Corporate Wellness Progams
Health Through Awareness

Whole Foods 4 Healthy Living - Eating Guidelines

 

Eat a good size breakfast, moderate lunch and light/early dinner. This will help with appetite and weight control as well as reduce snacking. Breakfast improves concentration and reaction time in mid-mornings. A moderate lunch will sustain you through the mid-afternoon slump without the need for snacking. Light suppers encourage higher quality sleep and better digestion.

 

Eat Slowly. Chew food thoroughly and completely. Well-chewed bits of food are more easily coated with digestive juices once in the stomach. The body uses less of its energy to digest well-chewed food than hastily chewed and swallowed food.

 

Stop eating when you first begin to feel 'full'. This 'fullness' alert is often unheeded and leads to over eating, bloating and improper digestion.

 

Eat Meals at the same time each day; or as close to the same times as possible. You can train your body to anticipate nutritional intake at specific times. You learn to prepare for digestion, expect satisfaction and nutritional balance. The body will self-regulate if it knows what you intend. Listen to your body!

 

Reduce or avoid snacking. Eating nutritious plant based meals, high in fiber and nutrients will naturally reduce your desire or need to snack. Keep whole grain fruit and nut bars handy; or better still some fresh fruit.

 

Avoid refined sugars. Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners as they have been shown to cause bodily imbalance and in some cases have been linked to cancer. For sweet snacks, stick to natural sugars and sweeteners. Agave, brown rice syrup, honey and other whole food natural (preferably organic) will help maintain a constant glycemic index and blood sugar.

 

Eat Whole Grain products; avoid overly processed foods and refined flours. Read the labels, look for WHOLE, not just wheat flour or other marketing term that tries to make you believe that the product contains Whole Grains!

 

Avoid ALL Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods.  Most are found in corn, soy and similar products, but genetic modifications are occuring in animal products and since production lots feed animals these genetically modified grains, you consume them indirectly IFF you eat meat.  They are untested and uncontrolled and cannot be 'recalled' from the environment.  Download the Free Non-GMO Shopping Guide.  Since the FDA does not require labeling, it is often hard to identify these polluted foods.

 

Eat Whole Fruits rather than just drink processed fruit juice. You will benefit from the fiber and bulk as it will help satisfy your hunger while providing natural sugars that are easier to digest. Many micro-nutrients found in Whole fruits are often processed out when making fruit juice. Pasteurization of fruit juice can destroy critical enzymes and nutrients found in whole fruits. Besides, it is more satisfying to chew and digest whole fruits.

 

Drink Water – At least 10 eight ounce glasses each day. Drink filtered water brought from home in re-usable containers. Reduce pollution and overuse of plastic bottles. Use only BPA free bottles.

 

Eat balanced plant based diet. Combinations of organic vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and complex carbohydrates and moderate amounts of fruits, nuts and seeds. This will provide your body with a balanced set of nutrition that is rich in nutrients, vitamins, trace minerals and good fats and amino acids.

 

Avoid over the counter 'drugs' and avoid artificial stimulants. Coffee in moderation and herbal teas can be beneficial in many ways. Challenge your physician when prescribed drugs and ask if there is a more natural/holistic way to treat minor ailments.

 

Avoid alcohol. It is second only to fat when it comes to calorie concentration and it has a detrimental impact on liver and kidney function. In excess it is addictive and deadly. When told that 'a glass of wine is good for you' remember that the SAME benefits can be gained by NA wines (See Ariel Vineyards) and fresh grapes and juices.

 

Miss your beer? There are excellent NA beers on the market; mostly made in Europe. If traveling in Europe, order “Beer Sans Alcohol”, you will hardly tell the difference!

 

Limit Fat consumption. Even lean chicken contains large amounts of fat and cholesterol as do most fish varieties. Consume a strictly plant based diet and avoid the negative fats and cholesterol. The good fats are found in numerous plant based foods, such as avocado, hemp seeds, flax seeds, olive oil, grape seed oil etc.; just too many to list!

 

Eliminate ALL dairy products from your diet. The casein in all dairy products has been shown to contribute to allergies, cancer and other ailments. Use substitutes, such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk and their related 'ice cream' products and treats. Replace animal milk with plant based substitutes to your liking. The varieties are numerous!

 

If you must eat meat, dairy and/or fish, attempt to find organic and not polluted varieties.  Grass fed 'free range' animals and free swimming cold water fish. are best.  Factory raised animals are fed high concentrations of GMO grains and this causes the omega 3 to 6 ratios to be dramatically and dangerously skewed.  See this discussion on Omega 3 imbalance in factory raised animals.

 

We ALWAYS suggest you consume a nutritional Whole Food Plant Based Diet!