The one thing I think everyone should be eating.
Paleo, vegetarian, high fat, low carb, raw, juicing, gluten free, dairy free, FODMAP, GAPS, SCD, failsafe, low GI, vegan, blood type.
What the heck are we supposed to eat these days? Does anybody know?
Is anyone else’s head spinning? The nutrition advice seems to change as often as I change my underpants. Well, okay, maybe not that often.
I grew up avoiding fat like it was going to kill me, now everyone is telling me to tuck into butter, cream and bacon.
Every style of eating can make great points as to why we should eat their way. There is research, there are studies, there is living proof. How can everyone be right?
How can the vegans and the paleos both be right?
I have been thinking about this a lot lately.
I do subscribe to the theory of bio-individual nutrition. That basically means we are all different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to eating. You are a unique individual and depending on the circumstances and point in time, certain foods may be great for you and certain foods may be bad for you. This became very apparent to us as a family when we discovered that one of us who could not tolerate gluten in the past, can now tolerate gluten. The difference? Some kinesiology work. Did the stress or emotional blockage make it hard for the body to digest gluten at that time? I don’t know exactly, but it sure seems that way to me.
Okay, so that is great. Eat what makes you feel good. Easy! But the process of working out what makes you feel good can take some time, some committed food diarizing and maybe some outside help from professionals. I do think it is a good way to go and something I am following through with all of us as a family.
In the mean time, I was thinking about what to eat. Should we be dropping dairy? Eating more raw foods? Again, head spin time.
Then it occurred to me…… you know what I want us to keep focusing on eating? What I think everyone should be eating? What is best for everyone’s health?
Quality food.
Simple as that.
I don’t think anyone’s health can ever benefit from eating poor quality food.
What we try to eat:
♥ organic
♥ free range
♥ grass-fed and finished
♥ fresh
♥ seasonal
♥ local
♥ whole and unprocessed
♥ GMO free
♥ ethical food grown with love
What we try not to eat:
♥ factory farmed meat
♥ caged eggs
♥ artificial additives – colours, flavours, preservatives, fillers
♥ unsustainable foods
♥ artificial sweeteners
♥ GMOs
♥ chemicals
♥ nutritionally devoid foods
♥ processed foods
♥ added hormones and antibiotics
Think of a ham and salad sandwich.
Poor quality sandwich: Bleached GMO wheat, preservatives, canola oil, synthetic vitamin laden bread, chemical-filled and hydrogenated fats margarine, nitrate-filled factory farmed processed ham, pesticide riddled tomato and lettuce.
Good quality sandwich: Organic stoneground sourdough bread, organic pasture fed butter, organic, free range happy pig ham, fresh local organic tomatoes and lettuce.
So if you feel like eating a ham and salad sandwich, have one, but make it a superior quality one.
You get my drift?
I think if you are eating good quality food, you can’t go far wrong. Start with that, first and foremost, and then investigate your bio-individual nutrition. So, organic fetta makes you feel sick? Then you might need to avoid dairy.
But just make sure it isn’t crappy, poor quality, heavily processed, nutrient stripped food that is making you sick in the first place.
Anyway, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Got anything to add?
Love it Sonia! I think it applies to so many things in our lives – be discerning and aim for quality. Food, relationships, environment… We only have one life and we are all worth it.
Very true – maybe we need to believe we are worth it? Good quality and no compromising?? Food for thought xxxx
Brilliant. love common-sense!!
Thanks Robyn!! It’s pretty obvious isn’t it? But then again, maybe unless you know these things, it isn’t?
Love this post Sonia – I agree 100% and said it on my page last night. After being RAW for 6 months and Paleo for 3 months — I am now just listening to my body and eating what I feel my body needs and thrives on best – and I truly think that can change day by day. (besides what I am intolerant to of course!) x
Yes, it does change from day to day and you might even find your intolerances change over time too. The body is constantly fascinating!
Perfect timing post!
I’ve just started a food diary as I’ve been getting sick constantly. Seems my lactose intolerance has caught up with me as I can’t handle it anymore, not even a smig. Thanks to a lovely lady practicing Homeopathy & my own research (including wonderful blogs like these) its helped me understand more about food and our approach to health in general.
As a sole parent I can’t always afford organic or free range (I buy 50% overall). At least I’m trying and my intentions are right.
Yes, you can only do what you can do Bree! The food diary is tedious but necessary to get your health good!
Absolutely agree Sonia! As I call it ‘eating with purpose’. We all have the choice what we eat and eating healthy good quality food is investing into our future and preventing future disease.
Well written post simplifying a topic that makes my head spin too. Thanks x
Eating with purpose!! Love that Sonya. xx
Wise words and succinctly put. Say it louder Sonia!!
LOL – thanks Sarah xx
You are so spot on!!! It makes me laugh all the “lactose & gluten intolerant” people these days. I wonder if they have ever stop to consider if perhaps they are “preservative intolerant”?? Great blog!!
I think the fact that dairy and wheat are so crappily made and processed these days too – our body doesn’t recognize it as food anymore and bucks up!!
Thanks Sonia,truer words were never spoken!! As a mother I am starting my journey and am totally confused. What you are saying rings so true, cheers for an awesome blog 🙂
Thanks Jodie – I am also wading my way through all the info so if I can help out, then that is awesome!
Right on the money honey!!!!
Thanks Rebecca!! 🙂
Amen to that!
thanks Brenda xx
I totally agree, but, have not ever been able to come across organic ham. I buy chicken to cook and put in sandwiches, but organic ham, organic meat for that matter I find harder to come across! (I am vegetarian but my children are not) Any suggestions, we are in Western Australia!
Hi Tracey – you could try the Naked Butcher. Sometimes it takes a bit of tracking down! You might even try some co-ops to make it a bit cheaper. http://www.thenakedbutcher.com.au/
Absolutely
Thanks Astrid x
Ah, you just rock! But I already knew that 🙂 x
You are such a sweetie Pam xx
Love this post, Sonia. Makes me hanker for a ham salad sandwich!If everyone just paid a little bit more attention to what they’re eating, a lot of health – and environmental – issues would be solved.
I agree – hopefully this will become mainstream thinking!! We just all need to do something to make a difference. xx
Completely agree and massively high-fiving you for this post!!
thanks hunny!! it’s funny what floats around in my head some days! 😉
Great advice Sonia
thanks Lisa 🙂
Fantastic post Sonia, all rings so so
True!!
thanks for reading Lee!
You are what you eat … if you want the best out of life .. then put the best in.
exactly!! 🙂
Absolutely Sonia. You couldn’t be more right! x
thanks Alexx 🙂
Great blog, you are spot on Sonia! There is so much information we are fed (excuse the pun!) about eating, it’s ridiculously confusing. It really is so important to listen to your body. One size certainly doesn’t fit all (particularly when you have to squeeze into a superhero suit)!
Ha Ha !! I can imagine Luke – glad it’s you and not me in the lycra 😉
Great advice Sonia. Commonsense and something everyone can achieve. It’s kind of how we try to live too.
Achievable and sustainable. Yep! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by Bronnie xx
AGREE! On one level it sounds so simple… but then why is our society experiencing such ridiculously high levels of obesity, heart disease, cancer…??? Because we’re not getting it! I hope that this message spreads quickly, because we desperately need it!
It’s got to be the chemicals – that is what has changed !
Bravo! Totally agree. Why waste your stomach and energy trying to break down the tiny to non existent amount of nutrients in poor quality food. Quality, fresh, , no GMO, organic food all the way! I say. 🙂
I agree with that list of things to eat. It doesn’t have to be “certified organic” to be good for you. However if you’re going to have meat, it should definitely be free-range grass fed, etc.
I wish all this info was available years ago. I wish I was more aware years ago. I hope its better late than never 🙂
I sometimes feel that way too Brooke, but you can only do better when you know better as Oprah says! 😉
Absolutely!! I’m on a reasonably tight budget as a single parent, but I do try to buy the best quality that I can and these are great guidelines that are achievable and can be maintained over the long-term. Well said!
Yep Cherie – you can only do what you can do, but getting the best quality you can afford is a great way to be healthy!
Totally agree Sonia. The case of information overload and conflicting theories isn’t doing the average home cook any service at the moment – only adding to guilt and confusion. Quality and balance s where it’s at. You hit the nail right on the head. 🙂
Thanks Laura 🙂
No other way.
Good food at home, good food on lunchboxes, good foodmat work or when we go out.
Not really complex but more difficult than queuing for a big mac.
I can not eat bad food any more. even the girls can tell when something is full of chemicals.
I want an orchyard and a cow.
Totally agree Sonia … great message 🙂
Oh what a breath of fresh air! Sonia you truly are amazing! Thank you xx
LOL 😀