Have you noticed how loud your supermarket aisles have become? “Low fat! Cholesterol free! 100 percent natural! Berry kissed! Less processed nutrition you can see!” (What does that last one even mean?)
Everywhere you turn the products shout at you: “Choose me! I have 50 percent less fat than the regular fried potato chips. No, choose me! I’m made with real cheese! Over here! I’m naturally sweetened and gluten free!”
Since when has navigating your way through a food store become a quagmire of confusion?
We have come to the point where there are so many decisions to make regarding our food that we throw up our hands in frustration — too many choices, too little time.
However, if you steer your cart all the way to the far end of your market, you’ll notice that things get very quiet.
There, cascading in endless rainbow rows of reds, yellows, purples and greens, lie the tomatoes, the peppers, the berries and the seemingly endless array of vegetables and fruits, patiently waiting for you to discover them.
Amazingly, a carrot doesn’t have to scream, “I’m loaded with beta carotene and vitamin A! I’ll make your skin smooth and your hair shiny!”
No, a carrot is a carrot; broccoli is broccoli. They don’t have to shout out their nutritional superiority. They just are.
It turns out that when we eat these refined, processed and manufactured foods that fill the shelves of our supermarkets and convenience stores, we’re not getting the vitamins and minerals we need for optimal health.
These processed foods aren’t actually food; they are what nutritionists call “food-like stuff.” In fact, most of these products wouldn’t even be recognized as food 100 years ago.
It’s a sad fact that our food source has changed more in the last 50 years than in the last 5,000 years. Our grandmothers were right: Eat your vegetables. The closer to the source we eat, the healthier we are.
And the good news is that making healthy choices is as simple and straightforward as can be. Follow these pointers and get ready to feel great:
• Eliminate all the white, refined, starchy stuff that you buy in a bag or a box.
• Eat at least five servings of vegetables per day.
• Keep your protein lean and high quality: cold water oily fish, no processed meats. Eat red meat very seldom.
• With bread and cereals, eat only whole grains. There should be actual pieces of grain that require jaw work to get down. Eat three servings per day.
• Watch portion size. If you eat too much for your needs, even if it’s a healthy choice, you’ll gain weight.
• Choose healthy fats. Keep away from transfats, hydrogenated fats and vegetable oils. Go for olive oil, avocado, nuts and flaxmeal. Do not eat anything fried.
• Rediscover water. Drink water instead of sweet, sugary fruit drinks and soda. Eliminate diet soda.
• Drink alcohol in moderation — one drink per day for women, two drinks per day for men.
• And finally, eliminate sugar whenever and wherever you can. Sugar is the cocaine of the food world.
Sound nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. It’s not difficult to follow the pointers above, and eating fresh, whole foods will certainly not diminish the pleasure of eating.
Remember, the more you make healthy choices, the better you’ll feel, and the better you feel, the more you’ll make healthy choices.
Elaine Harvey is a certified nutritionist working at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.
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