So many people…sooo many diets….Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, low glycemic, etc. It can be overwhelming and confusing to know what to choose. Here are a few tips to help you examine your diet is a whole-istic way to help you upgrade it no matter what one you select.
1. Think about testing for food allergy’s with a stool sample. (I used enterolab). This will tell you the foods that you are allergic to that are unique to your body and digestive tract. This test will clearly show you the foods that you are producing a response to (for up to the last 3 years) and therefore may be harming you. Allergens cause harm by causing inflammation, not allowing the gut to digest properly therefore limiting overall ability to absorb vital minerals and nutrients, which would in turn cause other health issues. Our Health starts in our gut and its so important to look there for clues into our state of health. I personally could not accept that gluten may be a culprit for me until I saw the results in black and white from enterolab. This test is the reason I became gluten free, along with eliminating other allergens. The of result of which improved the state of my gut health which therefore reduced my SVT’s, anxiety, bowel movement issues and MORE. The benefits of cleaning up my food allergens drastically improved my overall health and I know that you can get the same results if you try it! .
2. Add things in before you take things away. Don’t stress if you are eating things that are not ideal. Try to layer in better foods as a strategy to reduce the ones that are not serving you. Example. lets say you eat sugar and feel like you need it after lunch and dinner. Instead of worrying about cutting it out, start by trying to eat 3 fruits a day instead. Adding in 3 fruits everyday will decrease your sugar cravings without any other effort. Another example is to layer in green juice or a smoothie. By adding this super food in, you will naturally begin to feed your nutrient needs which results in craving more healthy foods naturally. The more healthy foods you layer in, the “bad” foods will slowly be “crowded out”. My Health Coach, Sharon Goldner taught me this method and I love it.
3. Choose WHOLE foods. This one is simple. Try to eat fresh foods. Nothing from a box, frozen, processed etc. 90% of the time.
4. Base your meal around a veggie. Pick a veggie you are in the mood for. Example….Sweet Potatoes…Then plan your meal around it. What goes well with sweet potatoes? Turkey meatloaf? or maybe just some steamed broccoli and a little almond butter on top of the sweet potatoe…Plan a fresh meal around the veggie as the star of the meal.
5. Re-think your meat sources...If you like meat, think about if there is a way to upgrade your meat source. Are you eating meat that is organic, grass-fed, antibiotic free or raised compassionately? Do you have any stores near you that make it easy to upgrade your meat choices? Trader Joes has nice organic chicken breasts that are half the price from the regular store. Whole foods has a 5 point system to rate their meats and to help you choose ones that have the qualities that are important to you. This upgrade will help you and our animal friends.
6. Address emotional eating. No matter what you are eating…if you are eating too fast, too much, and mixing too many foods it can cause inflammation, weight gain, and other non-ideal responses. My favorite way to self-care for emotional eating is to journal. A page a day, or a page before eating…Let out your emotions before you eat as one small step to help you soothe this issue.
7. Upgrade your condiments- Adding in flax seeds, local honey, pink Himalayan salt, dulse flakes, fresh herbs, chia seeds, green vibrance, etc. are great ways to kick start extra minerals into your system in a fun & creative way. I believe that changing my salt to a better quality one has helped me balance my minerals which really helps with SVT. (I combine idolized salt with pink Himalayan).
8. Rotate your foods-No matter what diet you choose..meat/no meat, dairy/no dairy, etc. Try not to eat the same things every day. Ideally you want to be on a 4 day rotation. So if you want eggs and have them Monday, dont have them again until Thursday. Same goes for anything you eat. This method will help you prevent developing a food allergy in the first place. So even if you think you have chosen the perfect diet, but are eating the same thing every day..it can be causing harm. Try to mix it up. It helps to write out 4-5 breakfasts, lunchs, dinners that you like and tape them inside your kitchen cabinet. So when you are un-inspired you can just check there for ideas. Example for breakfasts are: Smoothie, millet or rice toast with almond butter and honey, Scrambled eggs, and then quniona with fresh berries, chia and honey.
I hope these tips help you upgrade your diet, no matter what one you choose! xox Laura
