Food.

Organic, whole foods are grown free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other harmful chemicals. They contain more vitamins, minerals and enzymes compared to non-organic food. Organic foods are working for your body as fuel, whereas the chemicals found in commercial produce force your body to work overtime to eliminate them from your system. Most ingredients used by big food corporations are quite literally poison for the body and are actually banned in most countries outside the states. These companies have a tendency to cut corners and make food with high amounts of chemicals and low amounts of real ingredients in order to lower the cost of production. They are unfortunately more worried about their bottom line than our health. A good rule of thumb is eating food that lived in good conditions while alive. If you eat or drink products from animals that lived in stressful conditions and ate poorly, you’re essentially consuming the stress that animal experienced. Consider choosing red meat/dairy that is 100% grass fed/grass finished. Other proteins should be organic and/or pasture raised or free range, and not fed GMO feed. Fish should always be wild caught rather than farm raised. Also consider that buying from local growers and farmers (farmer’s markets) is going to be a lot better quality than what you find at 99% of grocery stores.

There’s a common debate about “which water is the best”, but in my opinion you want to drink water from the earth in its most natural state, which is natural spring water. Overly purified water gets filtered so much that many of the beneficial minerals get removed in the process. Tap water is filled with thousands of harmful chemicals and heavy metals. Water is supposed to help detoxify our body, while tap water actually contributes more toxicity. We are already are getting enough toxins from the water coming from our sinks and showers (consider investing in a sink and shower filters), so it is important we drink water that is detoxifying and hydrating us. From my experience, the best option is finding the closest natural spring to you, the quality is better than store bought water and is usually cheaper per gallon. Findaspring.org is a great resource. Some of the best spring water you can find in stores are Acqua Panna, Cascade Mountain, Icelandic Glacial, Eternal, Proud Source, and Trader Joe’s Spring Water. Also consider pairing your water with a good salt in the morning (and after exercise) greatly aids hydration, and getting your water (glass container) in sunlight helps structure the waters molecules which supercharges it with energy. I’d suggest drinking about half your body weight in ounces daily.

Organic coconut water is also a great alternative to sugary sports drinks. It is packed with potassium, electrolytes, and other nutrients, which supports hydration without added sugars. Coconut water also contains antioxidants that combat oxidative stress, potentially promoting heart health and aiding digestion. Another cool thing about coconut water is that because of its high amounts of potassium, when mixed with a quality Vitamin C at 1-2pm, can produce collagen within our bodies naturally.

A quick note on gut health as it is very important for our overall well-being. Our gut influences digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, regulates metabolism, protects against pathogens, and is even connected to skin health. Up to 80% of the body’s immune cells are located in the gut, so gut dysfunction can lead to many diseases. Poor diet and nutrition significantly impacts gut health. A diet heavy on processed foods, refined sugars/flours, seed oils, and alcohol can disrupt the balance of gut microbiota. For example, fast food, white bread, sports drinks, energy drinks, cereal, pastries, cookies, candy, canola oil, cottonseed oil, and pretty much any alcoholic beverage is harmful for the gut. This isn’t to say that you have to be “perfect” but I’d offer that finding a good balance would greatly benefit your gut health and health in general. Consuming things like bone broth, kombucha, fermented foods, quality fats and proteins all promote gut health. Finally, stress and the use of antibiotics are terrible for your gut. Managing your stress levels are important as chronic stress can lead to intestinal issues. And avoid pharmaceuticals at all costs as they kill beneficial gut bacteria.

If you’d like to get in even greater detail on your own relationship with food, you are invited to schedule an appointment to see if I can be of assistance.