Put good stuff in your diet, don't just take bad stuff out.

I don't know about you, but so often I think about the things I need to take out of my eating lifestyle to be healthier.  OK, in full disclosure, I don't just think, I obsess,  I can't have that piece of cake.  I shouldn't eat those fries. I can't have a bagel for breakfast, etc.  I don't even want a bagel for breakfast, but because I can't have it, I wan't it.  We have a tendency to see what we take out of our diet.  I heard once in a documentary called "Hungry for Change" that we should focus on adding items into our diets the things that are good for us.  We will fail less if we look at what we can include, instead of what we have to take out.

So as we look to ways to heal our bodies with food, let's take time to focus on adding some powerful key ingredients that will help boost our brain activity, weight loss, and energy.

NUTS
Where you can, and if you can eat them, add nuts.  Almonds and Walnuts being the most potent in Omega 3's and healthy fats and protein.  If you are used to the sugar almonds or roasted and salted, start small and take baby steps to replace them with raw and unsalted.  Move to just roasted and no salt and work your way up.  These can be added into granola, oatmeal, muffins, scones, green salads, fruit salads, ground them up and coat your chicken in it with GF oats or flour.  There is always room to add these healthy nuts into items you are already eating.  The best way?  Make a little mix of nuts and seeds and dried fruit and its a powerhouse snack in the afternoon.  Try to stay away from peanuts as there have been many studies that show that peanuts carry a very high mold content.  That contamination will then be transferred to your body, so leave it out and stick with the clean nuts.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085
www.motherearthliving.com

When looking up the negative effects of eating nuts to see if there were any, the only thing that comes up is, don't eat them if you have an allergy, and eat them in moderation because of their fat content.  So if you can eat them, it kind of sounds they are perfect snack.
www.livestrong.com

I would like to point out however to stick to the healthiest nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios  cashews.  Try adding those in and limiting or eliminating peanuts all together.  More and more research is coming out connecting dangerous levels of mold in peanuts, so branch out and eat the safer nuts.

www.openeyehealth.com


COCONUT OIL
Here is an article out that you can read when you have time, or here or here is a great resource for all things coconut with all of its benefits.  Coconut oil is naturally sweet so you can easily replace it in recipes that call for oil.  Pancakes, muffins, cakes, etc.  This will add to the flavor and give you all the health benefits coconut provides.  If a recipe calls for butter, use coconut oil.  If you need to grease your pan to make pancakes, use coconut oil.  You don't have to do anything except use a different oil where oil is called for, how can it get any easier?!  You should know also that Olive Oil when heated it looses most of its nutritional value, but coconut oil does not.  So when you are going to start frying up your garlic or onions or whatever you are cooking, use coconut oil instead.

FLAX SEED OR CHIA SEEDS
There has been lots of research looking at the power of all the Omega 3's and 6's in Flax seed.  Maybe a seed you don't hear about as often is Chia seeds.  These carry even more of this fatty oil that our body and brain crave.  You can find these powerhouse seeds at local grocery stores, and even better at Costco.  I like having them on hand from Costco because I use them in everything.  They in no way alter the taste of the food I am making, but if I can give myself and my kids as much brain support as possible, than I'm gonna sneak it into everything.  Just throw a handful of these seeds into your muffins, scones, oatmeal, granola, smoothies, cake, brownies, cookies, granola bars, spaghetti sauces, pizza mixes, banana breads, soups, the possibilities are endless.  And its the easiest thing to just throw in a handful, you add so much nutrition without any effort.

Here is some info regarding Flax and Chia seeds:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/CharlotteBradley/Chai-Seeds.htm

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/wellbeing/healthy-eating/the-powerful-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds.php#.T0uszde1FBA.t

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

REAL SEA SALT -  This will be blue or pink.  If it's not, its not real salt.
Table salt as you are used to seeing it is an overly processed chemical that has stripped all nutrients out of real salt.  Our bodies need salt, what they don't need is the table chemical you add to your food.  Another incredibly easy way to improve what goes into your body is stop using regular table salt and purchase, REAL SEA SALT.  It's like the coconut oil, you aren't learning new things, or a new way of cooking.  You are simply switching out what you used to use for something that is significantly better for you.

What is the difference between table salt and real salt?  Here is some research on why you should make the impossibly easy switch.

http://www.realsalt.com/

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/PreventionTreatmentofHighBloodPressure/Sea-Salt-Vs-Table-Salt_UCM_430992_Article.jsp

Eat your fruit.  Find ways to snack on it, include it in breakfast and lunches.  Eat it at a movie instead of popcorn.  Just try to increase your fruit intake one more serving than you are used to.

Eat more veggies.  Find ways to include it with your dinners and lunches or snacks.  Include it, include it, include it.  Choose a veggie over another unhealthy snack at least once a day.  Choose the veggies people, these are your life source.

I would encourage you as well though to try including one of these other ways.  These simple add in's are such a simple way to add health into your life.  To add nutrition.  To add vitamins.  To add energy.  To add brain power.

We all have to start somewhere.  And the only to start eating and taking care of your body the way you want to is by taking steps.  One step at a time.  Before you go all extreme on your diet and worry about failing, try adding in instead of taking out.  Bring the nutrition in.  Add the flavor and the health benefits into your diet.

Its a great way to start.

Its a great first step.