Making Smart Choices to Support Your Health and Vitality

• Choose simple whole foods, close to their natural state. Whenever possible, eat local foods that are in season.


• Choose organically grown foods whenever possible to avoid ingesting pesticides and chemicals. If this is not possible, or too expensive, here is a link to a list of fruits and vegetables that are most laden with pesticides.


• Eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables daily. If you don't, then supplement your diet with a phytonutrient rich supplement.


• If you eat animal protein, avoid factory farmed meats as much as possible. Try to buy grass fed meats and free range poultry. Organic meats and poultry without hormones would be next best and if you can not find them, then buy lean cuts of meat and remove the skin from the chicken as that is where the toxins are stored.


• Try to identify the foods you are sensitive to and don't eat them daily. Eating different foods each day will increase your chance of tolerating foods you are sensitive to.
• Do not become obsessive, splurge now and then on something "sinful" and enjoy every bite.
• Eat slowly and chew your food well. This pre-digests the food stimulating the release of digestive juices in the stomach which further aids digestion.


• Eat mindfully. This helps us to become more aware of the emotions connected to our eating patterns.


• Know good fats from bad fats. Avoid partially hydrogenated oils, processed vegetable oils and trans fats. 
Nuts, seeds, avocados and coconut oil provide good fats. While highly beneficial they are also high in calories so don't over do it.


• Be aware of hidden sugars and limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine.


• Don't get stuck on low fat or low carb foods and diets. Avoid processed and refined foods as much as possible and focus on quality. Eat more good fats, less bad fats and more good carbs, less bad carbs.


• Try to stop eating when you are about 80% full as your brain takes about 20 minutes to register that you are full.


• Take joy in your meals, share them where possible with family and friends.