Everything you think you know about healthy eating is wrong and it's making you fat and tired.

Oh, my gosh – nutrition and diet info is everywhere!

And each expert and association tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you. Right?

Well, maybe…

Everyone has heard (and maybe lived through) the intense focus on how much you eat how many calories you should be eating. This has gotten way too much attention because while this does affect your weight and energy level, it's certainly not the “holy grail” of health. 

Let's focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.

What you eat and drink

The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (i.e. how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that are more important to focus on. Don't get me wrong, limiting calories, empty carbs and bad fats can certainly help you lose weight but that's definitely not the only factor for long-term weight loss and maximum energy for everyone. 

When the intense focus on how much we ate didn't work in the long-run it wasn’t really a surprise. We kinda knew that already, didn't we?

You can certainly still continue to count your calories, carbs, and fats but don't forget to also pay attention to what you eat. 

It’s far more effective to focus your energy and attention on quality and nutrient density of food! After all, it is our best medicine.

To keep it simple, you want to avoid toxic and processed and packaged foods as much as possible. This simple concept is paramount for weight loss, energy, and overall health and wellness-longevity.

Every day this is what is best to aim for in simplicity:

• A colorful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack. You need the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
• Enough protein. Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids (bonus: eating protein can increase your metabolism). You can get a ton of protein from plant foods like quinoa, nuts, seeds, sprouts, legumes, and even greens! For animal protein, organic pasture raised chicken and eggs, wild caught fish, and grass fed, pasture raised beef.
• Healthy fats and oils (never “hydrogenated” ones). There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” - you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads. Use extra virgin olive oil (raw), coconut oil & coconut milk, omega 3 fatty acid rich food like chia, flax & hemp seeds, and avocados. You don't need to overdo it here. Just make sure you're getting some high-quality fats.

How you eat and drink

Also, pay attention to how you eat and drink.

Studies are definitely showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.

Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?

When it comes to how you eat let's first look at “mindful eating”.

Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savor every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste, and texture. Breathe.

This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.

This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?

Thought so!

We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.

And don't forget about drinking your food. 

Yes, smoothies can be healthy and a fabulously easy and tasty way to get in a TON of nutrients from veggies (hello leafy greens!), superfoods, good proteins and fats and can be your breakfast on the fly!

If your smoothies don't fill you up like a full meal does, it may be missing something. If your smoothie is primarily fruit and sugar you may be setting yourself on an insulin spin out and hungry soon after.

Ideally, you want your smoothie to have fats, fiber, and protein and loaded with nutrients and antioxidants!

Read more and find a smoothie recipe HERE!