If you have been following me for a while you know why I changed the way I eat. If you are new to my blog then the quick answer is to resolve my acid reflux. When I became vegan suddenly nutrition was important! I needed to know if I was getting enough protein, calcium and vitamin B12. Shaky and weak after exercise or tired for no reason, I would look for answers. What was lacking? What did I need to do to be stronger. I am no longer vegan, though I eat many vegan recipes weekly. I've done lots of reading and follow some interesting people. Terms that were foreign to me like macro-nutrients, living enzymes, pH foods, nutrient-density, nutritional-stress, empty-calories, omega 3's, omega 6's and factory-farms are things I think about when purchasing food and preparing meals now. Effort is made to try to use whole foods, natural sweeteners and organic, gmo-free foods as much as possible. I look for ways to "boost" a recipe to make it more nutritious. Things like adding pumpkin seeds or seaweed to a salad or stirring greens into a recipe at the end, just until they wilt.
There is a new term out there "Superfoods", each year the list grows longer. I wish they just called them "Nutritious Foods". These are foods that have been identified as having a powerhouse of nutrients, eaten for centuries from all over the world. I buy "Superfoods". Many of them are perishable and have been dried or made into powders that can be added to recipes or smoothies. Others can be found at your local store or co-op and are easily added to your diet. Like most living foods if you can buy them fresh and *unpasteurized (see note below) they are more beneficial to your health. I did a search on "nutritional value of food" and one of the links provided is from Whole Foods Market 100 Healthiest Foods . Incorporating these foods into your everyday life will definitely make a difference. Of course, the way they are prepared makes a big difference too.
For most of us in the United States eating is about taste and filling a void. We eat for pleasure, boredom and habit. How many of us eat when we are not even hungry or just because it's time or there? We drool over decadent foods that have little nutritious value at all. What if I told you there are delicious decadent recipes out there that are nutritious too! Like this No-bake Brownie Recipe from Julie Morris (another of my favorites).
Home-cooked or "prepared from scratch" meals have been consistent throughout my life. I thought I was making healthy choices, using nutritious recipes, serving balanced meals. With the education I had I was giving it my best effort. Knowing what I know now I would do it completely different.
First, I would make sure I was serving organic or gmo-free foods. There would be no high fructose corn syrup or aspartame in anything we ate or drank. The meat would be grass-fed, preferably local or wild, pesticide and antibiotic-free. My eggs would be from free-range pastured chickens. And I would serve more whole foods, especially at breakfast. The crap that is sold for breakfast products is ridiculous! The sugar laden (gmo beet sugar) cereals would be off the table, fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King would not even be an option. Soda is another chemical concoction that would be gone.
Second, I would give more thought to nutrition at dinner. Choosing quinoa, sweet potatoes, or wild rice over white potatoes, white rice or pasta. There would be more living food; such as a variety of salads, vegetables and fresh fruits. All gmo-free or organic.
Third, there would be less dairy. I thought dairy was the only source of calcium. I have since learned that it is not even the best source of calcium "non-dairy-sources-calcium " and our bodies have trouble absorbing calcium from dairy. There are many delicious dairy alternatives that can have a healthy impact and satisfy the palate and an abundance of foods to get calcium from. I feel like one of the best things I did for myself was to minimize the amount of cheese and ice cream I have in my life.
The Standard American Diet is considered an acidic diet. Acidic diets have been linked to chronic conditions and illness "Diet and the Acid / Alkaline Balance ". Start eating more foods that help the body's pH like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Even fish helps the body's pH.
Brendan Brazier has been one of my biggest educators of Food, Sports and Nutrition. In the two books I have "Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life" and "Thrive Foods" he dedicates the first portion of the books to nutritional stress, pH and nutrient density of foods. The first book is geared towards athletes with recipes for energy bars, electrolyte drinks, recovery smoothies and pre-workout drinks and foods. To be honest I make one of the electrolyte drinks often, a breakfast recipe before big hikes or bicycle ride, protein recover smoothie recipes after. I have not tried many of the other recipes. The second book is geared more towards making healthy delicious foods for everyday life. He also has a free website called Thrive Forward . It requires a sign up, but has lots of good tips and information to help anyone interested in living a more nutritious and healthy lifestyle.
This journey started 8 years ago for me; living in constant pain, prescription and non-prescription medications failing to bring relief and doctors with no answers. If it wasn't for the internet, Google and people posting their stories I would still be living a life in constant pain and dread. I hope you find this information useful.
* There is a debate over pasteurized vs unpasteurized food. Pasteurization is done to make our foods safer. In the process it alters the properties of the food, reduces the nutritional value and kills the living enzymes in the food. I could only find this one informational link that is about milk, but applies to other foods too. Vital info about pasteurization and homogenization