Healthier Eating – Foods to Reduce or Eliminate From Your Diet

So you’re saying positive affirmations, focusing on happy head talk, reading self-improvement books – what are you forgetting? Are you eating healthy, or did that one lifestyle segment fall between the cracks?

Our bodies were meant to be lean, smoothly-running biological machines. So what happened to us? Just take one look around and you’ll see that society has promoted more and more food items that are not really “food.” There is a huge proliferation of both fast food and junk food — time savers yes, but health-savers — no!

Bottom line it’s very simple: to get healthier, eat healthier! After much research and shifting my own diet, I have come to the conclusion that physically we are meant to consume relatively pure and natural foods. Though not a vegetarian (maybe one day, sigh…) I consider myself an Organic Flexitarian which means I do consume “animal protein” at times, though usually fish or chicken — and mostly organic.

Do I eat entirely organic — absolutely not, but my diet has radically changed over the last two years in a healthier direction. The acid reflux with which I was diagnosed about six or seven years ago is gone! My irritable bowel syndrome is significantly improved.

I love affirmations, write about them all the time, and I often include those about healthy living/eating. However, as much as you state affirmations about good health, you need to follow through and take action about what you consume. I recently read an article on Dr. Mercola’s website listing “The Foods You Shouldn’t Touch With a Ten Foot Pole.”

The very first one was SODA. The average American drinks a huge amount of soda each week, about a gallon!  To reduce or completely eliminate this beverage will be a real beneficial shift for your health. Dr. Mercola writes: “When people ask me what is safer to drink: diet or regular soda, I ask them what they would rather be hit in the head with — a baseball bat or a sledgehammer? It’s a tough call, but I think a case can be made for regular soda being the lesser of two evils…”

I have been off soda completely for about a year and a half, but I took one sip the other night. The shock to my system was unbelievable, because my taste buds have so transformed into enjoying the goodness of healthier foods. All I could taste — and this was from just one sip — was the flavor of chemicals (almost caustic) combined with intense sugar that was actually overwhelming. Ugh! And I used to drink soda regularly years back. My body has definitely come to recognize it as a sort of “toxin” as witnessed by my taste buds!

What should you drink — H2O of course because pure clean WATER is the best liquid for your body.  Herbal teas (decaffeinated) are okay too.

The second offensive food group on the list is doughnuts and pastries (these are a personal challenge, and I do have them occasionally) They contain so much sugar, plus trans fat — very bad for the biological machines that we are.

The third item is French fries (no surprise there) filled with “genetically modified” oils that are highly refined — usually corn, canola and soybean. When these oils are brought to a high temperature, they turn into a mixture that is seriously bad for your health.

Fourth are breakfast cereals, of which there are a huge variety. However, even many of the so-called “healthy” breakfast cereals are anything but. Nearly all cereals are chock full of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup filled with genetically modified grains. So do read the labels carefully.

And finally, fifth are highly processed foods and snacks — which include a vast array of food items sold in the average supermarket. Processed foods are believed to contribute to allergies. They also contain preservatives, food coloring, artificial flavors as well as a host of other additives. These foods, particularly the totally offensive “junk” foods, are extremely unhealthy for the good bacteria that live in your digestive tract and keep your system running effectively. Consuming processed foods often will negatively impact your health in general, your weight and can also create or worsen allergies.

Affirmations for healthier eating:

• I pay close attention to the foods I eat to ensure that they are healthy for me.
• I am kind to my physical self and embrace a vibrant, beneficial lifestyle.
• I choose pure, natural foods while eliminating processed foods from my daily diet.