural state. Blackstrap molasses may not taste as sweet, but it is one of the best mineral supplements we have.
Fruits and vegetables.
Organic produce has on average about twice the mineral content of supermarket varieties and is free of pesticides.
Vegetables are a good source of minerals, but the minerals in plants need to be released. One of the best ways to release minerals from plants is to cook them into soups or stir fry without water. If vegetables are boiled, drink the water they are cooked in. Frozen vegetables are usually boiled and drained during processing, stripping away much mineral content.
Several fruits and vegetables with high nutrient concentration include broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, lima beans, peas, asparagus, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, onions, and oranges.
Enjoy the many choices we have been given and experience them in creative ways. To your health!