I thought I would share my favorite and general rules for eating at home and overall health. I'm not telling anyone how he/she should eat, just sharing what we strive for since some of you have asked. I call them "rules", but they are merely our guides that we try to adhere to. They are not perfect and are subject to change as we learn more on this journey to better health. If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them! Leave a comment below.
1) We all eat the same. This makes it easier for us to stick to a healthy way of eating since everyone in our house is on the same page and there are no separately cooked meals nor unnecessary temptations. We just don't keep crap in the house. We do splurge on special occasions, like eating out (maybe once a month) or at a family gathering.
2) Eat fresh produce, as much as possible. Local when available. Organic when possible. We do the best with what's available to us. Frozen fruits & veggies are a good choice when fresh isn't available. I always keep a few frozen veggies on hand, and we regularly consume frozen berries. Limit high starch veggies like potatoes, winter squashes, peas, carrots, and beets. Limit high sugared fruits like bananas, pineapples, dried fruits, and oranges, for example.
3) Avoid processed foods, as much as we can. This cuts out a lot of excess carbs and sugars. If it comes in a box or a bag, we probably shouldn't be eating it. Canned foods often contain added preservatives and the cans themselves often contain BPA.
4) Eat clean meats. Local, pastured animals is the best choice for meats and dairy. It is more expensive and may not be available in all areas. Again, do the the best with what's available. When we purchase commercial meats, we usually try to trim/drain the excess fat and supplement with a healthier fat, if we want. My exception to this is bacon fat. If you notice my posted recipes where I cook with pastured beef, I do not drain the fat. For one, there isn't much fat to drain anyway. Two, it is very clean and healthy and therefore a good fat to consume. This brings me to my next section.
5) Eat healthy fats. We eat fats with every meal and snack. For the most part, we try to adhere to the "5 Healthy Fats": butter, coconut oil, animal fats, olive oil, and cod liver oil. We prefer real butter (from pastured cows); organic virgin unrefined coconut oil; animal fats (mostly pastured); and extra virgin olive oil, either uncooked or at most, very low temps. We have not yet added the cod liver oil to our dietary lifestyle, hopefully that's coming soon. Avoid butter substitutes, refined oils, hydrogenated oils, and vegetable oils, including corn, canola, and soybean oils. I think getting the fats right is a critical step to our best health. Don't be afraid of fats because FATS DO NOT MAKE YOU FAT! (Excess carbs do!)
6) Limit sugar intake. We regularly eat whole, fresh and frozen fruits as well as raw, local honey. No artificial or refined sweeteners, and absolutely NO High Fructose Corn Syrup!
7) No grains. Keith & I don't eat any rice, pasta, bread, cereal, oats, or anything made from corn or wheat. We do limit our girls to a small amount, usually with breakfast.
8) Don't count or measure anything. Just eat real food, and nature will take its course. 80% of our body composition is determined by what we eat. Don't rely solely on scales. I haven't lost that many pounds in the past couple months, but I'm pretty sure my body is still changing since my clothes are fitting better.
9) Get plenty of good sleep, every night. I aim for a 10:00 bedtime. Our room is pitch black. Seriously, I can't see my hand in front of my face at night. Even the smallest amounts of light can disrupt melatonin signaling. Sleep deprivation makes you fat.
10) Play more. This is my newest rule, only a couple days old, actually, and one I am really gonna have to work at. But as Mark Sisson says, exercise doesn't have to be a lot of strenuous activity, and it doesn't have to be boring. He pushes hard less than 1.5 hours a week, including sprints, squats, dead-lifts, and other muscle building/toning exercises. The rest of his physical activity is acquired through "playing". I think that's a great way to look at it. Skeptical? Check out his pics at Mark's Daily Apple. He is 58 years old, or more, and a former long-distance runner. He knows plenty about physical activity. That's one smart (and very fit) dude!
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