Food is Fuel – A Simple Tip to Eat Healthier for Life

Happy Friday my friends! I hear a lot of people (friends, family, & clients) say that they want to eat healthier but they don’t know where to start. I know it can be overwhelming and confusing and it’s so much easier to keep eating the things you have been eating all along. BUT…those things you have been eating haven’t been making you feel so good (bloating, acne, sluggish, & weight gain), so why keep eating them?

One trick that I think helps is to think of food as fuel for your body. You want to put a high quality gas in your car so your car runs properly, right?! We want to do the same thing with our bodies.

When you go to eat your breakfast, pick whole foods like eggs, oatmeal (no..not the kind in packets), yogurt (full-fat plain), veggies, & fruits. These are the types of foods that will fuel your body with the nutrition it needs. You can’t get nutrition from Frosted Flakes and Pop Tarts.

At lunch time and you go out with co-workers and they want pizza…think to yourself “How is pizza gonna fuel my body?” It’s not. Choose a salad that is full of fibrous carbs, protein and healthy fats. (See last weeks post on how to create balanced meals).

See how when you actually think about what you are putting into your body, you choose something healthier that is going to fuel your body.

I’m in no way saying to never indulge in a slice of pizza, but just enjoy it on occasion and don’t make a habit out of it. Have you ever noticed that sluggish feeling you get after eating pizza or a greasy burger? That’s your body telling you that what you just ate is slowing it down and not fueling it. If you put the wrong kind of gas in your car or gas that was really watered down, your car would not run properly and would feel sluggish and eventually it wouldn’t run at all. This is what happens with our bodies when we don’t fuel it properly and often enough.

If you need help figuring out what healthy foods are and what recipes to use them in, check out this free Encyclopedia of Food from Precision Nutrition. There are also some books at the library or on Amazon that are great at explaining the health benefits of different foods that will fuel your body.

Some of my favorite nutritious foods that I eat regularly to fuel my body are:

Apples, bananas, avocado, olive oil, blueberries, grapefruit, strawberries, kiwi, lemons, limes, arugula, spinach, kale, bok choy, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, cashews, eggs, bison, ground turkey, greek yogurt, chicken, tuna, salmon, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, chia seeds, goji berries, cacao powder, coconut oil, walnuts, broccoli, brussels sprouts, bacon, cauliflower, zucchini, shrimp, squash, rolled oats, quinoa, green beans, sweet potatoes, and so many more. I choose organic almost all of the time (read my post about why).

I, of course, do eat some processed foods but I try and choose the healthiest options like:

REDD Bars, My Natural Force pre & post workout supplements, Amazing Grass Protein Powder, Ezekiel Sprouted Bread (to name a few)

Another reason to use food to fuel your body is because food has the ability to heal your body. Processed foods cause inflammation in your body so when you eat whole unprocessed foods not only is your body getting the nutrition it needs and wants, it’s also helping the body heal by reducing inflammation (which causes so many health issues).

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”

Stay Healthy my Friends!

XO,

Carrie A Groff