If you are interested in holistic health and living a more natural life, it starts with what you put into your body. Your gut is often referred to as your second brain, and for good reason. The gut is home to the enteric nervous system, also known as your emotional brain.
When you eat processed foods and refined sugars, it creates negative emotions within the body. On the other hand, eating foods that are healthy for your body will help create a more balanced emotional state of mind.
Following are some of the best holistic food choices to eat to help feel better.
Switch to Healthy Fats
For a holistic and more natural diet that is good for your body, you need fats, but only the good ones. Many people think fat is a dirty word and should always be avoided, but this isn’t the case. You need fats in your body to provide energy and important nutrients, plus they help make you feel full.
However, you want to pay attention to the types of fats you consume. Get rid of the bad fats, including vegetable oil, soybean oil, trans fats, and fried foods. Switch to healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, and seeds to help feel refreshed and invigorated.
Add More Plant Foods Into Your Diet
Do you want to eat a healthier and more organic diet? Start with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Look for plant foods you enjoy eating, otherwise, you are not going to stick with them. You want lots of greens in your diet, including broccoli, spinach, kale, lettuce, and collard or mustard greens.
Get these organic when you can, or at least rinse them very well before preparing your meals. Try to stick more veggies in the foods you prepare, and don’t forget your fresh fruits for added vitamins.
The best way to eat them is raw, but you can steam them if necessary. Eat fresh fruit like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for snacks and replace refined sugar with raw honey.
You don’t need to follow a vegan diet just to be healthy, but try one meat-free day a week and see how you feel.
Increase Your Protein
As you begin eating a healthier diet, you should also make sure you are getting adequate amounts of protein. Protein benefits you in so many ways, including giving you energy and helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. It is also essential when you are working on building your strength through weight training.
Choose natural sources of protein, including lean meat, poultry and fish, nuts like almonds, chia seeds, hemp, protein powder, lentils, peas, and beans. When you eat these foods as a part of the holistic diet, it will be easier for your body to digest them and absorb their nutrients.
Avoid Processed Foods as Much as Possible
If you want to live a healthier lifestyle, then you should avoid processed foods as much as possible. These foods are low in nutritional value and loaded with artificial ingredients, flavorings, and sweeteners. Instead of buying them at the store or eating out, you should learn how to cook with whole foods so that you can eat healthier and feel better.
Switching to a holistic diet is not going to happen overnight, but you will start to notice a difference in your body as you begin adding more whole foods into your meals.
Consider Giving Up Dairy and Complex Carbs
These are not for weight loss, but rather to help heal your body from the inside out. It is likely that your gut issues are from grains, complex carbohydrates, and added sugar in your dairy products. When you give these foods up, your body will become balanced and then you can start adding them back into your diet.
Try to reduce how often you have milk, cheese, ice cream, rice, pasta, and white bread. At the very least, stick to whole grains instead of the white, starchy grains and bread.
Eat More Organic Foods
If you want to start feeling better, then consider eating more organic foods. Even if your budget is very tight, you can still afford to eat organic foods by shopping on the outside of the grocery store and choosing items highest in pesticide levels.
You can also purchase organic produce from a local farmer’s market if you have one close by, or start growing organic vegetables at home. Make sure you are always washing your produce before preparing it so that the pesticide residue does not transfer to your food.
Switch Cooking Methods
Are you cooking your foods using methods that are healthy? It is likely that you are cooking with vegetable oils, frying food in butter or oil, and baking foods in sugar. All of these cooking methods are not healthy, so you have to switch them out for healthier ones.
For instance, try using coconut oil or ghee instead of vegetable oils and butter; saute instead of frying, and replace white sugar with raw honey or maple syrup. These cooking techniques will make it easier for you to eat healthier, and they will help you to heal your body.
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