Whole foods!

There are a million, bazillion ideas out there about how to eat right. How to eat to lose weight, how to eat to clear acne, how to eat to better the planet. Everyone has their opinion and who knows whether they practice what they preach.

But ultimately, isn't the best and simplest way to chose how you'll eat is to focus on whole foods? With no emphasis on calories, food groups, serving sizes or micronutrients - just a tendency to reach for things that have been minimally processed. It's so easy.

Whole, or natural foods, come from the Earth. They were put here for us to enjoy. Their nutrients are in perfect combination, not altered like processed foods. They often come perfectly packaged (a banana in a peel), at the perfect temperature (mother's breastmilk for an infant) and perfectly filling (you'll have trouble eating a full bowl of higher-calorie ground beef, but try eating a bowl of low-calorie watermelon and you won't have much trouble!)

Eating this way is cost effective because you can purchase most whole foods at a farmers' market. I also recommend purchasing large orders of meat from a farmer so that you can become familiar with all the different cuts (Head to Tail Eating).

Whole foods are also great for the environment. They don't use the plastic packaging, factory production, and long transportation that, let's say, a Twinkie would.

If you want a fresh new look on whole foods with interesting facts about their history and biology, and with delicious tips about how to enjoy them, check out my Whole Foods series on Pinterest. I've been "borrowing" gorgeous photos, like the one above, for each whole food. Please stop by and leave a comment, or click the Ask link to post your question to me.

http://amyjoyharrison.tumblr.com/tagged/whole-foods

My Whole Foods Pantry

Healthy eating is worlds easier when you cook at home. These days food that strengthens, heals and nourishes the body is pretty hard to find in fast food restaurants and donut shops.

If you want to increase the number of meals you make at home you'll need a stocked kitchen. Local, humanely-raised meats, fresh fruits and vegetables and free-range eggs are great staples to have. These can be picked up weekly at a farmers' market. But there are a number of things you can store to have on hand whenever you need them:




Oils: olive, grapeseed, coconut
Vinegars: balsamic, red wine, rice, apple cider
Seasonings: Himalayan salt, black peppercorns, fresh and dried herbs, spices, chili flakes, garlic, ginger
Grains: quinoa, millet, whole-wheat couscous, brown rice
Seeds and nuts: sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, chia seeds, flax, hemp
Beans and lentils: small bean mix, pinto beans, green lentils, beluga lentils
Sweeteners: raw sugar, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar
Other: popcorn, baking soda, vanilla extract, spelt flour, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, coconut, dates, prunes, alfalfa seeds for sprouting, cornmeal, carob chips

With these ingredients you can feel confident preparing healthy meals (even without a recipe).