Is your New Year’s celebration already underway?

Are you indulging one more time before your New Year’s resolution kicks in when you wake up in the morning?

Yes, tomorrow will be the start of new routines for millions of people all across the country.  That also means all kinds of new diets.  And deprivation.  It may mean counting calories, skipping breakfast, or limiting carbs.  It may mean focusing on only one type of food or eliminating entire food categories altogether.  We are always sad when people deprive themselves of great-tasting and highly nutritious REAL food in a quick attempt to drop a few pounds.  These “diets” typically don’t last long and leave people worse-off than when they started.

If you are looking to add something new this year, consider committing to one thing and add more REAL FOOD to your routine.  Try to make it something specific instead of a general statement like, “I will eat more fruits and vegetables.”

Your one thing might be:

• Eat a dark leafy green salad with a homemade dressing at least 5 days/week.
• Roast a variety of vegetables at least 3 days/week.
• Plan ahead for breakfast and prepare items like overnight oats, mini-frittatas, or baked oatmeal cups to have on hand all week long.

If you, or someone you love, are thinking, “this is the year I am going to focus on eating more REAL FOOD,” it may be helpful to take just a minute to go back to basics.  Let’s revisit what exactly is REAL FOOD.

Here’s the reality.  Most of what America eats is NOT REAL FOOD.  The majority of what our country eats is ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are made using industrial processes and long ingredient lists including flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners and other substances.  This includes fast food, soft drinks, packaged snacks, chips, candy, cookies, cereals, breads, sauces, dressings and so much more.  In the U.S., ultra-processed foods make up…

• more than 60% of calories consumed
• 67% of calories consumed by children
• 73% of calories on grocery store shelves

What exactly is FOOD?

The definition of FOOD is “a nutritious substance that maintains life and growth and nourishes, sustains, and supplies.”

UPFs like cheese puffs, soda, Doritos, Skittles, Lucky Charms, Oreos, frozen waffles (just to name a few) do NOT maintain life and growth.  Just the opposite, they actually harm us.

Interestingly, a lawsuit was filed this month against 11 UPF manufacturers alleging their products and their intentional marketing are making people sick.  If you are interested in reading the lawsuit, you can find it here (warning: it is 148 pages).

Because these edible food-like substances – that aren’t really FOOD – are so prevalent, that’s why we try to inspire everyone to find the joy and health and vitality that comes from REAL FOOD!  Foods filled with nutrients that DO maintain life and growth.

Since giving a list of REAL FOODs is virtually impossible (there are so many of them), we like to provide some “guardrails” that seem to be helpful:

1. It is REAL FOOD if it…

• Grows from the ground
• Grows on a tree
• Grazes on the prairie
• Swims in the ocean

…food that is alive and will eventually rot or go bad.

2. Did it come from a farm or from a factory?

• Apples clearly came from a farm.  Apple Jacks?  From a factory.
• Corn comes from a farm.  Doritos and Cheese Puffs?  Of course, from a factory.
• Oats?  From a farm.  Oatmeal Cream Pies?  They don’t grow from trees!
• Strawberries come from a farm.  Strawberry Fruit Snacks?  Factory.

3. Did God make it?  Did nature make it?  Or did man make it?

• Avocados = God (or nature).  Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing = man.
• Blueberries = God (or nature).  Blueberry GO GURT = man.
• Carrots = God (or nature).  Carrot cake = man.
• Potatoes = God (or nature).  French fries = man.

Obviously, there are variations to this.  For example, peaches come from the farm, but canned peaches come from a factory.  In this coaching tip, we provide the four categories of processing from the NOVA food classification system if you are interested.  The key is to focus on being as close to the farm is possible.  Fresh (when in season) and frozen (when not in season) will always be best.  Canned peaches move a little further from the farm, especially depending on the ingredients.  And then the frozen Lattice Peach Pie clearly moves off the REAL FOOD spectrum.

Why is REAL FOOD so important?

Every single bite you take is either providing nutrition, life and growth – or not.  The foods you eat are the building blocks for your cells that determine the functioning of your hormones, your brain, your microbiome, your metabolism, and your mood.  They can either support high functioning, health and vitality or – especially with UPFs – they can create havoc, which can lead to all kinds of health issues that are so prevalent today.

SO FAST!

When you shift to REAL FOOD as the predominant part of your diet, you are literally days away from seeing changes.  We have seen it time and time again – people noticing changes in as little as one to two weeks.  Energy, brain fog, digestion, sleep, hormonal issues, mood.  And more!

One thing to be aware of.  If you haven’t been eating a lot of high-fiber foods like vegetables and beans, you may notice some brief changes in your digestion.  It is crucial to hang in there because this is your gut microbiome retraining itself.  If you want to read more about this, you can read our coaching tip or check out the book Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz.  This book provides a fascinating look at the critical role of a diverse, plant-forward diet in cultivating a healthy microbiome.  I often have a hard time getting through books written by doctors, but I couldn’t put this one down.

As we enter 2025, this is a great time to step back and assess how much of your food choices are REAL FOOD. We will continue to provide inspiration and support to help you achieve your best health and vitality.

Happy New Year!  

Remember…keep it simple and EAT REAL!