The simplest solutions are usually the best solutions, especially when it comes to regulating excess weight, insulin resistance and other health issues related to metabolism. If you want clear answers and logical ways to boost your health, you have to ascertain two things – what you eat and what you drink. Once you evaluate what your food supplies are, it is time to switch to one of the most effective strategies there is – eliminating all processed foods and replacing sodas and juices with good old pure water. That’s basically it!
What is processed food?
Now, processed food is loaded with sugar, which makes it taste good, look good and satisfy our emotional needs. It is so potent that it stimulates the same neural pathways in the brain as some drug addictions. What is even worse is that it is tremendously bad for our health. This isn’t a conspiracy theory, most processed foods contain lots of added sugars, especially processed high fructose corn syrup, and toxic GMO herbicides like glyphosate, which is recognized as a probable carcinogen. So how do we avoid eating food which is high on this soluble carbohydrate?
The change starts by cleaning your cupboard and getting rid of all sweets. Either throw away those tempting little beasts or donate them to your local food pantry. Next up, learn about the food you consume, check the label, search for artificial sweeteners and once you find them – stay away from them. Artificial sweeteners are far worse than sugar, because they don’t satisfy the craving, they only disguise the flavour and encourage your desire for more sweets. If you crave for sugar, the best thing you can do is buy fresh fruit, wash it, peel it and have your way with it. If you get a hankering for sweets at work, which is the most common diet-destroyer among adults, by all means, order a fruit basket for the whole office. If you are going for a walk or a hike, take some bananas, apples, or oranges with you for that extra surge of strength. Remember, unprocessed sweets are a great source of health and energy, but they are also faster to spoil, so it is always good to visit the green market often, but not to buy too much fresh produce at once.
Alternatives
There are many sugary alternatives for you to choose from. The lovely coconut palm sugar is derived from coconut tree blossom nectar, and it tastes like brown sugar, which has a peculiar caramel feel to it. On the other hand, we also have regular coconut nectar, which is a syrup made from the coconut tree’s sap. Unlike maple syrup, this product doesn’t require intense heat to bring out its sweet aroma, it is quite healthy and you can use it in you tea or coffee, in raw desserts, or on top of pancakes or waffles. Next up, stevia is a native shrub in Latin America which is used as a sweetener either in its liquid or powdered form. It is the most commonly used alternative sweetener for people suffering from diabetes and celiac disease. Not only that, but it is excellent when used in smoothies, salad dressings, ice cream and tea. Finally, never underestimate the health benefits of raw honey. Bees make this tasty, succulent, unprocessed sweet from a wide array of flowers, and the flavour depends on the flowers involved in the process. Considering that archaeologists have found edible honey in the ancient Egyptian tombs, pots of the golden nectar which hasn’t gone awry for literally thousands of years, by learning to love it, you know that you’d be on a good health plan.
Drinks
As for drinks, start with coffee. It is quite simple really, just don’t put sugar in it. It may be rough and it takes time to get used to it, but it will be worthwhile. Maybe add some milk to improve the taste, but bear in mind that there are many flavoured kinds of milk, too, which contain a high amount of sugar. You’ve got two types of milk – dairy and non-dairy. You can buy the non-dairy version which is plain and unprocessed and if you add a little bit of vanilla, you’ll have yourself a delicious healthy drink. Also, yogurt is much better when eaten raw with honey, because those fat-free ones require a lot of sugar to be made that way. Oh, and if you are a soda drinker, gradually cut down consumption for your own good. Just stick to regular water, and add a slice of fruit for flavour. It might feel bland at first, but that is because your taste buds have been accustomed to the significantly more aggressive taste of sweeteners. Going off sweeteners means that you will go through a rough period where everything tastes wrong, or has no taste at all. The good news is that food tastes much, much better on the other side of that rainbow.
Recipes
If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, but keep everything healthy, yet delicious, then it is time to remodel your standard Google search for recipes. You can find recipes for paleo chocolate chunk shortbread cookies or chocolate cake, strawberry rhubarb swirl ice cream, devil’s food-cake doughnuts, strawberry vanilla bean raw vegan cheesecake, blueberry-mint coconut water paleo popsicles, etc. The point is, they are all made from unprocessed sweets and require little effort. It may take some time getting used to such flavour, but they are all natural, nevertheless, which means your body will love it.