How Do I Eat "Healthy?"

Do you often wonder what are the best, healthiest foods to eat? Given the media continually bombards you with misinformation, it's no wonder there is confusion! When you think about it, the difficulty in isolating nutrients and studying them in people is nearly impossible given the numerous variables. The science behind many claims is weak at best and often based on little or no scientific evidence. So what is the answer? It is SIMPLE. That is, keep it simple: EAT REAL FOODS.

People ask me how many days should I exercise per week. I ask them how many days do they eat per week? Simple isn't it, energy in, energy out.

It is simple to eat healthy as well, simply eat real food. This means limiting processed foods in your diet and eating foods which come without labels. Take a minute and look at the processed foods you have in your cabinets. Read the ingredient labels. Do you know what the ingredients are? Can you even pronounce them? My advice is to eat as little processed foods as possible and eat more real foods, foods without labels and unidentifiable ingredients. If you do have favorite processed foods, be sure to pick the brand with the shortest list of ingredients. For instance, you can buy tortilla chips with an ingredient list a mile long or buy a brand with 4-5 ingredients.

Real health comes from real food and real food usually does not come from a box or package. Fresh foods have more vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals than processed foods. Join the "slow food movement" and buy real food which is plentiful at our farmers' market.

Lisa Browning, RD, LDN

Barrington Farmers Market

Market Manager