5 Tips for Healthier Eating!

I think we can all agree that there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of the health of our food. And I am not just referring to eating less fried food or junk food (although that is certainly important), but also to incorporating nutritious foods into our meals (it's just as much about what you do eat as it is about what you don't). Rather than setting grand, unrealistic goals to completely overhaul our diets, I think the most effective thing to do is start with small steps. Here is a list of 5 little things that can help us to maximize nutrition in every meal.

1.) CITRUS: Adding citrus is an excellent way to add lots of flavor and lots of incredible health benefits to any meal, including balancing the body's pH (sounds counterintuitive, but it's true) and aiding in digestion (see here for more details!). I personally squeeze lemon onto everything. I have learned from experience that lemon cures many ailments, from heartburn to indigestion to lack of energy. Limes work great to!

2.) LEAVE THE SKINS ON: I am referring here to the skins on our fruits and vegetables. Most veggies store their nutrition in their skin. For example, eggplant and cucumber are practically nutritionally barren except for their skins (see here for more details on the benefits of vegetable skins!). Don't hold back, you can eat virtually any fruit and vegetable skin (I have even eaten lemon rinds...yum!).

3.) INCORPORATE FLAX SEEDS: Flax seeds are incredibly nutritious little guys. Among their benefits are their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being high in omega-3 fatty acids (see here for more details!). It is just too easy to add flax to any meal. I add flax seeds to salads, stir-fry, etc., and ground flax meal to smoothies and for use in baking.

4.) TRY TO HAVE SOMETHING RAW WITH EVERY MEAL: Their is a lot of debate over the health of raw food vs. cooked food. I have encountered some very compelling arguments for the raw food diet, such as cooking food lowers its nutritional value and depletes the body's enzymes (see the documentary Forks over Knives and Food Matters, or see here and here for some opinions). I wouldn't say necessarily that we should all convert to an entirely raw food diet, but I would suggest that we try to eat more raw fruits, veggies and nuts. I personally feel more energized and revitalized when eating more raw food, so that is what I use as my evidence for this claim. I suggest you try using more raw foods with each meal and see how you feel! Be your own judge!

5.) ADD BLACK PEPPER: We all know salt is a tasty flavor addition to almost anything, but we also know that salty foods are quite unhealthy. My suggestion? Add more black pepper than salt! Black pepper not only does not have the risks that salt has of messing with blood pressure and such, but it is also super nutritious, especially when it comes to digestive health (see here for more details!). It is so simple to crack some black pepper over virtually any meal, so turn it into a habit if it isn't already!


There are some of my ideas for trying to maximize health in the food that we eat. But certainly do not just take my word for it. Try it and see how you feel!