It’s crazy that many of our diets these days are so void in real food that we are literally running on empty. Instead we are filling up on nutrient depleted, highly processed foods that are leaving us overweight, tired and unhealthy. Food manufacturers have tricked us into thinking that a low fat or sugar free stamp on a packet means that it is healthy and many ingredient lists are so long and full of chemical ingredients it’s frightening.
How about changing our focus to what IS IN a food rather that what it is free from? Instead of filling your supermarket trolley full of packets, jars and sachets, head to your local farmers market and stock up on real, whole foods, here’s why
(1) Real Food is delicious and simple
Fresh, seasonal produce is full of flavour and quick to prepare. It doesn’t need flavours, colours and other nasties added to it to please your palette because it tastes amazing on it’s own. Real, fresh food doesn’t require hours in the kitchen, it is best kept simple to let the star ingredients shine through.
How about a fruit salad made with seasonal fruit topped with some thick yoghurt or a free range egg omlette with fresh dill and goats cheese. For dinner a fillet of fresh fish pan fried with a squeeze on lemon and a sprinkling of dukkah with a tomatoe salad, picked fresh, chopped into a bowl with a splash of olive oil, balsamic and some torn basil! Or perhaps a roast chicken stuffed with lemon, thyme and garlic served with roasted root vegetables. Is your mouth watering yet? This is food the way nature intended.
(2) Real Food gives your body what it needs
Real food gives your body exactly what it needs to perform at an optimal level. As long as you don’t overeat, real food will have you feeling vibrant, healthy and light, rather than tired, sluggish and heavy. Real food is packed with micro nutrients, which are lacking in our highly processed western diets. These nutrients help our body run on all cylinders so you are able to live your life to the fullest.
Tired all the time? Bloated after meals? Moody and short tempered? Dry skin? Can’t lose weight? Always getting sick? These are just some of the signs that you are not getting the nourishment your body needs. Add more real food into your diet and see a healthier YOU appear in no time!
(3) Real Food is good for the planet
Real food comes straight from a plant or animal and has minimal processing which is good news for the planet. Shopping at your local farmers market means the food you buy is grown and raised locally so the carbon miles are low. It is likely you will have access to pasture raised meats at your local markets too, which are less carbon intensive (and healthier for you) as the animals are fed on their natural diet of grass rather than grain, which requires a lot of energy to produce.
Reducing your meat consumption, choosing organic, planting a veggie garden and only buying what you need to minimise food waste all go a long way to reducing your food carbon footprint too.
(4) Real Food Boosts your Mood
Our mood is dependant on many things and our gut microbiome is proving to be a huge factor in not just a happy mood but also in mental health conditions including anxiety and depression.
What exactly is our gut microbiome? It is the bacteria found in our gut and has an important role to play in many aspects of our health, our mood being one of them. Production of our all important, feel good neurotransmitters, such as seratonin and dopamine are dependant on a healthy gut microbiome. The good news is a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and salads provides the fibre that helps to ‘feed’ our healthy gut flora while the ‘not so real foods’ that are common place in our diets today such as sugar, processed cereals, artificial colours and additives are enemies to our healthy gut flora. Increase your real food intake for a healthier microbiome and happier moods, it’s a win-win!
(5) Real Food sets a good example to your children
We all want the very best for our children and the scariest part of being a parent is knowing that our children don’t learn by listening to what we say but learn by watching what we do! The best way to encourage your children to eat a healthy, varied, fresh food diet is to eat one yourself. Get the whole family onboard, throw out the processed breakfast cereals, snacks and drinks and replace them with fresh real food options so when hunger strikes the only choices will be healthy.
Want to know how you can incorporate more real food into your diet as a busy mum? I have put together a free 3 part masterclass where you can learn the 3 Essential Health Hacks for busy mums.
We cover
- How to eat more Real food when you are time poor
- The 3 food mistakes that are making you tired and
- My number 1 Real food secret to boost your health
You can sign up for the 3 part masterclass here .
Jessica Donovan is a woman’s holistic health expert who helps mums get their sparkle back and become a more energetic, calm and joyful version of themselves. She is a one stop shop for all things nutrition, stress and hormone related. Jessica combines her deep naturopathic knowledge with a realistic, empathetic, inspiring and down to earth approach to empower women to look after themselves and take charge of their own wellbeing.
You can find her online home Energetic Mama here.
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Laura Trotta is one of Australia’s leading home sustainability experts. She has a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering, a Masters of Science (in Environmental Chemistry) and spent 11 years working as an environmental professional before creating her first online eco business, Sustainababy, in 2009. She has won numerous regional and national awards for her fresh and inspiring take on living an ‘ecoceptional’ life (including most recently winning the Brand South Australia Flinders University Education Award (2015) for the north-west region in SA and silver in the Eco-friendly category of the 2015 Ausmumpreneur Awards). With a regular segment on ABC Radio and with her work featured in publications like Nurture Parenting and My Child Magazine, Laura is an eco thought leader who’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. A passionate believer in addressing the small things to achieve big change, and protecting the planet in practical ways, Laura lives with her husband and two sons in outback South Australia. 
