Soul-Fed Mama: Eat Well To Feel Well
Trying to follow all the current science about what kinds of oils, nutrients and chemical compounds in various foods are supposed to be good or are no longer recommended for me is totally exhausting.Which nuts are the good ones? Which fruits prevent aging and which prevent cancer? What kind of oil is recommended for cooking this year? What color foods contain which vitamins? Why is it so popular to eat gluten-free and paleo?I can’t keep track.But I have experienced the connection between eating well and eating poorly and I know I feel so much better when I’m eating well. I can’t afford to eat food that doesn’t fuel me. I don’t want to spend half my day cooking (and I don’t) but do I want to feed myself and my family food that is good for us and that makes us feel good. [Tweet "Eating well doesn’t have to be really complicated."]I like Michael Pollan’s advice best: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."The key to that advice is how you define “food.” According to Pollan, in order to qualify as food, the ingredients have to be pronounceable, it should be recognizable as edible to your grandmother, and it should be susceptible to rot. Twinkies, for example, are not food. Entrees from the freezer section of the supermarket, not food.Real food is whole, fresh, and most likely found in the perimeter of the grocery store. Those center aisles are suspect. Vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy, fish and meat are real food. Add in some nuts, oils and spices and you are pretty much covered.Here’s the other thing about real food. It makes you feel good. It is satisfying, flavorful, and it gives you energy. If you finish a meal and feel unsatisfied (especially if you also feel full) or tired and lethargic, you might want to re-think what you are putting on your plate.If you want to take it further, figure out if one of the more restrictive whole foods diets, like vegan, paleo, or clean eating will fit your family. But if it doesn’t, just stick to the basic rules above and I bet you will feel pretty good about what you are eating and that you will feel pretty good overall.You deserve to feel good.Good food can help you feel good every day and can give you the energy and focus to do all the things you want to do.How did what you ate today make you feel? If you have a favorite whole-food recipe, share it in the comments!