FOCUS ON EATING WHOLE FOODS

Whenever possible, you should eat whole foods, not processed foods.  This means to eat a food as near as possible in its original state.  In other words, eat an apple rather than an apple pastry.   Eat fresh or frozen peas rather than buying a can that is loaded down with salt and other preservatives.  The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier it is for your body.  If you live where you can, you should buy your foods daily or several times a week rather than once or twice a month.  If that is not possible or you catch a good sale on something, go ahead and buy extra and freeze it for later.

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MAKE A COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE YOUR DIET - PART III

You can cut back on starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, etc in soups and casseroles by substituting part of the amount called for with cooked barley, brown rice, etc.  Also use raw oats or cooked barley or cooked brown rice as a substitute for crackers or bread in meatloaf.  If you really prefer bread crumbs in meatballs and meatloaf, be sure you use whole-grain crumbs.  This is another simple change to make that is so easy to make yet so beneficial to you!

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DIGESTING WHOLE FOODS

There are several reasons for eating whole foods rather than processed. Many of those reasons are discussed on this blog. Another reason, this one not mentioned previously, to eat whole foods versus processed foods is that you burn 50% more energy digesting the whole foods.

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