There seems to be far too much confusion around what healthy eating really is and how to do it. Everywhere you look there are food products being portrayed as "nutritious" when clearly they aren't, we have health organisations in Australia promoting the wrong message and our sports role models and health experts promoting foods which are still unhealthy – it's any wonder society is sicker than ever before.

Did you know that 60%+ of Australians are overweight or obese and that the main cause of death is cardiovascular disease? There appears to be a correlation between the increase in refined, fried and fatty foods and the rise in weight gain.

WHAT IS HEALTHY EATING?

Healthy eating is eating foods which infuse the digestive system with nutrients which are used to rebuild and repair tissue as well as give the body an abundance of energy. For the digestive system to work at optimal levels it needs to be able to secrete, digest, absorb and defecate regularly.

Foods which are ideal for the digestive system are foods which haven't been tampered with and are still alive! Our body is alive, therefore we need to eat alive foods such as leafy greens, vegetables and fruits, as well as nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrains. These foods are cleansing, nutrient-rich and give us the most energy.

WHAT ISN'T HEALTHY EATING?

Eating foods which are highly processed, refined (wheat and sugar), fatty and fried, tampered with etc… are not good for us in large doses. The body is pretty powerful and strong so it can handle small amounts of acidic foods such as these, but in large doses on a regular basis can have detrimental effects.

When the body's requirements aren't being met or the digestive processes aren't working properly, this is met with poor performance which can lead to sickness, then to disease and ultimately cancer.

If you're lacking in energy and your body is feeling sluggish then it's telling you it needs more nutrients.

BENEFITS OF HEALTHY EATING

Energy & Motivation: the number 1 reason people eat healthily is because of the surge in energy and motivation! When the body is getting exactly what it needs to run at optimal levels this is the result – lots and lots of energy and motivation!

Ideal weight: when the body isn't being filled up with dead foods it can begin to release the excess fat in its adipose tissue which can build up when too much refined sugar, bad fats and refined carbohydrates are consumed.

Clear mind: That cloudiness you may be experiencing disappears completely. You can think more clearly and make better decisions because your brain is finally operating at the level it's meant to be on.

Productivity: Generally people who are healthier become more productive because they aren't tired, lowly and cloudy in the mind, they are alive again and want to do more.

Awake: Do you wake up tired each morning and by 3pm you're reaching for another coffee? Eating lots of dead foods makes you tired because they have no energy in them. Healthy foods are full of nutrients which turn into energy and keep you awake.

Happiness: Dead foods are acidic and have a toxic effect on the body which can cause deformity in our cells, cause havoc on our hormones and leave us feeling pretty miserable and out of sorts. Eating alive foods reverses these effects and helps you feel happy again.

Feeling better about yourself: How happy are you really when you're tired all the time, cloudy minded, unmotivated, feeling low and sick on a regular basis? Not very… When you lead a healthier lifestyle you feel FANTASTIC and ALIVE again.

Strong immunity: Eating alive nutritious foods keeps your immune system strong which means your internal army (white blood cells) are able to destroy viruses, bacteria, fungi and stop infections from occurring.

Live a long healthy life: Many fear living out the last years of their life attached to a machine or bedbound in pain. You have a choice to live a long healthy life and dying of "old age" would certainly be a better way to go.

10 STEPS TO HEALTHY EATING:

1. Eating a minimum of 5 serves of veggies: this is the minimum daily intake. Choose vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, bok choy, capsicum, carrot, spinach, celery etc…
2. Eating a minimum of 2 serves of fruit: this is the minimum daily intake, fruit is high in fibre, contains water soluble nutrients and has a cleansing effect on your bowel.
3. Eat good oils high in Omega 3: such as avocados, flax seed oil, fish oil. All of which are great for your heart, skin and joints.
4. Have a few meat free days a week: excess meat in the diet is highly acidic for the body and takes a lot of energy to break down – giving your body a rest a few times a week gives the body time to balance out the acidity.
5. Reduce your intake of gluten containing foods by 50%: gluten has a glue like effect on the digestive system and is very harsh and difficult to digest.
6. Reduce your intake of refined sugar: by 50% as refined sugar is very toxic to your body and assists with weight gain.
7. Reduce your intake of fried & fatty foods: by 50% as fried and fatty foods increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, cause disturbances within the digestive tract and assist with weight gain.
8. Drink 2 litres of water a day: which helps you stay hydrated, energised and assists with digestion of food.
9. Not drink whilst eating: as this dilutes the digestive juices – best to wait 30-45min after large meals.
10. Try alternatives to cows milk: cows milk can be very mucus forming and hard to digest, so mixing it up a little by using other milks such as rice, oat, almond, goat etc… will reduce the build up of mucus.