5 Questions to ask yourself before you eat that...

Nourishing your body is actually pretty simple, or at least it can be. The first step is learning how to identify REAL FOOD. Everything we see is bigger, brighter,and more eye-catching than the next thing. This is especially true in the grocery store where every product is enhanced to catch the eye of the consumer….. and their children.

Try asking yourself these 5 simple questions as you decode the mysteries of which food is right for you!

1. How many steps did it take to get to its current state?

The more steps it took to make a food look like it does, the less of it you should eat. A chicken thigh is always going to beat a chicken nugget, even an organic one.

2. Would your great great grandmother recognize that food?

Prior to the food revolution, foods were closer to their natural state. Pause to consider if your great great grandmother would recognize a cereal bar, flavored yogurt pouches, or juice boxes filled with punch.

3. Does that color occur in nature?

If the color doesn't occur in nature, steer clear. Consider flavored milks and yogurts, fruit snacks, cheesy crackers, and electrolyte drinks.

4. How many health claims are on the package?

Health claims are a distraction, at best. Though a sugary cereal may in fact be low-fat, this claim pulls the consumer attention away from the crappy ingredients. You can rest assured that the truly healthful and nourishing foods are unlikely to have a claim--- fresh produce, high quality meats, satisfying fats.

5. How many ingredients are on the list?

If you make no other immediate change in how you nourish your body, make this one. Flip over every single package of food and read the ingredient list, the whole thing. Ignore the calories, fats, and carbs and just read the list. What is actually in that "food"... I mean, you should know what you're eating, right?