Let’s talk about food. The dietitian loves food. She lives to eat. She lives to create new healthy recipes. She lives to cook for her friends. She lives to make veggies taste good for the veggie-haters! She is a passionate healthy-eating foodie and has been this way most of her life. The doctor, on the other hand…
Thus, we realize that each person has their own views on food. Many people eat only to live. They find cooking laborious and would prefer to just order take out.
However, you cannot deny the importance of food. Not just any food – but nutritious food. As patients of Caring Medical, you are entrusting your healthcare to our team of professionals. We are helping you regenerate injured, unstable structures in your body. To best optimize your healing, it is essential that your body is provided with the building blocks it needs.
Nutritional building blocks do not come from fast food restaurants or consuming things like chips, candy, soda, diet products, microwave popcorn, ice cream, or frozen meals, as well as (and we know this may be tough for some) white-bread-related foods such as bagels, snack bars, cereal, chips, crackers, and pasta.
Nutrients come from REAL food. If we could encourage you to do something good for your bodies this year, it would be to commit to consuming a real food diet!
What are real foods? Real food is food that nourishes the body, including lean sources of meat, fish, poultry, and game, in combination with fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, and legumes.
As you think about making some dietary changes, we encourage you to think real food. Set some realistic goals if you know you have some big changes to make. For those who are consuming large quantities of processed food, just know that it takes time to build new habits as well as retrain the tastebuds.
You CAN train your brain to love these foods, but you will need to detox from the assault of chemicals, dyes, and artificial flavorings/sweeteners that you are used to consuming. The Standard American Diet (SAD) contains mainly carbs and sugar and can be as difficult to break the addiction as cocaine.
Just as our vehicles require the proper fuel, so do our bodies.
It’s time for a change.
Many people tell us that they are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.
They don’t want to spend so much money on medical care and prescription drugs and feel like they are getting more unwell as the years go by.
Don’t you want to feel good, possess great energy, and enjoy life, disease-fee? It starts with what you put into your body!
Start with the food you put on your plate!
Here are a few tips to get your started:
- Start with the purge. If you do not have the bad stuff in your house, you will not be tempted to eat it.
- Start slowly adding more veggies to your plates.
- Find healthy snacks to take to work or eat in the evening such as veggies and hummus, apples and almond butter, yogurt and blueberries, or nuts.
- Start cooking at home. You may say you do not have time, but we beg to differ. The key is planning. Keep it simple. But make it a priority. Start with a protein and a veggie cooked on a sheet pan.
Here’s to a stronger, more energetic, healthier you!