Processed Convenience Foods Are The Problem With Our Diet Right?

This world, and moreover the United State, is so generally focused on eat carbohydrates. Everything has some form of a "carb" in it. You look in your salad dressing it even has forms of corn in it and mostly chemical versions of corn with names so hard to pronounce. Carbs are everywhere and there are even diets that warn against eating them. I don't believe that way, but what I do believe- through self and client trial and error as well as many other's research- I present to you.

There are simply way, way too many processed and convenience foods available to everyone and it seems that most people are so acclimated to buying into this convenience. Eating healthy and being healthy takes time and takes effort. Heck, if it were easy more people would already be there. All it takes is a change of mindset and you're half way there to being super amazingly healthy!

Here are a four rules I follow when thinking of eating:

1. Eat Only "Good Carbs":

Sorry to say that pasta and bread DO NOT fall in that category. A couple days ago I ate as my main meal carbs: squash, yams and carrots and the next day in my training session I was barely tired! Remember to only have grains 1-2 times per week at most and on the other days get your fuel foods from high healthy fats.

Try to eat less processed carbs such as zucchini, squash, carrots, yams, sweet potatoes. Also if you do eat grains eat such as barley, old fashioned oats, brown and wild rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth. But in general try to avoid carbs such as pasta, breads, and ANY wheat products of any kind as well as other processed foods even if they are made from what they would say are "quality ingredients".

2. Stay Away From The Commodities:

There are 3 commodity foods here in the U.S. They are corn, wheat, and soy. All have been genetically altered beyond what is healthy. Corn is very starchy and has some pretty bad pesticides used on it to grow. These chemicals increase estrogen in your body which suppresses your natural testosterone and growth hormone levels. When this happens you lose muscle mass, store fat and retain water.

3. Never Eat Processed Meats:

I blogged about processed meats a short while ago and that article mentioned that some of the worst foods to eat are deli meats as they all have very high sodium content and carcinogens(cancer causing agents in the form of sodium nitrate). Also eating really heavy foods such as beef, pork, chicken(and any poultry). These meats absorb only about 50% or less of their protein content and it often times takes a few days or even weeks to fully leave your body depending on your regularity. During that time these foods rot in your gut and give off adverse gases as well as keep good nutrients from being absorbed properly.

4. Limit or Eliminate All Dairy:
I recommend not to consume too much dairy because of the saturated fat within it. If you are eating non-fat dairy that's even worse due to the processing involved as well as the lack of any fat whatsoever. When you do consume dairy foods I recommend to only consume whole milk dairy products and organic- raw(unpasteurized) milk products are the best. In fact raw dairy tastes much better too.

Think about it: The “Western Diet” tells us to eat low fat, low carb, low cholesterol, low calorie and by doing so we’ve managed to become the most unhealthy and fat country in the world. Seems like their methods are WRONG! Let’s try it another way- a better way. The way nature intended it is without any change to it[nature]. The further you stray by eating processed convenience foods the less healthy you will be and more fat you will store. Well that's not cool! Make sense? If you want more info on this let me know. I have lots.