New Year's Resolution 2013

I can think of anywhere from 3 to 12 resolutions to live a healthy 2014, but let's face it, New Year's Resolutions are hard to keep for long, especially if you have a lot of goals on your list. So here is the single most important resolution to uphold... 

Yes, this is a biggie, but it's important. Industry, marketing and convenience have completely changed the way so many of us eat today. Pesticides, antibiotics, artificial colorings, flavorings, modified/mutated foods, formulas to make foods addictive... the Big Food factories hide a lot from us, and we believe it's good for us (because they said so!) and we willingly consume more and more. As a result, we're faced with the rise in chronic diseases, many which are now affecting our children. Processing foods also damages our earth. Did you know that the largest contributing factor to global warming is the raising and production of the meat on our plates? (See "Comfortably Unaware").

BUY	AVOID
• Organic (avoid pesticides/antibiotics)	• Refined grains (white flour, white rice)
• Local foods (support your farmers market)	• Refined sweeteners (sugar, corn syrup)
• Whole ingredients (nothing with a label)	• Factory farmed meat and seafood
• Non-GMO (why mess with nature?)	• Boxes, bags and cans (you know the ones!)
• Plenty of fruits and vegetables	• Refined oils (canola, safflower...)

Unprocessing your food goes against the grain of today's society, don't succumb to the Big Foods system any more. In order to make a change that is not only good for your own body, but also good for the environment, this change is a lifestyle, not a fad diet. It's something that will make your body feel better, look great and be vibrant. While we can't all grow and raise all of our own food, it's all about making smart, clean, healthy choices and being conscious of what you eat. See you in 2014!

"If it was made in a plant, don't eat it. 

If it was grown on a plant, eat it." 

– Michael Pollan

Great books:

• Unprocessed: How to achieve vibrant health and your ideal weight.
• Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes for Plant-Based Eating All Through the Year
• The China Study Cookbook: Over 120 Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes
• Comfortably Unaware: What We Choose to Eat Is Killing Us and Our Planet
• Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health
• Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
• Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It
• Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal