Are any Foods Really Healthy?

OThis might be my most blatant attempt to get you to click on an article, but if you are reading this it worked! For some time now the FDA has been in discussions in trying to regulate the use of the word HEALTHY on packaging. They've been consulting with dietitians, doctors and experts to help define what IS healthy.

That's the problem...no food is healthy. You read that right. NO food is healthy. Foods are nutritious, and if you eat a lot of nutritious foods YOU can be healthy. For example, we can all agree that apples are nutritious, but if that's all you ever ate you would not be healthy. You'd be missing a lot of food groups that make up a complete diet.

I end all of my emails with "80% of achieving your health and wellness goals comes down to what you are, or are NOT, putting into your body." So what is the best "diet" or "plan" to make you look and feel your best?

The two elements that I have people focus on are:1) PLAN and 2) J.E.R.F.

PLAN: Eating nutritious foods can take some preparation. You need to pick one or two days each week to plan and cook a lot of nutritious veggie and protein options. J

J.E.R.F.: Just Eat Real Food. It's my favorite acronym from my favorite podcast, "Under Ground Wellness." It sounds so simple, yet can be so difficult. The reason is that processed foods are packaged to sell. They are cheap and convenient. The ingredients and marketing in processed foods can be as addictive as a drug. It's not an accident that "once you pop the top you can't stop!"

We've all heard the line, "you are what you eat", and it is so true. I have a chance to do some public speaking throughout the year, sometimes to younger kids and athletes, and I always explain it this way: I am assuming that as an athlete (or anyone who’s looking for their best results) you want to fuel your body with the best quality fuel. Eating processed foods is like fueling your body with oil and water, while eating real foods is like fueling your body with rocket fuel!

What is real food? It is food that is close to nature. It looks like the plant it is derived from and very rarely needs a package or a food label to tell us what it is. If it does have a food label, the list should be short, and you should recognize the ingredients as other real foods. In general, think of fresh/frozen vegetables and fruit, raw nuts and seeds, eggs, raw oats and grains, whole fat (and unsweetened) dairy, and clean meats as your typical real, whole foods.

Processed foods tend to be higher in refined carbohydrates, have less fiber, and more often than not have unnecessary ingredients, all of which negatively impact metabolism.

Now that you’ve read the background, I want to go bring us back to food prep. We have a FANTASTIC opportunity right now for all of you reading this blog:

Fuse Fitness Coaching is excited to offer our first Meal Prep Event at HyVee in Brooklyn Park!

Space is limited at 10-12 participants per night, so please reply ASAP if you want to join us! To secure your spot, email Shannon Smith here.

If you have any questions, please direct them to Shannon.

Here are the details:

Pick a date: April 12th or 13thTime: 5:30-7:30 pm

Location: Brooklyn Park HyVee's Simple Fix Room- located next to the HyVee Market Grille restaurant inside the grocery store (9409 Zane Ave. N, Brooklyn Park, 55443)Cost: Average costs range from $120-150 for the 6 meals. Payment is due April 12th or 13th.

Event coordinators: Shannon Smith, Erin Welters, Nicole Smith

MENU*:Paleo Shepherd's Pie (grass-fed beef)

Maple Walnut Crusted Salmon

Slow Cooker Beef Broccoli (flank steak)

Italian Chicken Bake (contains cheese)

Turkey Stuffed Peppers (contains cheese)

Chicken Taco Soup

*All of the recipes are gluten-free. Two of the recipes have cheese in them, but the cheese can be omitted if you have a dairy allergy/intolerance. Please indicate when you RSVP if you don't want cheese.

Some of us do a great job of getting all of our servings of veggies (9 per day) and fruit. We get our healthy fats and protein at each meal and we stay away from temptations. Some of us (myself included) need a little help. Our nutritional priority this week is eating real foods, and our supplement of the week is MNS (Metabolic Nutritional System). MNS is a Multi-vitamin, fish-oil and probiotic that also helps regulate blood sugar levels (which reduces cravings!) so we have more energy all day! If you like to receive 20% off MNS or any other great Advocare product click here.

Lastly, we have a very exciting Team Transformation Challenge coming to Fuse Fitness Coaching, Sun’s Out Guns Out. In our last challenge teams lost a total of 1300 POUNDS of Fat in 6 weeks (over 13 POUNDS per person)! If you'd like to sign up or want more information click here.