Eat to Nourish - 5 Tips to Nourish your Body

1| Keep it whole.
Stick to whole foods – those that occur in nature and don’t require flashy packaging. Examples include fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-fed and free range meats, dairy, eggs, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

2| Experiment with home cooking.
When you cook for yourself, you’re almost guaranteed a more nutritious meal. Restaurant food is often higher in salt and sweeteners compared to foods you might prepare at home. It’s also often difficult to know the quality of ingredients used in a restaurant setting. Start small by keeping it simple and build your cooking repertoire as you learn more.

3| Limit refined carbohydrates.
You’ll want to remove or at least reduce the amount of white foods (those made from white sugar or white flour) from your diet if you’re aiming to eat clean. This includes all standard desserts containing white sugar as well as refined grains (like white rice) and foods containing white flour (like pasta, pastries, and bread).

4| Maintain consistent eating times and try not to skip meals. 
Keeping your blood sugar stable greatly contributes to healthy food choices. When you wait too long between meals or eat processed foods that spike blood sugar – leading to a crash in energy – you’re more likely to reach for foods high in sugar, fat, or caffeine to keep up your energy. If you continue this cycle of highs and lows, you may feel irritable and exhausted. By eating whole foods every few hours, you avoid extreme shifts in your blood sugar. Additionally, nutritious food choices help support more stable blood sugar regulation, which can help reduce inflammation.

5| Balance your plate.
You should aim to get protein, carbohydrates, and fat at every meal. This will create optimal blood sugar levels and may stave off cravings and brain fog. Some examples of great protein sources include grass-fed meat, fish, tempeh, and legumes. Top-notch fat options are avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. When reaching for complex carbs, try whole grains, brown rice, or buckwheat, and vegetables, like sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or artichokes.