The Facts of Life

Here is a guide to shopping that has worked for my husband & me:

• 100% All Natural Whole Foods when possible
• Only packaged foods with the shortest ingredient list, i.e. Tahini Ingredients = Sesame Seeds. Otherwise make it from scratch at home or find a better grocery.
• Very little to no salt or sodium
• No processed or refined foods, period. If you can’t pronounce or recognize the ingredients from nature, don’t eat it.
• We do not eat meat. But if you must on occasion, only eat free range, hormone and antibiotic free meat. Make sure it really is too.
• Don’t be too discouraged at first when shopping this way. It is a skill that must be practiced and will become faster and easier with time.

Whenever you’re buying something with a label on it, turn it over & read the nutrition facts & ingredient list. You’ll be surprised to find out how many things that claim to be “organic” or “all natural” actually aren’t at all. & just because it says “low-sodium” doesn’t mean that it truly is. Don’t be fooled by the shady marketing tactics. The FDA’s standards for organic, all natural, and low-sodium foods are horrendous. Some things naturally have sodium in them & that’s ok, just use in moderation. For example, a 15 ounce can of no salt added peas, has 52mg of sodium. Frozen is a good alternative to canned &, of course, fresh is always best!

When reading the ingredient list, you want to look for words like, bleached, enriched, monoglycerides, maltodextrin, lots of oils, & any unfamiliar words. These are all things you do not want in your food. Many of them are just chemicals added during the processing which have potentially harmful effects on your body. Remember, there is almost always a way to make it at home with all natural ingredients, & usually it’s not too hard. However, if you must buy, for example, almond butter, look for the one with the fewest ingredients. Maltodextrin & monoglycerides are often used in nut butters. Maltodextrin is a  flavor additive and texture enhancer. It is also used in glue & pharmaceuticals. Monoglycerides are used to keep oils from separating. Not really necessary unless you don’t know how to stir.

 Contrary to popular belief, calories are not always bad. There are right & wrong calories. Calories provide energy; without them we would all be exhausted. Here is a very basic chart by Dr. Fuhrman that displays how this works…

When you are eating healthy, 100 % all natural foods, there is no need to count calories. Imagine that, eating to your fill without feeling guilty. Point of story, don’t worry so much about calories.

 There are also right & wrong fats. However, there are not any good trans-fats. You do not ever want to consume trans-fats. Some veggies and nuts are naturally fatty, for example Avocadoes and Almonds. Others are high in complex carbohydrates, like bananas, that turn into fat if not used for energy right away. If you are trying to lose weight you don’t want to eat a lot of these foods, but you don’t want to cut them out completely. When I had cancer I went through a really dark period where I was very sick & unable to eat. If I even thought of eating I would vomit. I lost over 10 lbs in about 2 weeks & I was already underweight. When I got back to a place where I could eat, my tummy had shrunk so much that a few bites would fill me up. Avocadoes, bananas, and almonds were great foods to help me healthfully maintain my weight while only being able to eat small amounts of food.

I'm not a scientist or a doctor, these are all things that I've researched, learned, & have worked for me. They may not be 100% accurate. I encourage you to research these things as well. I'm open to suggestions & corrections!