Last week we talked about the metabolic power of relaxation. I hope you treated yourself by trying out some of the practices listed in that post. This week we move on to the second means of making nice with our metabolism.
THE POWER OF QUALITY
What? A picture of pizza in a post about quality foods? Yes! We'll get to why later. And no, I'm not here to make you feel guilty, to lecture you on eating "perfectly," or tell you that unless you eat locally grown, organic, GMO-free, artificial flavor and color-free, and preservative-free, non-processed foods all is lost. What I am here to tell you is that quality matters and it's not that hard to up the quality of what we eat. First, let's cover some obvious points and a few objections.
It doesn't take a degree in food science to know the quality of food we eat has an impact on our health. I mean, duh! So why even talk about it? For one, if it's so ridiculously obvious, why don't we all eat only high quality foods? For another, it's easier to improve in this area than you might think.
Let's look at some of the things we get hung up on when it comes to buying better quality food.
1. I don't have enough time. - This one has to apply to people who eat at home, since eating out takes pretty much the same amount of time whether it's high or low quality food we're buying. (For instance, Chipotle or Costa Vida use higher quality ingredients than Taco Bell but take about the same amount of time to get, especially if you order ahead by phone or online.) If we're cooking from scratch at home, there are at least a million recipes available online using high quality ingredients that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. If you cook mostly convenience foods, check your local quality food store, Whole Foods and the like, and you may be surprised at how many convenience foods are offered these days.
2. It's too expensive. - It is extremely likely that when you shop at a quality store the grand total at the bottom of your receipt will be higher than at a different store. Two things to consider here: first, higher quality foods are more nutrient dense and we won't need to eat as much of them to feel satisfied as we do of their lower quality counterparts (= less food to purchase), and second, watch your prices.
Sometimes the high quality grocery store sells the exact same item as other stores but at a much higher price. Okay. So don't buy it there. Get it at the other store. If your response to that idea is that you don't want to take the time to go to two stores instead of one, I promise that's more of a mental obstacle than a time obstacle. It may feel like a big effort, but if you go into your usual store with a list of 5-10 items you can get cheaper here than at the other store and you treat this trip as a surgical strike, laser-focused on getting in, getting your items, and getting out, it will probably only add about ten, maybe fifteen minutes to your grocery shopping. All you have to do is decide whether you'd rather save the time or the money. Neither answer is right or wrong, just personal preference.
Most importantly, whatever your food budget may be buy the highest quality you can afford within that framework. Again, don't necessarily aim for "perfection," just improvement.
3. The people I feed won't like it. - Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes we shoot ourselves in the foot by how we approach it. Maybe you do like I've done in the past and announce to the family that we need to eat healthier, so we're trying something new. Seems like a good idea, but it can also trigger a negative response before a bite is even taken since many people just don't like "different." Honestly, I've had much better success when I've just served the new thing without any fanfare. If just make it and put it on the table, or in the case of some snacks, just have it available, often they really don't care. All they care is that there's something to eat. Not always, of course, but often enough.
A good place to start is taking a recipe they like and make it using higher quality foods. If it calls for hamburger, get quality grass fed meat. If it has veggies, use fresh, organic veggies, and so on. Chances are they'll like it just as much, maybe even more.
If they love boxed mac and cheese, try Annie's organic instead of Kraft. If it's fruit snacks they can't live without, get the ones made with fruit juice instead of sugar. Popsicles are a must? Have you tasted the natural ones made with real fruit? The flavor is much more intense and the colors richer than the artificially flavored and colored ones.
Really, just up your game a little at a time and before you know you'll have made some pretty significant changes.
4. It's too inconvenient to shop for those foods. - That may have been true back in the day but it's just not anymore. Most grocery stores now have lots of higher quality options; many even have whole sections of their stores devoted to this. The "health food stores" of the past have morphed and become more mainstream. Most cities have stores similar to Whole Foods where you can do all of your grocery shopping. They're not the "hippie" stores that smell odd and carry "weird" stuff anymore. If, for some reason, you just can't get past old ideas and bring yourself to shop at a "health food" store, at least check out the higher quality options available in your regular store. Also, Amazon and lots of local grocery stores will deliver food right to your doorstep. It doesn't get anymore convenient than that. (Unless you have a table like the one in the banquet hall of Hogwart's that magically fills itself, or food dispenser like on the Starship Enterprise - and if you have either of these, please contact me as soon as is humanly possible!)
5. It won't taste as good. - All I have to say to that is, if you're eating high quality food and it doesn't taste good, you're making the wrong recipes, eating at the wrong restaurants, and buying the wrong brands. Keep looking and trying other options.
Here are a few ideas directly from The Slow Down Diet, by Marc David -
Eating quality food is perhaps the most powerful and foolproof nutritional strategy we can choose.
Higher-quality food means greater nutritional value. When we continually eat low-quality food, the brain will register a nutrient deficit and signal us to eat more.
Many people who think they have a willpower problem are experiencing a lack of nutrient-dense food.
No matter what food you eat, choose the highest quality version of that food. (So, yes, eat the pizza, just make it or buy it from a place that uses the best quality ingredients. Order take out from the restaurant that uses the healthiest ingredients in your area. Eat the good cheese and chocolate.)
PRACTICES -
Aim for the 80/20 Rule - Make it a goal to reach the point where 80% of what you eat is high quality food. Leave some room for the cupcake from the local bakery you love.
Go to a Farmer's Market - You'll get the freshest items (often organic), support your local small businesses, and have a relaxing moment (perhaps with a loved one) as you meander through the venue choosing your purchases. If it's not the season for farmer's markets in your area, do some research and find out when they'll start up again and where they're held, then put it on your calendar.
Browse a health food store or check out the healthier options at your usual grocery store - Read some labels. Gather some ideas. Buy something interesting you haven't tried before.
Let's love our bodies enough to give them the best food to work with that we can afford.