The Product of Unprocessed.

When I was younger, I would try anything to loose weight. When I say anything, I mean anything. Being from a completely juvenile and inexperienced standpoint, my initial thought was that starvation and calorie restriction would lead to weight loss. At first, it worked. But as time goes on, your body simply doesn't feel good in these spurts of starvation and calorie restriction. Eating low calorie foods also made me loose a significant amount of nutrients. Which after awhile, I was so tired and run down, I couldn't go on with this lifestyle. It wasn't happiness, it wasn't fulfillment. Also, what I was eating was highly processed foods such as 100 calorie packs. Eating these foods made my body feel like shit. I felt like shit.

I have tried many fad diets as well. Atkins, weight watchers and even that crazy one where you add cayenne pepper to lemon water. And most of them work. For a couple of weeks, at most. I strived for something more, these foods weren't fulfilling me in the way I needed to be fulfilled.

What I've discovered through the years is that the whole notion of 'dieting' isn't the way to approach eating as a lifestyle at all. I think we all need to realize that our approach to a healthy eating doesn't have to be restricted and complicated but quite the opposite; our approach to our eating lifestyle should be pure, unrestricted and unprocessed. I'm telling you that if you take the time to put whole, unprocessed foods into your body, your body will thank you. You will feel, look and simply, be a whole lot better. It's quite simple actually. Here are a few tips that help me eat healthy because as we all know, it's easier said than done.

• Have a shit ton of fruits around you at work. That way in your snack mode, you're more likely to reach for a piece of fruit than a bar of some type.
• If you're not a huge fan of vegetables (which I'm not) juice them. I bought a juicer for $50 on Amazon. Unlike smoothies, juicing retains 100% of the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. With the right ingredients, you can make them pretty tasty too.
• Drink the fuck out of water. It's helped my skin immensely. I haven't used body lotion at all this winter and my knuckles aren't even cracking the slightest bit.
• Try to eat local. Try to eat organic. I know this is expensive. But your body will thank you. If you live around the greater Philadelphia area, there are a handful of Trader Joe's that sell organic food at a very reasonable price. Also, keep in mind to try to stay away from food with GMOs. If you aren't sure what a GMO is, click this link. It's far too complicated to get into in this blog without going on a rant.

When it comes down to it, your body will feel its best if it's getting pure, unprocessed foods full of nutrients and vitamins. The best part of eating healthy to me is that over time, your body starts to crave this food and not the unhealthy. I feel better. I look better. I am better because I changed my whole perspective on healthy eating.