"real Food" For Optimal Health

alth may not be everything but if you lose itand not feeling guilty when you eat something you
everything becomes nothing.crave. It shouldn’t be confused with having a
There is no single effort more radical in its potential‘perfect’ good life. Indeed, I believe that
for saving the world than a transformation of thethe reason so many of us have a mixed relationship
way we eat. Among the many factors that shapewith food is because we’ve bought into the
lives, nutrition plays a critical role. If we can maintainmyth of a ‘perfect’ diet. We think that if
excellent eating habits, something extraordinary inwe can just eat ‘perfectly’ — never
health can be achieved. While most of us are awaresplurging or giving in to cravings — all of our
that food choices are important to health, very fewproblems will disappear. But no one is perfect
people realize that food can actually promote health.— not me, not you. Having a real food life
We do not subtract: we keep adding. What we domeans eating when you are actually hungry, not
occasionally does not affect us but what we dobecause you are tired, stressed or angry. It means
consistently definitely affects our health. That is whybeing in control; even an ‘indulgence’ will be
smarter food choices will reduce the risk of chronica conscious choice because you know where the
diseases and many types of cancers.treat fits into the rest of your food plan.
Change can be both challenging and difficult for all ofReal food simply means plenty of fruits, vegetables,
us. Therefore, one should shift to eating nutrient-richnuts, seeds dry fruits, pulses, sprouts, cold pressed
foods slowly and steadily and we would find aoils, whole grains, low fat dairy products, fish and
healthier and better future. Each time you sit downwhite meats, combined with plenty of water. It is
to a meal, you are making life and death decisions.better if these foods are organic, as today we are
Does that sound scary? Actually at first glance iteating a daily cocktail of chemicals, pesticides and
truly is, but today we are entering in to the world ofgrowth hormones, which are known to be the cause
nutritional immunology — a subject that hasof obesity, degenerative diseases and psychological
fascinated me. When you are making decisions toproblems, as well as many cancers.
improve your food and your very next meal that willThere is absolutely no nutrient, no protein, no vitamin,
affect how you spend the rest of your life; whetherno mineral that we know of that cannot be obtained
a newborn, a teenager or adolescent, whetherfrom plant-based foods. Foods that are real can
you’re a man or a woman, a college studentactually change the course of bio-chemistry. We can
or a person nearing retirement age, a stay-at-homeprevent and stop damage at the cellular level that
parent or a corporate executive, food affects youcan develop to disease.
every day. With our fast-paced lifestyle, there isThe delightful side effect to this effort is that you
rarely a time when we don’t need to be atfeel better, you have more energy, and can embrace
our mental and physical best.life with better optimism. Nutrition is the one thing
And no doubt you spend an inordinate amount ofthat is everything. Food shapes our bodies as well as
time thinking about it. What you need is a real foodour lifestyle. If you want to realize greater health
life.gains, invest your time and effort in real food and
WHAT IS REAL FOOD?enjoy amazing health.
Simply put, a real food life is where you enjoy foodProper nutrition is an art. Let food be your medicine
and make conscious decisions about the best foodsand medicine be your food and the future will look a
to put into your body so that it works at anlot brighter for us!
optimum level. It means not being obsessed by food