My Food Philosophy

I would be lying if I said that I have never had a rocky relationship with “healthy eating”.

Source

In the past, I’ve tried:

1. “Diet Foods”: Splenda, egg whites, sugar free everything, and so much more. I think you know what I am talking about. This “healthy eating” experience was absolutely terrible. I was tired, cranky, and just run down.
2. “Low fat”: This was terrible as well. Not only was this eating plan completely devoid of heart healthy nutrients, it also tasted like my butt.
3. Low carb, no meat, ect… I think I have tried everything, but I never felt my best.

If you want to know more about my journey through “healthy eating”, let me know and I will do a post on it.

To me, the term “healthy eating” is not a diet, it is a lifestyle choice. I choose to eat “healthy” everyday because it makes me feel my best. It’s that simple.

My philosophy on food and “healthy eating” is about enjoying everything in a balanced manner.

Food is one of life’s greatest joys, yet we’ve reached this really sad point where we are turning food into the enemy and something that we are afraid of. I believe that when you use fresh, organic, and wholesome ingredients, you can eat burgers, pasta, pizza, and desserts every single day.

If you want a bowl of ice cream and a few cookies before bed every once and awhile, that is 100% OK. Just make sure that it is a sensible portion that is made with fresh, wholesome, REAL ingredients (this is by far the most important).

I love burgers…

The Perfect Burger

I love pizza…

Crab and Avocado Pizza

I love pancakes…

Honey Buckwheat Pancakes (my favorite pancake recipe)

I eat all of these daily with absolutely no guilt at all. To me, these are healthy foods.

To help explain my food philosophy, here are 10 rules that I live by every single day:

10 Rules For Healthy Eating

1. Eat plenty fruits and vegetables (preferably organic).

2. Don’t eat anything with an ingredient you can’t pronounce (ditch the processed foods).

3. Buy grass fed beef, wild seafood, organic eggs, and organic poultry.

4. Avoid fast food like the plague.

5. Cook. I know that is foreign word to most Americans, but if you cook your own meals, you control EXACTLY what you are eating.

6. Balance your meals with protein, fat, and carbs. Together, these will create a well rounded meal that will keep you satisfied and energized.

7. Eat until you are comfortably full, not until you need to be rolled out of the restaurant. Just because you are served a 16 oz steak, that doesn’t mean you are obligated to eat the whole thing. Bring half home for another meal and you get two meals for the price of one.

8. Drink plenty of water.

9. Enjoy your meals. Sit down with your family, eat slowly, and enjoy their company. I don’t have this luxury often since I live by myself, but when I am at home or out with friends, enjoying a meal with people that I care about is more important than what I am eating.

10. Indulge. In my opinion, you can still have a 100% healthy diet while indulging in foods you love. Instead of that preservative laden store-bought cookie, bake a batch of cookies using fresh, natural ingredients. It tastes so much better, but your body will also thank you in the long run.

* It has taken my four years, but I have finally settled on a food philosophy that makes me feel my best: EAT REAL FOOD. Some people think I am nuts, but screw them  *