Welcome to this post: So What am I Supposed to Eat.

When I’m asked for help in regards to nutrition and/or exercise, I have always feared sounding like a know-it-all. Being that way doesn’t feel natural to me. But I also get an overwhelming amount of questions like, “so, what am I supposed to eat?”
Speaking from experience and simply explaining how I do things feels incredibly natural, though. That slight changing of gears (in my mindset & approach) in helping others become the healthiest version of themselves has been huge.
Something I’ve witnessed with folks that are looking to become healthier, lose weight, regain vitality &/or boost energy is….

an overwhelming sense of paralysis due to fear & information overload in regards to food.

What’s good for you? What’s not? But, that website said I shouldn’t eat this? So, should I? Why am I breaking out? Is that my body detoxing? Why am I not losing weight? Do I need to go paleo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free blah, blah, blah, blah? Is low fat good? Or should I limit sugar? What about eating frequently throughout the day? Snacks? Eating late? How much protein do I need? Do I need to buy organic food? What’s the big deal about raw food?

Holy cow.

That’s what I mean. Can you say: Oh-ver-load!
Recent discussions in the food world, especially in healthy-minded communities have reached an all-time high–or at least it seems that way. Perhaps, I’m just more aware of it now because I am completely submerged in this world.
Like ANYTHING else in life. I find that the solution is simple & concise:

Ditch rules. Think: Eat to feel good.

Now, I get that many brains will completely come unwired to that idea. There has to be more to it, many must think. Well, I can break it down a little bit farther for those brains. Here are some things I keep in mind & how I would describe my daily eating choices (I feel the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life)…

How I do it:

-Loads of: plants, superfoods, alkaline-forming foods
-Look to healthy fats & protein for fuel (limit refined sugar–it’s more of a cheap thrill. Too much promotes internal acidity. FRUIT is not in this category. Eat your fruit!)
-When grocery shopping, think: organic, raw, fresh.
-Drink lots of water. Basically as much as you can stand. Water helps everything in your body operate more optimally.
-Appreciate food again. Get excited to eat GOOD FOR YOU food. Don’t rush everything. Savor the subtle flavors of everything.

You might be thinking….so what about the dietary restrictions?

I find that (life is like this, too) when I focus my energy on all of those good things going into my body, I don’t have room for the extra junk. Thus, foods like processed grains, dairy, junk food, soda, other miscellaneous garbage food don’t find their way into my daily nutrition often because there’s no room for them. Does that make sense?
It’s like overwhelming your body with “positive,” good foods (like you overwhelm your mind with postitive thoughts to stay happy), so much so, that you don’t leave any room for the negative stuff that sucks the life out of you. You see, it’s all connected. It’s not diet is one isolated aspect & mindset is another isolated aspect of you. The same mantras can & do apply to every facet of your well being. Just apply them and life just becomes easier. You become healthier. That fog lifts. You end up looking in the mirror one day and feeling like you are becoming little Jesica again. Young, spry, capable, healthful without a care in the world. Well, maybe that’s just me. But MAN, it’s an incredible feeling–hard to describe really. AND it all starts with how you fuel your body and your mentality going into it.