The Top 5 Ingredients in Healthy Eating Plans

We all kind of know what is needed to devise healthy eating plans.  Still, when faced with the abundant selection available at most modern supermarkets, our good intentions fly out the window and we end up with carts filled with cookies, soda and chips.  None of which will do you any good if you want to eat well.

Fighting temptation gets easier once you stay on a healthy plan for a while.  You see how much better you feel and your body adapts to crave the junk food less.  There are certain ingredients that you should have in your home at all times.  Let’s look at the top five.

1. Leafy greens – I know that you have seen the milk industry’s commercials for years about how you should get your calcium from milk, and yes, it is a source.  A better source, believe it or not, is leafy green veggies.  Calcium is more easily accessible when it comes from a plant source.  Stock up on things like kale, broccoli, bok choi, mustard and collard greens and others.  You get a fiber boost at the same time.

2. Raw Nut products – Raw nuts and nut butters of every kind provide a protein punch, some heart healthy fats and fiber.  They keep you feeling full for hours and are great for you to pack along when you are out and about.  Tossed on salads, eaten out of hand and enjoyed on top of other items, they add great crunch and flavor.

3. Proteins – Every meal should contain some protein.  That doesn’t mean you have to pack in pounds of protein daily–not at all.  You should be looking at a few ounces at each meal, though.  Get your protein from organic whole eggs, grass fed meats, wild caught fish and organic poultry.  Dairy products, which should only be consumed raw, are not a source of protein – they are essentially a garnish.

4. Water – People rarely drink enough water each day.  One estimate suggests that you should take your weight and multiply it by 2/3.  That, in ounces, is how much water you should be drinking, daily.

Every cell in your body needs plenty of water to function properly.  Your body is comprised primarily of water.  If you want, make a large pitcher of herbal tea and keep it in the fridge to supplement your water intake.  Stay away from juices, milk, coffee (barring one cup of black coffee a day), soda or — heaven forbid!– any of those artificially sweetened concoctions that are awful for you nutritionally.

5. The right oils – There are only two oils you should consume, olive oil and coconut oil.  Olive oil has all the publicity it can handle, but coconut oil has a bad reputation, and it is unjustified.

High in lauric acid, coconut oil helps fight both viral and bacterial infections.  It has medium length fatty chains that help the liver function optimally and the fat is converted directly into energy – not fat.  Use coconut oil for frying and high temperature usage, use the olive oil for everything else, including baking.