I repeat, anything. I've seen kids choke down mulch, paint, playdough, bugs, random things found on stairs (flashback to me when I was four), you name it. We want to experience everything around us with all our senses. It kind of makes sense from that perspective. Eventually though, what we put in our mouths is limited to what we know will give us energy which brings me to my question...
How do we chose what to eat? The hope is that our parents will teach us what to eat in order to survive on our own. What happens when food availability expands and alters so drastically over the years from generation to generation? How do we distinguish what is and isn't good for us? Do we listen to the media or what the packaging says? Where is our role model then? There must have been a way we first started chosing what to eat and not to eat years ago before food analysis was available. Much of it was likely trial and error with a mix of instinct. Hypothetically, in a desperate situation, most of us wouldn't chose to eat the following:
Having said that, if we were desperate we miiight just give this a shot:
Why though? My personal reason would be the higher potential for death with the spider even though some flowers/plants can be poisonous too (in this hypothetical situation I know nothing about either species but instinctively I know that the plant will present less of a threat). If you answered "red means danger" then why eat the following:
Alright, so how do we decide what is good to eat even when we're provided with all the nutritional breakdown? How do we know that it's providing us with the proper balance of nutrients? Labels will tout "transfat free" and "no cholesterol" and we'll think "great, I've heard those are good things to avoid". True, they are...but the packaging won't tell you what the food inside contains that perhaps isn't good for you. Next time you see transfat-free advertised, check the saturated fat content: That's not good for you either. When you see "cholesterol free", look again at the product. Is it a vegetable or fruit? Priceless. They can't contain cholesterol. Period. But the company did a great job of using buzz words to promote their product.
Whether or not you've spent time looking into nutrition and what your body needs, I know the following few tips are good guidelines to follow in order to tap into more energy with the right balance of foods. Most of us eat more refined foods than we realize and they don't do much for us on a cellular basis.
1. Eat whole foods: try not to eat packaged or frozen foods for a week, I dare you.
2. Cut down on starch carbohydrates (you CAN get sufficient carbs and fiber from vegetable and fruit sources and they provide more nutrients than breads, rices, and pastas).
3. Include protein in every meal- including snacks- especially breakfast.
4. Don't shy away from healthy fats: avocados, nuts, oils. In moderation they're great for you and should be in every meal along with protein.
5. Drink clear fluids: teas and water. Juice doesn't count...neither does clear pop :)
6. Eat (something healthy) every 3 hours.
7. Keep a bottle of water around you all the time and preferably somewhere you can see it; this will help you increase your hydration. If you don't like plain water, try putting a bit of lemon in it.
None of these points are ground-breaking or hard to follow and while I find a lot of people know how often to eat and how much water to drink, they never do. They are seemingly small changes but can make a huge difference in your energy and focus. From my own experience I've found that these are really simple guidelines that most people can work into their lives regardless of how crazy their schedule is. A lot of it comes down to being prepared for the work week ahead of time but it's well worth it in the long run!
xoxo,
F
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