Health food and marketing is big business. Depending on the health food subject, this can stimulate a soapbox moment for me. We have been hit hard with no-fat, low-fat, no sugar, no calories, gluten free and now unhealthy organics are making headway.
Whatever current health food trend is happening, food companies are figuring out ways to dupe the consumer. Do you really believe organic Ruffles, Doritos and Cheese Puffs are healthy? Really!?
Sadly, consumers believe them to be healthy and are loading grocery carts full of unhealthy organic food items. Chips are chips, organic or not and probably one of the worst things to put in your body. Other food items try to squeak by stating they are minimally processed, but processed is processed.
Store shelves are lined with convenient organic items and granted some may be fabulous, but most are not. The ingredients tell the real story for anything in a box, bag or wrapper. If you can't understand or pronounce what's on the ingredient label, you better believe it's a chemical sh*t storm.
Many fitness enthusiasts rely on protein and energy bars. Have you looked at those labels? Most are the same as eating a candy bar. Health bars are also available in organic versions but does it make them any better? Removing pesticides are great but what about all those additives, sugar, and salt?
When it comes to buying any food, rely on the ingredient label and look for understandable quality ingredients. Fewer ingredients are more when it comes to packaged products.
We need to become wise consumers and discontinue believing fake health food marketing schemes. Eating a bag of organic chips post workout isn't muscle recovery food. Reaching for that energy bar may not be the best choice, and forget the organic white pasta.
Real organic food is just that, real in its raw state. Sometimes organics can even look ugly with blemishes and it ripens quickly. We need to get back to and understand real and whole organic food is what will keep us healthy.
We obtain optimal fitness, improved athletic performance, fat loss and muscle gain when we feed our body the good stuff. Just because the label says organic, fat-free, gluten-free or any "free" doesn't mean healthy. Be a wise shopper and eat what you understand. Keep it real and Stay Healthy!
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So many of us have a hard time accepting the great things about ourselves, the accomplishments achieved, the results gained, and instead zero in on what we think is negative. I have to admit that I am guilty of this on occasion and I know my hubby would like to beat me over the lack of �mental game� head when I have a vocal slip. Why do we go right for that juggler of what we �think� is not a great attribute on our bodies, even if it is a work in progress? I for one am going to toss any negative stuff that may pop out of my mouth about myself into the mental trash can. I do not allow negative talk in my studio, and I will not be a hypocrite behind closed doors. So, next time I complain about how my butt is not as lifted, and go for a squeeze of disappointment on the cheeks, I will slap my own backside for that behavior.
The journey of this life is to be our BEST self at every age, and joining the 50+ club now means my bootie will not be as high and tight as my twenty something beautiful backside daughter (btw � got it from her Mama J), but I applaud that I am happy with my body overall. Sometimes I think it feels difficult mentally to grow old and more like an inability to believe or accept that it is happening. We go through the process of living each day not thinking about what is going on with our bodies with each passing day, month, or year. The reality is that we are all growing older and the changes that go along with that are not an option. I am not counting the options of medical science elective processes that are chosen to hide what is happening with our aging process and let�s face it, minor elective procedures stop working or look absolutely ridiculous as the years add up. In my mind I still feel twenty-something, but the mirror reveals a truth that sometimes blows my mind and I am sure many can relate to what I am saying.
It is not that I am being a negative Nancy about me or my body, but I do miss my younger self sometimes. I believe that is an OK feeling to have as long as it does not interfere with accepting the beautiful person that I am right now. The years have gone by in what seems like a blink of an eye and that is what is so unbelievable. I look at my daughter and see myself years younger and WOW, if that is not a reality check. That is when the meaning of life and how generations are ready to step up and into the position of where I am hits home. It truly is a beautiful thing and growing older is an honor and privilege, but for many it is scary to face or accept. It really is OK to say that I am fifty years old and that I am happy with my fitness level and body appearance. Loving ourselves right where we are is what starts the positive mental game process of improving and progressing.
Trashing who we are, verbally attacking our bodies, and feeling crappy or guilty about it is not a healthy way to live. It is important to achieve the best health and fitness at every age and that is what matters in addition to being happy through the process. No one enjoys being around a negative Nancy or Ned, and that can stop with each of us by holding our tongues and immediately changing our thought process to something positive when those negatives try to knock at our door. In fact, it is important to take it out of our door and right into the trash.
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YES�I have lots to say about keeping it simple and being such a chatter box, and trying not to jump too hard on the soap box, I knew this was going to become a series of SIMPLE.I came across a quote that struck me �90% of people avoided obesity and diabetes long before anyone knew what a calorie was let alone counted them�let�s make �healthy� healthy again� and it ended with the word�SIMPLE.
WOW, I thought on that and realized just how dynamic and powerful this statement was to me and how true it is for my life.As a child, my parents modeled living from the land in our back yard and boy do I ever remember how my weekends were spent�pulling weeds from the garden.Talk about a bitter sweet chore as a child�dirty hands, dirty knees, blisters�and the smell of tomato leaves so strong it could choke you�anyone relate?Fruit trees adorned our backyard, and my Dad was a master grafter trying to create the perfect blend of fabulous fruit flavors.I could walk in the garden and pluck a vine ripe tomato or enjoy an apple from one of our many trees�Simple.What I am trying to say by sharing a small glimpse into my childhood is that food should be simple, and for me�simple is healthy.Part one of this Blog, I will be covering food and what simple means for my Stay Healthy Life and as it relates to what and how I eat.
I enjoy food in its� true, SIMPLE form to this day and believe that the simpler the food, the healthier the food.If it comes in a box, with a label full of words that I can�t understand, and the ingredient list takes up the entire side of the product, this is not a simple food�it is a bunch of mixed up crap in a box that sits on a shelf and has a shelf life longer than me.That is what I am talking about, and am I going to put this in my body...A BIG NO on that.Now, toss me an organic Fuji apple, and this is one happy girl ready to enjoy Simple Real Food, full of nutrients that my body needs.Keeping food simple eliminates all stress of what I should be eating�how fabulous is that.Once food becomes complicated, stress over the how much, what, and when to eat enters the picture�ok�a small soap box�and thanks to agencies that will go un-named, media, marketing, blah blah blah�this world has gone crazy with complicated food and empty promises of pseudo health in a box that has greatly increased illness in this country.Bringing food back to simple keeps me healthy and I am sure all of America would be healthier too.
Simple means fresh, simple means I can pick the item up and smell it, and inspect it for the best pick of the produce.Simple means one ingredient, I can usually eat the item at purchase, and if I am hungry for example, I will enjoy an organic piece of fruit during my drive.When this concept is truly grasped, it eliminates all questions like�what did she/he eat to look like that? What did they do?What diet was used�YUCK�diet is a dirty word in my book.Keeping my food simple is how I maintain ME.There is no secret this or that and I am hopeful that one day, everyone will wake up and realize this.A few other foods that I include in my simple line up are organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, wild caught fish, grains, nuts, seeds, strained organic Greek yogurt, and cage free organic eggs�now, check this list in addition to what I shared earlier.I am eating foods that are from the earth, as fresh as possible when I purchase organic, not processed in a factory and stuffed in a box.
I enjoy the colors, aromas, textures, and flavors of simple foods and when I combine them into a salad�WOW�simple at its� very BEST!Of course some of my food items come in bottles and containers such as my Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Vinegars, Honeys, Nut Butters, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, etc�but I research to ensure that they are minimally and organically processed, minimal ingredients and simple stored form. NOW�this is the thing about eating my simple food�if I do not eat it raw or blend for a green smoothie, I am in the kitchen slicing, dicing, and cooking up a SIMPLE and HEALTHY meal that surpasses any complicated junk- in- a- box non-food item that is being passed off as �good for your health� food.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
I enjoy a stress free simple eating life that allows me to enjoy lots of healthy foods throughout the day.I do not keep a food journal, count calories, grams, ounces, etc�I SIMPLY eat to live.My body tells me when to eat and that is usually every 2 � hours and I eat to satiety, not to feel uncomfortable.It is amazing how much MORE food I can eat when it is simply healthy�my large salads for example�OH MY�they seem to get bigger instead of smaller with every bite.One of my favorite simple veggies right now are brussel sprouts�.I roast these in the oven with EVOO and spices and OH MY�these nutrient packed baby cabbages are filling.
So�.I will continue to keep my food SIMPLE�it is my LIFESTYLE�and I am happy to know that I am making �healthy� healthy again! Stay Healthy ~
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Stay Healthy~ Darla
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