Is this healthy?

"Is butter a carb?" For those of you have seen Mean Girls, you know what I'm talking about, but questions like this are all too common in the healthy food world. And with so many conflicting theories on what is healthy and what is not, it is very hard to wade through the immense amount of advice and information out there. So how does one maintain and healthy and clean diet? It is not as hard as you may think....


1. If it came straight from nature, eat it. 

Rule of thumb here: if you can pick it from a tree, pull it from the ground, etc, you SHOULD eat it. Whole foods are healthy foods, and the majority of your diet should consist of these in their natural state. An healthy is super good for you with load of vitamins, fiber, and natural sugar. However, when you douse it in caramel or chocolate, that now becomes unhealthy. I see this most commonly with salads. People have a salad packed full with healthy greens, veggies and protein which serves as a great meal........and then here comes the Ranch dressing. You can eat salad for every meal every day of your life, but if you continue to load it up with dressings full of saturated fat, you might as well eat a burger and fries.

2. Eggs are your friend

I know what you're thinking....that egg is full of cholesterol, so I am just going to eat egg whites. That yellow core in the center of an egg, however is packed full of protein and good fat. Eggs are the easiest way to get lean protein into your diet with a million different ways to be able to cook them!

3. You need fat

There is a HUGE difference between healthy fat and the nasty saturated fat that comes from eating pre-processed garbage. High fat food such as avocado or almond butter are high in fat, but this is the fat that your body uses for fuel to keep you going. Your body needs fat in order to properly function just like a car needs gasoline to run and this is especially true for those that are physically active. Do not cut out fat from your diet, just be sure you are eating the right kind. How do you know it is the right kind of fat? See rule one....

4. Everything in moderation

Eating healthy can be hard....sometimes you just want french fries or loads of chocolate! Allow yourself the treat every now and then, just do not go overboard. Additionally, overeating healthy foods can be unhealthy for you. Like my previous example of an apple; while an apple is healthy, if you're eating twenty of them a day, you have now turned the corner into unhealthy territory. Your diet needs to consist of healthy amounts of fruits, veggies, lean protein and so on.

Once you have established these healthy eating habits, you will be amazed at how well you feel, how much energy you have, and how you now crave whole foods over the processed crap we are so accustomed to eating.