Is your healthy diet really healthy?

Is your healthy diet really healthy?

The world is becoming more health conscious every year. Food companies are producing so-called organic foods, the fast food industry is trying to create healthier menus, and people are making smarter choices when it comes to their food.

This is a wonderful thing and is much needed as more and more families are affected by obesity. It's still a challenge to eat right with all of the "health food" options and media that dictate what we consider healthy. Every day I see advertisements and articles for foods that really aren't the best choice. From high fructose corn syrup to 100 calorie snack packs, people are getting caught up in poor health choices. Losing weight and finding 6 packs is becoming increasingly difficult.

The easiest way to avoid all of this and stay on a healthier path would be to eat natural foods that have not been modified by humans. This shopping list would include fresh meat, vegetables and fruits, raw nuts and less modified dairy products. This can be difficult because most of the food on the shelves has been influenced by humans in one way or another.

That's why I'm going to give you three things to look for the next time you go to the grocery store so you can make smarter, healthier choices for yourself and your family:

#1: Food source

This one can be a little tricky, but many stores are getting better at providing this information. If you have access to a health food store you won't have as many problems, but even Kroger stores are getting better.

Pay attention to where the food you buy comes from. This affects meat and animal products more than other items. Many food companies use hormones and feeding methods on their animals that can affect the quality of the meat.

Hormones that are added to an animal to make it larger can be absorbed into our bodies as soon as we eat the meat, affecting our hormonal balance and physical processes.

Look for more natural meat that was grass-fed and hormone-free. The same goes for seafood; Try to find more natural sources and not closed water fish. This meat is not only healthier, but also much fresher and tastes better.

#2: Ingredients

When buying food, pay attention to the ingredients. Often a food claims to be healthy because of the amount of calories, but in reality those calories are quite unhealthy.

Calories are important, but the quality of the food is just as important. In general, the fewer the number of ingredients, the better the food. If you buy a 100 calorie snack pack, you'll see a long list of ingredients, whereas more natural foods like vegetables only have one ingredient.

When you reduce the quantity of ingredients in your pantry, you increase the quality.

#3: Sodium

Sodium is one of the things that many people overlook. It plays a huge role not only in losing weight, but also in heart health, joint health and overall well-being. It kills your path to success with water retention and overall lowered mood.

Many foods have added sodium to extend shelf life. Almost all canned food contains a large amount of sodium, which is why canned foods last so long. Look at the sodium content of your foods and try to limit your intake to less than 1500 mg per day. For example, one can of “low sodium” soup contains 900 mg of sodium. If that is “low” I would hate to see normal!

Lower your sodium for a few weeks and notice how much better you feel.

Pay more attention to the details in the grocery store. Choosing to eat healthier and be healthier is a good thing, but it's difficult to do all the tricks that go on at big food companies. Look at the little things and your food choices will change.