Your body and your brain both need real food, with actual nutrients, in order to function properly. There’s a term in technology, GIGO, that is just as applicable to your nutritional intake as it is to your computer. GIGO means Garbage In, Garbage Out. Just like it sounds, if you don’t put quality substances in, the output you get from your body will be substandard, and in most cases will actually be harmful to your performance, both physical and mental. There are studies that show emotional balance is affected by nutrition, as well. Make sure you consume real food, so your machine runs at its peak.
What’s the difference between food and real food? Food can be thought of as any substance that a human can safely swallow and process through the digestive system. That encompasses a wide variety of consumable products, ranging from a steak to tofu to carrots, and even to things we may not normally think of as food. Humans can eat bugs, grasses, even sawdust has been used as fillers in human food products. That’s right, check that grated cheese or that cereal bar you’re eating. Sawdust (in the form of cellulose) could very well be an added flavor in it. Oh, it won’t hurt you. It just works like a fiber additive. In fact, it’s been FDA approved for almost 50 years. But you won’t see the food manufacturers listing “sawdust” on the label.
So, what should you eat? Stay as close to nature as possible. This rule applies to all kinds of food, including meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, everything. If you eat meats, choose those closest to natural, like fresh cuts. Meats should be from animals that are raised in natural environments. A steak from a cow that has been pasture-grazed on grass and has never seen “cattle feed” is going to be much healthier than that from a cow that has been fed corn or starches, which is normal in the meat industry. You should use similar standards for other meats and poultry. You should never eat processed meats, like deli-style turkey, chicken, etc. It can be loaded up with nitrates and fillers that are meant to make it taste better (we all crave salt and sugar), but those chemicals don’t belong in your body. The same applies to the milk, eggs, cheese, and other products that come from animals. If the animal isn’t healthy, the products it produces won’t be either.
Fruits and veggies should ideally come from a farm in your local area, or as close to local as you can get. They should be organically grown, without the use of pesticides and herbicides. If you have the ability and skills to grow your own vegetables, that is an excellent way to be certain your food is natural and pure. For fruits and veggies you have to buy, go to a farmer’s market if possible. But make sure you check the sources before you buy. They aren’t all created equally.
It’s best to eat fruits and vegetables raw, if possible, to get the most nutrition from them. If you are going to cook them (because let’s face it, no one is going to bite into a raw beet), cook them as little as possible. Steam them when you can, to preserve the most nutrients in them. And eat several kinds together, for example, colored peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and red cabbage, to get a good mix of the different nutrients from several sources. Salads are a great way to accomplish this.
If you snack, choose nuts, seeds, and small fruits instead of sugary snacks like candy, or chips which have practically no nutritional value at all. Nuts and seeds are great brain foods. A handful of walnuts and pumpkin seeds, and a date or a fig makes a great quick snack, and will hold off those cravings much longer than a sugar hit that has no protein or fat. If you eat the candy, you’ll be back for more in no time. And read the label on the candy or chips. How many words are there that you can’t pronounce or don’t recognize. If you can’t tell what it is, you shouldn’t eat it.
Your body and your brain are going to function at their best when they get the right nutritional mix, and the right amount of it. If you overeat, your body has to work extra hard to digest food it doesn’t need. If you eat food that is poor in nutritional content, your body is working to digest the food but not getting the things it needs, therefore working for nothing. In fact, it is likely working extra to process the toxins that junk food contains, and getting no reward in the form of nutrients it can actually use.
Listed below are some sources I trust for accurate information on healthy eating, and some links to the companies that offer healthy alternatives to the normal SAD (Standard American Diet) food fare.