Gas is to Cars as Food is to the Body
What you eat has a lot to do with how healthy you will be. Just as what kind of gas you put in your car affects how it will run, what we put into our bodies and minds affect how our bodies and minds work. Exercise alone will not make you healthy. Training without proper nutrition is really not optimum health at all. A proper diet is not just about what you eat, but how and when you eat. The types of food you put in your body can make the difference between a long life or a short life.
If you are far from the ideal, why not incorporate a few life changes at a time. If you make systematic changes during the year, you can transform your whole diet a little at a time. Maybe you are at a
loss of where to start. Here are some suggestions:
1. Start drinking more water. Try adding just one more cup per day than you currently drink and increase your amount in increments. You decide if it will be weekly, bi-weekly, etc.
2. Add fruit to your diet. Increase your fruit intake one serving at a time until you are eating 3-4 servings per day. Try Dr. Smoothie crushed fruit. It comes in many flavors. 
3. Eat one raw salad per day. I knew a family that served a salad every day with dinner. This is a good way to increase raw vegetables in your diet. Incorporate more raw veggies daily.
4. Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is your most important meal of the day, don’t skip it. When I skip a meal, I am attracted to junk foods and will most likely eat them because they are quick and easy. When I leave home in the morning satisfied, I can wait until lunch to eat again.
5. Plan your meals for the week. Cut up some raw vegetables and put them in an airtight container so they will be ready for a quick salad. Buy frozen vegetables that you can put in a quick vegetable soup or stew. Roast some potatoes and put them in the refrigerator to warm later that week. Use your crock pot and prepare a healthy meal. However, if you know you are not going to get the recommended amounts of vegetables per day, why not consider Amazing Grass, Green Superfood? This should not replace your fruits and vegetables but can be added to your diet. One suggestion would be adding it to your smoothies.
6. Include orange, yellow, red, green, purple vegetables daily. Make your meals colorful.
7. Decrease your consumption of meat. (especially red meat) Increase your servings of beans.
8. Choose whole grain bread rather than white bread.
9. Instead of white pasta or rice, choose a vegetable or whole grain products.
10. Eliminate sodas
11. Choose 100% fruit juice instead of soda, coffee or caffeinated beverages.
12. Try Almond or Soy Milk instead of whole milk.
13. Eat more nuts seeds and grains.
14. Use the good fats that are found in nuts, seeds, and avocados in moderation.
15. Use healthy sugar substitutes. Instead of refined sugar, try dried fruit, raw cane sugar, Agave Nectar, coconut sugar or similar products.
16. Buy a good blender. If you want to have healthy smoothies, soups, spreads, meals or any other healthy dishes in your diet, I would recommend the Vitamix Blender. It’s great for making healthy smoothies, soups, sauces, spreads, bread and much more. It’s durable and will last for many years. I still own one that I’ve had for over 25 years. The Vitamix comes with a valuable recipe book. You can find new or used blenders on Amazon.
