This article could also be called “Having the Perfect Weight is what I Want, Where do I Start?” because eating healthy and having natural weight management go hand in hand. If you follow the principles of healthy eating, you will naturally loose unwanted weight and be fit and trim as you would like permanently!

Here are a few short suggestions to get you started on your road to living a healthy lifestyle – eating better, feeling better and acquiring the weight you desire.

1) Change the place you shop! Really, this is one of the biggest, most effective steps you can take to make significant changes in eating better. There are a number of great health markets available now and they are becoming more popular. Even though healthy foods may be a little more expensive, they are higher in nutrition and quality. You will have more healthy choices of good foods to choose from, though you should still always read labels to insure you are getting good quality foods.

2) Incorporate raw foods in every meal, every snack, and everything you eat. Raw foods are high in nutrition, low in calories, and aid good digestion. Fresh fruits do not combine well with most other foods, so fruits are best eaten in the morning. They can be combined with raw nuts, whole grain cereals, and smoothies (with raw nuts, soy milk, and even veggies). Do not eat fruits for dessert – they will only ferment in the stomach. A large portion of raw vegetables should always be served at lunch and dinner – more than just a carrot stick or two. We need lots of greens and other vegetables, plus raw nuts and sprouts which are full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber of which we need.

3) Stick to whole grains as much as possible. Especially if you are trying to loose weight, omit flours from your diet and the weight will drop off easily and naturally. Yes, breads, pastas, etc. can be replaced with more whole grains. How? Instead of eating sandwiches or breads on the side, add whole grains to your salad. Eat them for breakfast if raw fruits and nuts aren’t filling enough. Get familiar with a good variety of whole grains (millet, quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, etc.) and serve them in a variety of ways for every meal.

4) Eat a small amount of protein with each of your meals. The first mistake people make when cutting down on animal products, is replacing them with an abundance of carbs. Don’t do that. You still need your protein and can get great healthy sources of proteins from raw nuts, legumes (beans, peas) and sprouts. These are full of protein and good for you. Soy milk, tofu milk, and almond milk are great milks for when you need them. These milks are not “substitutes” - they just come from vegetable sources instead of an animal. Don’t overdo it, but a handful of raw nuts, raw seeds, sprouts or beans on a salad, or any of these on the side, are good proteins that we need.

5) Omit milk products from your diet. To some they may seem necessary, but keep in mind that it’s the milk producers that have engrained that thought into our heads and put it into our textbooks. Humans are the only mammal that drinks milk after they are weaned, the only mammal that drinks it from another mammal, and the only one that drinks it pasteurized - which process makes it an indigestible source of calcium anyway. The way dairy milk is produced makes it an entirely poor source of food. Our best sources of calcium actually come from our leafy greens and our raw nuts and seeds (raw sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin).

6) Remember, the biggest flaw in today’s eating is the one thing we usually have a hard time letting go of: convenience foods. These are all highly refined foods, high in calories, fats, unhealthy additives, preservatives, colors, flavors…..the list goes on and on. We don’t need any of them. Yes, we do like things that are convenient, so prepare things so they are convenient for you:

* have fresh fruits available to grab at a moment’s notice
* package your own baggies or raw nuts and dry fruits
* pack an emergency bag in your car with healthy things to eat so you are not tempted to stop while you are on the road: raw nuts, healthy snack bars, fruit leather, etc.
* cook up 3-4 whole grains at a time and keep them in the refrigerator for quick use
* cook up 1-2 varieties of beans ahead of time for quick use
* learn to sprout – get started and keep them going, one after another

7) Change your mind set to think wholesome and whole – eating the foods God gave us in their natural form: raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Then if you eat unprocessed and naturally fed meat sparingly, small amounts of oil for salads and other meal preparations (olive oil, cold pressed oils, omega-3 oils), and prepare healthy recipes with minimal preparations – this kind of diet is much simpler, more convenient, and definitely more nourishing. You won’t have the cravings for unhealthy food items, but you will have the health and wellness you desire!

8) Don’t forget the water. As foods are our builders, water is our pure and perfect cleanser. We need lots of it, especially with today’s foods as well as our environmental impurities. Most adults need a minimum of 3 quarts of water daily, and if you are live in a warm climate, work out, or are sick, nursing or overweight, that amount should increase another 1-3 quarts. Yes, we need the cleansing power of good pure water – not any other drink!

Our bodies do not need or want polluting and toxic foods or drinks. Our bodies want and need nutrition! Everything we take into our bodies should either NOURISH or CLEANSE. This is a much more simple way of eating, and a more sensible way too!