Posted by North Jersey Massage Maywood, NJ
" Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"
- Hippocrates
Food and beverages play a powerful role in our well-being. The food we eat affects how our body functions. By eating unhealthy harmful chemicals or processes foods you become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and heart disease.
There are many different diets that people follow. To name a few Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Ketogenic, Mediterranean, and Plant based. Everyone believes that their diet is best but one thing that all diets agree on is eating vegetables is good for you.
Those that follow a particular diet and it works for them great! I believe that a diet should be personalized to each individuals own needs, should contain a variety of foods, and should include lot's of vegetables. You need to be in tune with your body and sense what it is craving or what it's not craving. If you crave an orange your body may be telling you it needs vitamin C, if you crave chocolate your body may need magnesium (eat dark chocolate 70% or higher or Cacao to get the health benefits. If you crave red meat it may indicate an iron deficiency. Most Vegans and Vegetarians follow a plant based diet but other diets can also be plant based by adding more plant based vegetables to the diet from a variety of sources like herbs, greens, and other vegetables.
Being Vegan and eating unhealthy foods like cookies, chips, and drinking sugary drinks is not having a healthy diet or being Paleo and eating processed meats is not a healthy diet. Unfortunately, this is what happens in many cases. An article by Singularity Hub Staff - July 20, 2009 talks about people living in Blue Zones live healthier than anywhere else on earth without medication or disability. Eating healthy matters much more than how much or how little animal products are included in your diet. A healthy diet includes vegetables, fruit, nuts, wild fish, pasture raised and finished beef and poultry. A non healthy diet includes processed grains, sugary foods and drinks, and processed meats.
All diets agree that eating a variety of vegetables is good for you. In addition, we should all follow what our body is telling us as to what food it craves. There are times when my body is not desiring protein and all I want is a good salad other times I crave protein. My body is telling me what nutrients it needs.
In addition, Just because something is healthy, it may not be healthy for your body an example would be nut allergies. Find what's right for you.
To sum it up a healthy eating plan should include lots of herbs, vegetables, fruit in moderation, avoid processed sugar, low to moderate carbohydrates, eat real foods not processed and no added chemicals, additives, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, GMO's, and pesticides and eat healthy protein such as wild low-mercury fish, organic pasture raised and finished meat and poultry and plant based protein including nuts and seeds.
In addition, pay attention to what your body is craving and what's right for you!
At North Jersey Massage Maywood, NJ we treat the individual as a whole being including diet, exercise, mind-body connection, and relaxation. We offer a variety of massage bodywork therapy and teach stretch and meditation classes. For additional information or services check out www.northjerseymassage.net or call 201-406-8220.
Wishing you health and happiness,
North Jersey Massage Maywood, NJ