Quick Fact!

Eating fruits fresh, means eating them RIGHT after you pick them.

Even though buying and eating fruits in the store is super great for you, keep in mind that some of the health benefits have "gone" away because the fruits have a ways to travel (depending on where you are) before they are placed in the bin at your local grocers. Which means, the fruits have been sitting in a hot truck traveling across the country for a few days, or on a boat.

If you can, buy locally, and that way you know how far your fruits have travelled. Better yet, if you can, grow your own!

Have fun eating those fruits!

Sugar's goin' around

(cc) Samantha
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/)

So, one of the things I commonly talk about, is sugar. Why? Well, consuming sugar can be dangerous for your health.

Yes there is natural sugar in fruits, so we do get sugar. But, what about all the foods that have sugar added to it, that don't really need it? Why do we do that to ourselves?

Sure eating sugar is fun, and tasty, but it's not good for you. Do you ever realize, when you eat something full of sugar and wheat, you could just keep on eating?

I was just reading, on Dr. Mercola's website, that in 2009, the average American consumes around 180lbs of sugar a year...Can you believe that? Even infant formula has sugar now...Right. A little bit crazy. When you eat too much sugar, your pancreas overproduces insulin. By cutting out sugars, you can normalize your insulin production, and give your body a break.

What do we eat then, if sugar is taking over all of our foods? Think about it, what makes you feel good? Eat a salad, with some veggies. Steam your dark greens, like your spinach, broccoli, kale. Those are best steamed. Go light on the fruits, eat them at night.

With meat, go with grass-fed, grass-finished beef, salmon, not farm-raised salmon, but Alaskan sock-eye salmon is good. Chicken as a last resort, make sure it's free-range. Eggs are great too, don't go for Omega-3 infused eggs, just normal free-range, or pasture raised.

It's hard to get off sugar at first, it's an addiction. The first few days are the toughest, but once you get past those days, you're on the homestretch to low consumption of sugar diet.

Alternatives and supplements, not the key to health

I'm sure many people in the world rely on supplements, some sort of alternative way to get daily nutrients.

I've heard on many podcasts, read online, that really, the best way to stay healthy is to maintain a clean diet and exercise.

By clean diet, I don't mean hopping on the Weight Watchers train, but just a style of eating, the way you eat.

UndergroundHealth.com makes an interesting, but true point. Just because you're taking a supplement for, let's say, fish oil, that it's good for you. The quality of the supplement is most important. Just like it's crucial to know what goes in to your food.

Because it says it's a vitamin, don't assume it's healthy, do your own research. Know where you're getting your vitamins or supplements. Look at the company's values, mission statement, even ask a naturopath. Find someone who can help you determine what your body needs. It's not the same for everyone.