I haven't written a food and eating manifesto in a while, so here are my theories, politics and gut feelings about food and eating:
- Love yourself enough to eat well.
- Food is not chemistry: eat a moderate, balanced diet of real foods.
- Drink more water. Eat more fruit.
- Buy ingredients, not packaged food.
- You don't have to be a great cook to make good meals.
- Making good meals doesn't have to take tons of time.
- How you eat influences your health and emotional wellbeing.
- Eat from hunger, not boredom, anger, joy, loneliness, sadness or tiredness.
- Love yourself to get enough sleep (most of us need 8 hours).
- If you eat junk, fast, or snack "foods," or drink pop or energy drinks, don't be surprised to look and be unhealthy.
You're probably thinking
Wait a minute, #9 isn't food-related, but it really is: not getting enough sleep can affect your nutrition in 5 ways:
- You drink energy drinks (which are terrible for you), or too much coffee, in a bid to get and stay awake.
- Lack of sleep makes you more likely to get sick with colds and flu. Many people take over-the-counter meds so they can go to work. Those meds are not natural or good for your body.
- When you're tired, you're likely to eat sugary carbs for a 2pm pick-me-up, and overeat in the evening.
- Lack of sleep can cause depression, which is often a trigger for emotional eating.
- Chronic tiredness makes you less likely to have the energy to shop for, and cook, real food.