Eating Simple Equals Eating Better

Mar 12, 2022
5 min read

Updated: Oct 2, 2022

Healthy Eating / Detox / Weight Loss / No Sugar

Okay Ladies! Let’s kick this off with a guessing game.

Read this label and tell me what we are eating:

Soy Protein Nuggets (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Peanut Butter Fudge (Corn Syrup, Invert Sugar, Peanut Butter [Peanuts, Sugar, Salt], Sugar, Palm Kernel Oil, Peanut Flour, Milk Protein Isolate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Xanthan Gum, Carob Seed Gum, BetaCarotene), Chocolate Flavored Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Powder, Whey Powder, Nonfat Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Corn Syrup, Acacia Gum, Fructose Syrup, Peanut Butter, Peanut Flour, Peanuts. Less than 2% of the Following: Glycerine, Soy Protein Isolate, Natural Flavor, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, and Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Calcium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid [Vit. C], Magnesium Oxide, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate [Vit. E], Niacinamide [Vit. B3], Zinc Oxide, Calcium Pantothenate [Vit. B5], Ferrous Fumarate [Iron], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vit. B6], Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin [Vit. B2], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vit. B1], Folic Acid [Vit. B9], Chromium Chloride, Biotin [Vit. B7], Sodium Selenite, Sodium Molybdate, Cyanocobalamin [Vit. B12]).

Did you guess it was a candy bar?

Nope. It’s a Chocolate Peanut Butter Zone Perfect Nutrition Bar.

Something you can find it in the “Nutrition Aisle” at the grocery store.

Chances are you’ve eaten something similar when you were tight for time and wanted to grab something “quick and healthy.” Perhaps you even ate one as a meal replacement at lunchtime. But after you look at the sugar, chemicals, and weird fats in the label you’ve got to ask yourself,

“Is this really even food?”

It’s more like a food construction—a strange medley of highly processed ingredients; and there are so many of them! And it’s not just the Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil. Do you see how many times the word “sugar” appears in this label? Sugar in all of its many sneaky forms is the death of a good diet. Sugar, my friends is nothing short of poison. It’s delicious, addictive, and toxic.

I’m not even going to sugar-coat this for you. (Pun fully intended.) Sugar is more than just bad for your teeth; it causes insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes, is the primary cause for obesity, can cause liver disease, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and so much more. It’s definitely going to derail your weight loss or weight maintenance efforts. And it’s going to make you more groggy and less energetic.

Just how nutritious do you think that Nutrition Bar actually is? It sure looks like a candy bar to me.

That’s the problem with the words “nutritious” or “healthy” or “organic.” They lure us into trusting the packaging and we STOP doing the work.

If you’re serious about improving your diet, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and read the labels.

And here's some really good news ... that's what I’m doing during my FREE 5-Day Shake the Sugar Habit (No Sugar, More Energy) Challenge.

Take the challenge and you may find yourself going almost an entire week without eating anything that needs a label. Imagine that! I mean chicken is just chicken. Spinach is just spinach and avocado is, well, just avocado. You don’t need a label or a special set of instructions.

One ingredient foods are the key to eating better. Ask yourself if what you want to eat is man made or nature made.

If it flew, grew, swam or ran you’re probably good to go. If not, put it down.

Food that has one ingredient is almost always the most pure form of nutrition. And giving yourself over to clean, simple ingredients will set you on the path to a healthier lifestyle.

Eating better doesn’t have to be complicated. Just following a plan to eat only food found in nature will get you most of the way there. If your grandma couldn’t eat it as a child then chances are neither should you. If you don’t see the ingredients in your own kitchen cupboard then don’t swallow them out of a box or a bag.

The recipe for eating better is simple because eating simple foods is simply eating better. (try saying that 5 times fast)

Tip #1 - Fat is in and Sugar is Out

We crave even more sugar when we graze on simple carbs .You also have to deal with the rollercoaster blood sugar spikes and crashes. But, we feel satisfied longer when we consume healthy fats. Weight loss potential takes a nose dive when your body thinks you're starving it (think calorie deprivation). Focus on nutrient density instead of counting calories. Look for healthy fat options like avocado, grass fed butter, coconut oil, wild caught salmon and olive oil.

Tip #2 - Get Outside

Struggling with a craving? Head outside and walk it off. Breathe deeply. It's a great distraction with the added bonus of fresh air and exercise. Perfect for the clearing the mind.

"There's no such thing as junk food. There's junk and there's food." – Mark Hyman, MD

Tip #3 - Keep Your Hands Busy

My biggest struggle is in the evening. I feel the most snacky between 8-11pm. So I try to do something that literally keeps me away from the kitchen and my hands busy. It can be anything - as long as you're preoccupied and not thinking about your favourite crave foods. Try chess, painting, cards, music, knitting, puzzles, grooming the dog, walking the dog, cleaning out a junk drawer - it doesn't matter what the activity is as long as you are not tip toeing into the kitchen to sneak a treat.

Tip #4 - Lights Out Early

It can really help to grab a cup of herbal tea (I like chamomile and lavender) and head to bed. Again, it keeps me out of the kitchen and away from the temptations of late night munchies and I get all the benefits of a good night sleep.

Tip #5 - Challenge Yourself

Lastly, knowing just a little bit about simple eating can go a long way to helping you stay the course and ultimately help you feel better. You can learn more about simple eating when you take our FREE no sugar, more energy Shake the Sugar Habit challenge. 5 Days. 5 Lessons. Short & Sweet.

Hi, I'm Margaret, the Busy Broad's Health Coach and Holistic Nutritionist. I'm committed to helping women over 40 manage their unwanted belly fat, midlife metabolism and fatigue.

To learn more - join my Facebook Group BUSY BROADS RE-ENERGIZE & THRIVE https://www.facebook.com/groups/179222990082048

To reach me - email NutriHelpers.info@gmail.com

Free 5-Day No Sugar / More Energy Challenge. We start March 23rd

After many months of soothing with comfort food, this is a great opportunity for us to circle back and recommit to our healthier eating habits as we transition into Spring.