Eating Clean
If good health were a physical structure like a new home, eating clean would be the concrete slab. Relying on outward appearance to gauge a person’s health is deceiving. Take for example the guy or gal that’s muscular with low body fat. While they may appear in great shape, genetics and youth may be the real reason behind it. Measure yourself in the following 6 areas to gauge your health from the inside out:
1) Dig deeper into eating clean and look at the quality of the foods you consume. As a general rule, if you can’t picture what the ingredient is, it most likely was manufactured in a plant. If manufactured in a plant, not in nature, it lacks the nutrients found in whole foods.
2) Now let’s talk about protein. Protein comes from a number of different sources including red meat, poultry, fish, beans, and soy. While opinions very about how healthy red meat is, I personally enjoy red meat and will probably always eat it. Having said that, I limit my intake to 2 times per week as part of my own personal eating clean program.
3) Do you eat a rainbow of veggies and some fresh fruits? Last week’s article, the first of this 3-part series, asked that question. The dark greens, reds, and yellows contain more nutrients than starchy vegetables like potatoes or corn, so the bulk of your veggie intake should come from these sources. While not everyone believes in eating organic, at least try to eat foods in season and locally grown if possible. By all means, stay away from excessively large fruits and veggies as it indicates hormone use. You want those of the smaller variety which is indicative of lots of vital micro-nutrients.
The Second Half of the Equation
4) Now let’s look at foods preparation. Do you consumer overcooked or deep-fried foods? If so, they’re most likely nutrient poor, as that type of preparation depletes the good stuff. You will be surprised at how tasty fresh veggies can be once you reboot your taste buds by cutting out batters, coatings, sauces, and excessive salt. There is nothing wrong with spices like parsley, oregano, turmeric, and pepper for example, just make sure they don’t also include a bunch of preservatives you can barely pronounce. I personally love the taste of grilled and baked veggies drizzled with olive oil.
5) Excessively alcohol and inhalants also come into play here. Do you try to limit what you inhale? I’m going to assume you don’t smoke, because if you do, addressing that should be your first priority. But do you inhale second-hand smoke, insecticides, dust, or other contaminants without thinking about it on a regular basis? I’d strongly suggest protecting yourself from those things with a good dust mask.
6) And lastly, what about your body’s exterior? Do you protecting it? Do you wear sunblock when you go out into the sun for longer than a few minutes? If you are prone to sun damage, you should use it every day. I’m a musician in addition to being a personal trainer, so I always use ear protection when playing in loud bands. I’m also a big believer in protecting my eyes and wear polarized sunglasses that also provide UV protection.
Be sure to check back next week for the final part in this series where I’ll delve deeper into saliva tests that you can order online without a doctor’s prescription. They will reveal your true level of health. Live life to the optimum!
Melissa
OptimumCondition.com
(619) 252-4993
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