We literally take hundreds of calls daily, and one of the biggest grumbles that we hear from our clients has nothing to do with incontinence.  It’s all about how sluggish they feel, and how they ‘wish they had the energy they did when they were younger.’You may recall that I did a video blog on a book “The China Study” that has changed many people’s lives.

“The China Study”.

Without going into a lot of detail, here’s a quick summary:

The U.S. government commissioned a study in the late 80’s for scientists to study various population groups in China.  They postulated that a healthy diet included a minimum of 20 grams of protein / day.

A team of scientists went to China and studied thousands of people – wealthy, poor, urban, non-urban, etc.  As it turns out, the scientists had 2 shocking discoveries.  First, they discovered that there were many healthy people ingesting much less than 20 grams of protein daily.

They also discovered that the poorest populations were the healthiest.  In fact, they had less than 1% of their population getting cancer, having obesity, heart disease, diabetes, digestive complications, and on and on…  LESS THAN 1%!!

As it turns out, the poorest populations couldn’t afford to buy proteins and their diets consisted mostly of fruits, nuts, vegetables and some seafood.

And of course the least healthy populations had diets heavy in proteins.

Now before you think we’re going to try and convert you into a vegetarian, please – relax.  We’re not.  This is about gaining energy and preventing age-related disease.  And here’s the best news – some of the latest research says this is much easier than we thought.

While there’s a lot of things that are out of our control (such as our genes), the following information is something completely within our control, and is relatively easy to manage.  This follows some of the guidelines set in “The China Study”, and it’s called “Eating Clean.”

Let’s go through the 6 simple rules of “Eating Clean.”

1. Get back to basics.

The foundation of eating clean is 2 things: Making better choices and eating more foods in their natural states: unsalted nuts, grass-fed and free-range meats, whole fruits and vegetables.  Common sense.

Much of what we consume today is chemically altered with all kinds of things that we can’t spell or properly announce.

Just try to replace 2 servings of clean food each day instead of processed or altered foods.

2. Think outside the box.

Most foods that come inside a box have been processed in some manner. That means they’ve either added things or stripped away some of the food’s essential goodness.

Try to choose foods with the least amount of processing.  The closer it is to its original form, the better it is for you.

3. Check the label.

Spend a little time reading labels and seeing what the ingredients are.

Simple rule of thumb:  The lower the number of ingredients, the better off you are.  Case in point:  Yogurt.  Yogurt is one of the healthiest foods out there.

4. Know the enemy.

We all know that certain ingredients are bad for our health. They affect our blood pressure, our cholesterol and blood sugar.

Try to avoid things like high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, nitrates and nitrites, trans fats, and food coloring – especially blue 1, blue 2, green 3, citrus red 2, red 3, yellow 5 and 6.

5. Shop smarter.

Some foods have major health benefits – foods like hummus, peppercorns, tuna, salmon, grain breads, garlic and garlic powder, chia seeds, oats, fermented foods (miso, sauer-kraut, kimchi), quinoa and whole grain pastas, and of course, fruits and vegetables. If it’s meats, make it grain-fed and/or free-range.

Just like 1 through 4 – all common sense.

6. Eat at home.

It comes at no surprise that restaurant and fast food meals have more calories and fewer nutrients. It’s likely that when we eat home-prepared meals, we eat less.

Keep this in mind when preparing meals:  Simple is best.  I frequently eat a small piece of grilled fish (salmon, tuna, or sea bass) with sliced tomatoes and steamed broccoli.  It’s also quick!  Sometimes in the summer, it’s just some tomato slices and fresh corn on the cob.  Again, simple and quick!

In closing I want to tell you a story about one of my friends.  A few years ago, he almost died.  When he got out of the hospital he weighed 333 pounds.  While recuperating, he read “The China Study” and immediately changed his diet.  He’s what we call a “pescatarian” – that’s a vegetarian who also eats fish and seafood.

Since revising his eating habits and doing one simple exercise 3 or 4 days a week (swimming), he’s lost more than 75 pounds.  More importantly, he’s of course a lot healthier, and he has a ton more energy.  And get this – every couple of months, he’ll indulge in a cheeseburger or pizza or steak – sometimes all 3 in the same day!  Those are our rewards for making great lifestyle choices.

Feeling sluggish?  Wishing you had the energy levels you had when you were younger.  Betcha there’s a great solution in what we discussed today!

Make it a terrific week!  I love sharing these tips with you!

 

• Wendy LaTorre