David Perlmutter, MD, is an advocate for reminding everyone that “food is information”1. In simple terms, this theory suggests that what you eat is what you become and that the daily dietary choices you make directly connect with your DNA and play a role in the process of gene expression.
When you make poor food choices, you’re more susceptible to inflammation and chronic disease. On the contrary, when you make healthy choices, you provide your body with the best tools it needs to stay healthy.
The world we live in is one of convenience and mass-produced food, filled with an abundance of toxins and chemicals. What we call “food” today – the standard American diet – lacks the real vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body truly needs.
There are more than 3000 preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors added to your food2. Worse still, the regulations around what can and cannot be added are outdated and confusing – it can take years of testing to get an ingredient banned from the food supply.
Thankfully, you can control what you eat.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE COUNTING CHEMICALS, NOT CALORIES
It may not fit with much of the fast and convenient food available to you today, but you do have the power of choice when it comes to nourishing your body with the right ingredients. You can choose to eat processed foods from a box, laden with chemicals, toxins, and mystery additives, or you can focus on consuming whole, nutritious foods.
It’s time to begin focusing on counting the chemicals in your food, not calories. The best part? With just a few changes in how you think about food, you can slowly begin to reduce your toxic load.
SHOP THE FARMERS MARKET
Remember, fruits and vegetables don’t have food labels and certainly no hidden ingredients. You know exactly what you’re getting when you buy directly from the vendor at a farmer’s market.
FOCUS ON THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE
Grocery stores contain a lot of packaged goods, which as you know, often contain a lot of unwanted ingredients. Shop the perimeter – where the fresh produce resides – and only venture to the center aisles for specific items.
LESS IS MORE
Often overlooked but easy to incorporate when you know how to! Focus on foods with fewer ingredients overall – five or less is a good rule of thumb. Avoid ingredients you can’t pronounce, too.
READ THE INGREDIENTS LIST
The majority ingredient (what the product is mostly made up of) is always listed first. For example, a granola bar may tout healthy whole grains and chia seeds as ingredients, but if the first ingredient is sugar or corn syrup, you know it’s a candy bar in disguise.
As a society, especially one that struggles with weight, we have been so trained to only focus on calories. If you can relate, don’t worry, because I was there once too. Stuck in the same mentality, focused solely on one number.
I am also here to tell you, you can overcome this. When you shift your mindset to focus on the quality of your food and what’s not in it versus what is, you will experience true nourishment and vibrancy in your life.
Food is powerful. It has the power to make you ill, but it can also be a powerful tool in healing and maintaining optimal health.
Toxins aren’t just hiding in your food, they’re also in your beauty products. Head here to find out How To Clean Up Your Beauty Regimen!
[…] continued HERE on The Institute of Transformational Nutrition […]