4 Reasons to Follow a Real Food Lifestyle
There is lots of chatter in the health community about different types of diets and lifestyles. You hear about Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, Vegan, and more. Even if you don’t totally understand what these “diets” consist of, we can all agree they have one thing theme in common: eating real foods. Or at least, this is how they originated. But why should you follow this type of eating? Let’s review 4 Reasons to Follow a Real Food Lifestyle.
1. FAKE FOODS ARE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR HEALTH
As great as the modern foods may seem, it is not all it’s cracked up to be. Industrialized society creates millions of processed products that have long shelf lives and can withstand any climate. These items give customers what they want; convenient food fast.
Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a price. Most packaged foods are full of bogus ingredients. Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a package of those infamous black and white sandwich cookies? Are you able to recognize or pronounce any of them? Exactly.
Preservatives, dyes, chemicals, and other fillers are not recognized by the human body. Instead, these invaders lead to a number of modern diseases such as diabetes, obesity, inflammation, cancer, allergies, and the list goes on.
Processed foods are also highly addictive, further contributing to health detriments. You eat more of them and your health continues to worsen.
2. FOOD IN IT'S NATURAL FORM
When you follow a real food lifestyle, you are consuming foods in their natural state. Our bodies were designed to break down whole foods, and understand how to use them for fuel. Eating clean whole foods has improved the health of millions, can prevent disease, and even allow us to live longer.
Fresh fruits and vegetables contain the highest amount of vitamins and minerals, providing us with the nutrition we need to function at an optimal level. An added bonus is eating in-season local produce that packs the biggest vital nutrient punch.
If it fits with your lifestyle, wild caught fish and grass-fed meat provide essential fatty acids and proteins that are not found in man-made replacements.
3. Real Foods Promote Sustainability
Eating locally not only has health benefits, it also supports your local community. There is a chain reaction when you buy products from your neighbors.
Consider a family farm that supplies fresh vegetables to a large metropolitan area. Buying direct from the farm not only keeps the family business in motion, but their suppliers get support as well. The seed farmer, soil provider, staff at the farm, delivery men, and so on. Every person, directly and indirectly, involved in that business benefits.
Sustainable farming also reduces waste, our carbon footprint, and ensures the healthiest food for consumers. There are dozens of benefits to sustainable food, and we can all easily support this mission.
4. REAL FOODS ARE ATTAINABLE FOR EVERYONE
A general assumption is that switching to a real food lifestyle is not affordable. After all, you can dine at the golden arch fast food restaurant for under $5 a meal. Fortunately, this misconception is easily refuted. Although it may take a bit more preparation on the front end, you can easily eat real foods on a budget.
Afraid it’s too hard to make that big of a change? It requires a shift in your perspective and adjusting your staple goods. For example, give up those $5 daily lattes, and you already have extra money to spend on groceries. For more inspiration, and to ease the transition to your new lifestyle, find out more in Real Food Lifestyle Basics.
If you’re worried about transitioning your family to a real food lifestyle on a limited income, this 100 Days On A Budget will show you exactly how possible it can be.
Another misconception is that cooking real foods is time-consuming. You will need to be organized and plan in advance, then executing meals in under 30 or 60 minutes is simple. Practice smart weeknight dinner prep and batch cooking, and before you know it, you will be an expert meal planner.
