Food Matters Challenge

Diet can be a very confusing word. For a lot of people it means a quick way to lose weight. But, I see the word Diet as a plan for the way you eat. Everyone should have a Diet Plan. Having structure and understanding the foods you eat can help you lose, gain or maintain weight. But it can also cleanse our body. All of the processed foods dating back as far as you can remember, the chemicals in the things you wear, the things you clean with(both body & home), even the things you sit and sleep on have been building up toxins inside of you. These toxins can cause allergies, illnesses, and even cause you to be malnourished. I know its hard to believe that someone who is 25, 50, 100+lbs overweight can be malnourished. Most people think of someone malnourished to be very underweight. But when someone fills their body with foods high in fat, sodium, calories, and chemicals there is no nourishment found within these foods and their body suffers. Heart Disease, High blood pressure, High Cholesterol, & Type 2 Diabetes are very scary realities that even the thinest of us can still find ourselves in. It is never too late to "undo" what has been done. Our bodies are designed to "reboot". By just replacing a few of the processed foods in your diet with whole foods, you can dramatically change what is going on inside your body. I have never liked putting labels on the way I eat. I think it puts too much pressure on us and can discourage others. I know for some the word Vegan is a turn off. But really if you stop to think about it, all vegan means is that there was no animals products used in making the food. So, if you can still enjoy the same foods without using animal products, why not? It is cost effective, and you are not receiving the high amounts of animal fat and Casin, that are directly linked to heart disease and cancer. Now, I am not saying be a vegan. What I am saying is that there is an opportunity for you to cut back on some of the harmful things you eat, still be able to enjoy food and still have some of your guilty pleasures. As I mentioned earlier, by introducing certain foods into your diet you can help your body become stronger against illnesses from the common cold to cancer. Since, introducing these foods into my life I have not once gotten sick. Now, this is coming from someone who has been sick at least three times a year since I was five. I encourage to try new things. You don't have to like them, but you need to try them. Go by a juice bar and get a Juice, packed with live enzymes and protein, try cooking your veggies differently(steaming, boiling, baking), try eating raw fruits and veggies a couple times a week, replace your meat at least once with a soy product or a hormone-free, grass fed, free ranged animal product. You're probably wondering when I going to get to the cookbook pictured at the top, well here I go. This book was written by a vegan firefighter from Austin, TX. He is featured in the movie Food Matters & The Engine 2 Diet, I highly recommend watching them, I believe they can still be found on Netflix. He has some really great recipes for those of us trying to find healthy ways to enjoy our favorite foods without the harmful aftermath. I challenge you to try his book out through its entirety, a full 28 days. During this time you will see and feel a great improvement with your body!~ Take this challenge, you will learn there are food you don't like and foods you never thought you would until you tried. Good Luck and let us know how you do!~