Three critical changes to improve your health this year.

Our health care system and the health of many of us, including our children are in a state of crisis.  Never before have we seen such high rates of childhood diabetes, asthma, obesity, pre-diabetes in an estimated 1 out of 4 people and diet related illness. 

We need to start shifting the way we do things, choosing and consuming healthful, life giving foods on a daily basis if we want to improve our health. 

A good place to start is with these three simple steps:

1. Change the way you shop for the food you eat!
2. Invest your time and energy in cooking for yourself and your family-learn how to cook!
3. Identify food allergies and sensitivities and eliminate them.

Step #1

Change the way you shop for the food you eat.

If you are one of the many who frequents the farmers markets during the local growing season and is seriously missing your source of those lovely dark leafy greens and other sources of vitamin, mineral rich vegetables and local ingredients,  don’t despair.  Expand your approach to your weekly food shopping and look to local resources, outside of the grocery stores. Many of the farmers are beginning to farm year round with the use of green houses and hi-tunnel systems.  Seasonal CSA’s (community supported agriculture) are being offered for this years growing season now!  Buying into a share of your local farmers harvest provides you with access to the freshest seasonal produce you can get and opens up the opportunity for you to experience new foods and taste sensations.

If you are a traditional supermarket shopper it is hard to understand the concept of seasonal because the offerings of produce are the same in December as they are in July. (check out the array of blueberries, plums, strawberries that take up a good portion of the fruit section in February!)  Unfortunately as far as taste, nutritional value, freshness goes you are losing out, wait for a few months so you can really enjoy that seasonal treat as nature intended.

Pick up the phone and call or visit your local farmers and ask them if they have anything to offer during the winter months, and what they have planned for the upcoming season.

Step#2

Make a commitment to spend some time in your kitchen each day preparing meals.   Preparing family meals is a great way to involve and educate our children in the process of nourishing oneself with real food.   Being able to prepare simple meals with quality ingredients is an invaluable life skill.  If you are unfamiliar with cooking with whole, plant based foods and basic cooking techniques; educate yourself.  Consider it an investment & gift for you and your family with lifelong benefits.

Step#3

Identify food allergies and sensitivities.

Food sensitivities can cause a wide variety of symptoms and are usually the result of leaky gut syndrome.   Regardless of how well you are eating, if you are consuming foods that your body is sensitive to and can not properly digest and absorb you will have health issues.  The most common foods implicated include; wheat, gluten products, dairy, corn, eggs, soy, citrus, beef, nuts, preservatives, dyes and pork.  Symptoms from food  sensitivities can  result in chronic headaches, coughing, inflammation, frequently clearing throat, runny or stuffy nose, ear infections, excess mucus, irregular heartbeat, stomach pain and cramping, hives, rashes, bloating, diarrhea, irritable bowel symptom,  fuzzy thinking, muscle and joint pain, fluid retention, insomnia, inability to lose weight and more.  Emotional and energy levels are also greatly affected by food sensitivities.

An elimination-provocation diet is one way to determine food sensitive’s on your own.

Eat a simple diet of foods that you are unlikely to be sensitive to- (eliminating the top allergenic foods is a good way to start), for a week or two and then add back the foods you normally consume; one at a time every two or three days.

By keeping careful track of what you are eating and symptoms you can find the offending foods.  Sometimes this takes several attempts to correctly identify the trigger food.

Don’t forget about the promises you made to yourself at the beginning of 2010, start taking control of your health today!!