The Basics:

What kind of eater are you? Are you a meat-a-holic or do you never touch the stuff? Do you balance your plate between carbs, veggies and protein?

Do you listen to what your body needs? I WISH I could eat that way. I am pretty good at separating what I need and want in life, mostly I have wants at this point because my needs are, for the most part, met. But when it comes to food, I CAN NOT tell what my body is saying it needs vs wants. It says it needs/wants sugar. Often. Especially if I had some the day before. Particularly, this body wants sugar in the form of brownies. It says it needs/wants a cheese burger, fries and root beer from Apollo Burger about once a week. It says it needs/wants a veggie, thin crust pizza from Papa Murphy's about once a week as well. I can't tell what my body is saying when hunger cues kick in. We are still getting acquainted, my body and I.

I have been doing a great deal of reading and watching movies about food, nutrition and healthy living lately. It started about a year ago when a loved one was diagnosed with cancer and he wanted to know if changes in his eating could help his chances of survival. He was focused on what was going to happen treatment wise, making sure everything was lined up in life if things didn't go well, and so many other things, so he asked me to look into it, and I did. And the answer was glaringly obvious. YES! If you are fighting cancer, or have had cancer, or have a family history of cancer, eating certain foods and limiting certain foods will make a huge difference in your life. The problem is, when one is on chemo or has a mouth and esophagus full of sores from radiation and chemo, one is in survival mode and it's time to eat whatever you can manage. My friend, however, is a freaking hard-core rock star and often pushed himself to eat even though it hurt so badly he could hardly handle it. And he did an amazing job at beating cancer :-)

But I digress...

I have been doing a great deal of reading AND...there is a lot of crap out there, and a lot of good stuff. After sorting through all that's out there here's what I have gleaned so far (and some of this some people will NOT agree with, and other totally will, I am just saying that after all I have read, this is what seems to be a middle ground):

*Eat lots of veggies. A whole bunch in a wide variety of colors. They are awesome. The fresher and the more un-cooked the better, but cooked is better than none at all. If you can get something from every color of the rainbow, you will be a veggie eating rock star.

*Eat fruit. Not as much as veggies, but still...eat fruit every day. Raw and fresh, like veggies, is better than the alternative. Also good to eat a wide variety of colors.

*Eat whole grains. Figure out what is a good amount for you. There are MANY who will read this and gasp. NO! Not whole grains! Yes. They are ok to eat. Some people do better with them than others. I can eat about 1-2 servings a day and I am ok. More than that and I get sugar cravings bad, less and I start to get lethargic. Obviously, if you have gluten issues, adjust. And if you swear that they are the devil and you feel good without them, then stick with it. My point in saying "eat whole grains"' is to say," don't eat refined, bleached, overly processed grains." If you are going to eat grains, make sure they are whole. Basically: Brown = good. White = bad.

*Eat healthy fats, like nuts and seeds. A little goes a long ways, so don't over do it. But including them in your diet is smart for your heart and brain.

*If you are vegan or vegetarian, find a way to get protein and B12 into your diet. Your body needs both of them so, be smart and aware to make sure you are getting enough.

*Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners can do damage to lots of your insides. Limit or avoid them. If you are eating processed foods on a regular basis, you are eating sugar and you don't even know it. It's sneaky stuff and is everywhere. Seriously. Pay attention.

*Salt is necessary, but seriously...if you live in the U.S.A and eat processed food of any kind, you get enough. Stop adding it to your meals. MODERATION.

*Meat is not going to kill you. Like all things (with the exception of veggies), eat a moderate amount. Listen to what your doctor says when it comes to meat. If he or she says, "You need to eat less meat," then eat less. I have had doctors tell me, "Please eat more chicken and fish." So now I do.

*The same goes for dairy and eggs. Eat some. It will not kill you. Like meat, dairy is to be consumed in moderation. I do well with milk and cheese. Ice cream makes me sick. I have to be careful with them due to high cholesterol, but others can eat them no problem. Even with a "no problem" approach, dairy and eggs can cause problems that can sneak up on you, so...moderation.

*Eat real food. What I mean by that is, if it is highly processed, it basically is no longer food. It's edible, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily "food." If you look at the ingredients list and you can picture in your head what each ingredient is, it's generally ok. (This is NOT a reason to eat a crap ton of Bryer's, five ingredient ice cream. See above note re sugar.) If you have absolutely no clue what some of the ingredients are why the HELL would you want to eat it?!?!?! Eat REAL food, not fake stuff. Trust me...you will notice a HUGE difference.

*PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU EAT CERTAIN THINGS!!!! I have a friend who can not eat wheat or she gets really bad brain fog. I do ok with limited amounts. I feel like absolute crap if I eat red meat, but I have other friends who don't do well at all if they stop eating it. I can only eat about 10 baby carrots in one sitting. If I eat more, I will get sick. Fast. Soy is also a no go for me, but I have good friends who live off the stuff.

*Get your blood work done on a yearly basis. It will tell you a LOT of things about you (the most important person in your life btw...in case you forgot.) Mine last year revealed the following: vitamin D was scary low, good cholesterol was low, bad cholesterol was high, blood pressure was high, blood sugar was high, blood calcium levels were good but didn't do me a lick of good because of the vitamin D issue.

People. The majority of us know damn well if we are relatively healthy or not. Stop lying to yourself. Stop thinking you are a victim and have no control of your health. If you don't control it, who does? It is, for the most part, up to you and absolutely NO ONE ELSE. Is it possible for certain diseases sneak up on us? Absolutely (see paragraph about friend who kicked cancer's ass....total shock when he learned he was sick.) But overall, the rest of us are just ignoring the signs. When it comes to your health, ignorance is anything but bliss. Ignorance will kill you much faster than being educated will.

Oh and, the last thing I have learned since I started reading and wading through research is...

*Go for a walk, or a run, or a bike ride, or do some yoga, or play in the pool with your kids, or pull on skates and enjoy yourself. Basically, move more, and if you can get your heart rate up, even better. But ya gotta do it.

Healthy living is not as complicated as it sounds. Be smart. Be educated. Be aware. Be more active. You will be happier. Promise.