How to Decide Which Foods Are Healthy

Eating healthy is a constant concern nowadays. But knowing you should and knowing how are two different things, especially when ‘healthy’ alternatives which aren’t actually healthy are constantly being marketed. The following are some informative guidelines to help you choose healthy options.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Fruits. Choose fresh, organic fruits preferably locally grown. Avoid buying canned fruits, especially those canned in syrup and not their own juices. Fruits, such as kiwi, strawberries, black berries, cranberries, raspberries, and blueberries are low in sugar and should be eaten more readily than apples and bananas which are high in sugar. Never eat a whole banana at one time. Eat half, this will avoid a spike in blood sugar levels. Always eat fruit alone, never with other foods, as this is best for digestion. Eat fruit primarily in the morning. This will provide your body with a cleansing breakfast.

2. Vegetables. Choose fresh, organic vegetables, preferably locally grown. Try to avoid buying internationally grown produce, as their policies about pesticides and herbicides are less stringent.
   
   Carrots are a healthy choice, but sweet potatoes are a lower sugar, more nutrient dense choice. Sweet potatoes can be cooked or eaten raw, just like carrots. Try sweet potato fries baked in coconut oil and topped with spicy seasoning.
   
   Vegetables should be eaten raw whenever possible. However, these vegetables should be cooked, sprouted, or lactofermented to neutralize enzyme inhibitors: broccoli, spinach, grains, beans, cabbage, artichokes, asparagus and cauliflower. (Enzymes breakdown food to be digested, enzyme inhibitors block enzymes.)

3. Sprouted Whole Grains. Whole grains are an extremely rich source of fiber and nutrients but they provide these healthy benefits only if they are sprouted. Unsprouted whole grains are coated with bowel irritants and enzyme inhibitors, only when they are sprouted are these irritants removed.

4. Animal Protein. Animals that are fed grain rich or soy diets do not ingest the nutrients found in grass so when we ingest these animals we are not receiving the nutritional benefits. If you are eating meat, make sure it is organic, grass fed, free range meat. This may sound extreme but you don’t want to be eating an animal that was put in a pen big enough for it to stand and pumped full of antibiotics to keep it alive. You want to ingest meat that got exercise, ate a healthy grass fed diet, and was not given hormones or antibiotics. Organic, free range, grass fed fowl is the best choice, such as chicken, duck, pheasant, and turkey.

5. Fats and oils. The best oil to cook with is coconut oil because it does not go rancid, like many vegetable oils, when it reaches high cooking temperatures.
   
   Vegetable oils, corn oil, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oil all oxidize easily. These easily oxidized oils go rancid and cause cell membrane damage, which taxes the liver and inhibits thyroid function. Let me say this again, eating these vegetable oils which are in most packaged and cooked foods will hurt your liver and thyroid function. Using coconut oil, olive oil, and butter is a healthy alternative. These saturated are easily metabolized and are not stored as fat.
   
   Coconut oil is not only great to cook with but can be ingested by the spoonful as a healthy, slower burning fat that will keep you from feeling hungry and regulate blood sugar levels. It will keep your metabolism going.
   
   EFA are essential fatty acids that the body needs to function properly. Take these in the morning and make sure to keep them refrigerated.

[jeni10]

on 10/7/2009 Great article on how to decide which foods are healthy. I'm trying to eat a healthier diet, so your article is an informative resource. I'm saving to favorites. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. 5*