Eating Organic

 

For those of us who seek to fuel ourselves with the best natural, untarnished ingredients possible, I am sure you have done the price comparison thing with organic and conventional vegetables and fruit. In these tough times, having peeked at the pricing, I am sure many folks would shelf the organic offerings thinking…soon…maybe soon.

They are expensive aren’t they?

One of my favourite chefs, Jules, over at Stonesoup has addressed this dilemma by comparing both price and taste.

The result may surprise you.

Take a look here.

 

 

Simple Food Habits

If you wish to restore a natural balance, health and vitality to your life simplifying your food intake is the answer.

It’s that simple.

Our foods today are a mystery of various chemicals, (which we will get more into later), with all sorts of unrecognizable names and secret processes to colour them, store them and make them last longer on the shelves.

When you get back to basics with your food it becomes easier to eliminate all these questionable ingredients and just get down to eating simple nourishing, life affirming food.

Here are some tips:

Eat Consciously

Always give your eating the time and respect such an important activity deserves. Eating sustains us. Without it quite simply we would be dead. Stop work, go to the kitchen table or whatever area is set aside for eating and spread your food and condiments out, relax and eat.

Ideally, don’t read the newspaper or watch the television. You want to get used to giving yourself this time undivided and be fully aware of what is going on. We have to relearn to stop putting our food on automation.
Eat slowly and be aware of everything that is going into your mouth.

Prepare Your Food As If You Were An Important Person

Yes, every body is busy, busy, busy, but that is why we stop thinking of ourselves as human beings who deserve enough time spent on ourselves. Food is what fuels our WHOLE life. Take the time and pleasure needed whenever you can to prepare your food as if you were an important person. Even the busiest person would more than likely adjust their fast food habit in favour of something of a little more quality if say, a very famous person came for dinner.
At other times using simple and fewer ingredients will cut down on the time it takes to prepare your food.

Simple Food Tips

Salt, fats, sugar.

When we eat foods high in salt, fat and sugar it makes us eat…well…more foods high in salt, fat and sugar! This phenomenon has been tested in experiments on both humans animals. David Kessler MD, who has written a book called The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite believes that we have an emotional reaction to food and when foods rich in salt, fats and sugar are eaten it activates that emotion and we eat more to retain the feeling. Even when it is beyond what we actually need to eat. He (and I) believe that the food industry sets us up to eat nutrient-lite food packed with chemicals that encourage binge eating.

To combat this he recommends the key tenet of simple living : Be conscious and aware.

Eat with structure and purpose. Plan ahead and be in charge and aware of what goes into your mouth.

I say, also eat with enjoyment, knowledge, relaxation and gratitude. Resist eating with the TV on all the time or with a newspaper vying for attention. Instead, stop flapping about for at least twenty minutes…Relax! Notice the food. Notice what is going into your mouth.

Also, we should never get too grand and complacent to remember that in many places in the world eating a filling meal is the equivalent of sheer luxury, so savor, enjoy and be grateful.

Simple Food Notes

Buy Colour!

Here’s a reminder that if we are eating for pleasure, health and long life, we should always remember to take home a generous selection of the most colourful fruit and veg when we go to the supermarket.

(Pssst! Even if you slip it in amongst the naughty things!)

These are veg such as:

• green, red and yellow peppers,
• turnips,
• corn,
• carrots,
• pumpkin,
• squash,
• lovely succulent tomatoes

and fruit such as:

• mangos,
• peaches,
• water melons,
• apricots,
• oranges,
• lemons.

These contain beta carotene, a nutrient that protects our bodies from free radicals, (trouble making, destructive atoms which attack cells in the body), which are linked to premature ageing, arthritis, Alzheimers, diabetes, cell damage and diseases such as cancer. As an easy reminder, it is the beta carotene that gives these fruit and veg their bright, bold colours, so BUY COLOUR!

They are also a superior source of vitamins that cannot be matched by any supplement in a bottle.