A New Year A New You!
JAMES COLQUHOUN
Food Matters Christmas Party - The Spirit House, QLD Australia
Together here the team at Food Matters wish you a healthy and happy New Year! From left to right it's me (James Colquhoun), Laurentine ten Bosch - Producer Director, Kari Taplin - Customer Support and Administration, Patrick Walsh - Graphic Design and Web Maintenance and Kali Gray - Newsletter Editor.
New Year's resolutions are not always easy and for many of us even lasting a week can be tough if these have been habits we have had for a long time. We have asked around the office and come up with 10 steps that we will be following this year. Steps that even a newbie or experienced gastronaught can apply and experience lasting results.
10 Ideas For A Healthy 2010:
Eat more in-season local organic foods
Big supermarkets supply foods which have been picked unripened, shipped thousands of kilometers and have often been sprayed with pesticides. Let’s say no to such foods which hook us on oil dependence and are no good for our health. Find a local farmers' market or organic supermarket in your community and vote with your shopping dollars by supporting them. The added benefit of eating in season means that you’ll also likely find that it’s cheaper!
Enjoy a salad with every meal
Not everyone wants to be a 100% raw foodist and honestly it’s not always the best option for everybody. We do know for a fact though that most of us are not eating enough raw foods and we must do something about it. The easiest way to start introducing more raw foods is to add a salad with every meal. And if you’re convinced that the salads you make are tasteless and devoid of flavor then you need to explore more raw food cooking techniques. Look for a class in your local area or you can check out an online cooking class.
Cut down on the 'black death'
Coffee, the kick start to most people’s day is unfortunately also a kick start to an over-acidic and over stimulated body ecology. This leads to weight gain, adrenal burnout and dependence! If you’re addicted to ‘black death’ then try a detox, push through the withdrawal headaches, drink lots of water and clear out your head. We are not caffeine stimulated beings, this is just a lie fed to us by Starbucks.
Drink more clean water
De-hydration is prolific in modern society causing headaches, weight gain and constipation. Start your day by drinking lots of clean water, at least 1 liter. I normally do this in the shower each morning! You’ll notice that you feel clearer, you’ll have far fewer problems going to the toilet and this extra hydration will assist in flushing out the toxins of our modern westernized society.
Cut down on the 'white death'
Weston A. Price had it figured out in the 1930’s. Processed and de-vitalized foods, in particular processed grain foods such as white bread and pastries, are detrimental to human health leading to weight gain, diabetes and other diseases of lifestyle. Make a commitment to cut down on these foods by eating more whole foods and sprouted grains. Start by replacing bread with wholegrain Gluten Free and Sprouted Bread options. The next step is moving towards raw flax crackers and other healthier options. Remember baby steps!
Get a juicer and get juicing!
Juicing is one of the most effective ways in getting the nutrients we need into the cells of our body as quickly and efficiently as possible. In essence our body is a giant juicer breaking down our foods into the smallest particle form and extracting the life giving juices from them and discarding the fiber. Vegetable juices are a fantastic way to start one's morning after some water! We love straight carrot juice through our cold pressed juicer, however when we have the time we also love the Turbo Charge Juice.
Try new foods once a week
Make it your little experiment to try something new and exciting each week. From grabbing a handful of mung beans and sprouting them in a jar to slicing a fennel bulb and adding in grapefruit and seeds for a salad. Hey, why not even buy a bunch of celery and your favorite nut butter and indulge. The point is that we often tend to eat the same things over and over again and hence get the same results over and over again. Step outside the box this year, get adventurous and surprise your taste buds! For healthy recipe ideas try our Detox & Rejuvenation Guide.
Eliminate deep fried fast foods
Deep fried fast foods are bad, we all know it so just give it up and stop eating them. They are addictive and cause weight gain, skin outbreaks and pimples. Yuck...
Supplement your diet
Not everyone is an angel when it comes to their food habits, and I’m the first to confess that being a human these days is not easy with the proliferation of junk food at our every beck and call. With all of these temptations it’s understandable that every now and then we might sneak a slice of vegetarian pizza in or even a handful of deep fried potato chips. These slips in our habits normally catch us when were out of our comfort zone, traveling, away from our familiar kitchen and on the run. Supplements are not to be seen as ‘covering’ you in these situations more that they are there as an insurance policy. Making sure that with a predominantly healthy diet you’ll be ensuring adequate intake of a healthy array of vitamins, minerals, essential fats and enzymes to ensure optimal health and immunity.
Be grateful and bless your food
Being grateful to the wonderful abundance nature provides us through food is an important part of every meal. Blessing one's food and thanking those who helped nurture the fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables from seed to plate is a way of acknowledging our interconnectedness with nature and the planet. A short pause and a silent 'Thank You' is a great place to start.
There you have it, 10 ideas for a healthy and abundant 2010! Please let us know if you have any other healthy lifestyle recommendations by adding them below using the comment form!
To an abundant, healthy and happy 2010! Thank you for all of your support.
James Colquhoun, Laurentine ten Bosch and the team at Food Matters.
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James Colquhoun is the filmmaker behind Food Matters, Hungry For Change, and Transcendence Seasons 1 & 2 and founder of Food Matters and FMTV. Along with Laurentine ten Bosch, James founded the Food Matters community following the release of the 2008 documentary, giving people the tools (films, books, articles, and guided programs) to take charge of their own health. From here, FMTV was born! It was designed as a place where you can access vital information by watching all of your favorite inspiring documentaries, expert interviews, & recipe videos in one place, and in early 2020 FMTV found it's new home on Gaia.