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Jordan Adams has a doctorate in physical therapy and is dedicated to helping his patients achieve pain-free, active lives. This often includes giving them advice on how to improve their diets to ensure their bodies are healthy. He explains what happens when your body tries to digest artificial and processed foods, and provides tips for healthier eating.
Chances are you’ve heard the saying “you are what you eat,” but what does it really mean? The phrase is meant to express the idea that your body is made up of whatever you put into it—so if you consume unhealthy foods, your body will be unhealthy as well.
Eating a diet made up of balanced, nutritious foods not only makes you healthier, it also makes you happier and more energetic than you feel after eating processed and artificial foods. Why? Every time you ingest food or beverages, your body essentially makes a choice on how to process these items. They can be absorbed and used for energy, or discarded as waste. However, there is also a third option—your body does not know how to use what it’s been given, so these items are ‘saved for later’ in the form of fat. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens when you eat or drink items that contain many synthetic or artificial ingredients. Your body almost always converts these materials to fat for storage, and they usually stay there.
Fortunately, you can take a few easy steps towards changing what you eat, and become healthier along the way.
- Read the labels
If you can’t pronounce most of the ingredients that are listed on a specific item’s label, chances are the item is not very healthy. Your body will be unable to decide how to digest it, and it will be stored as fat.
- Eliminate processed food
Any food that is not going to expire for multiple years is probably not something you want to put in your body. Stick with fresh fruits and vegetables, which are made up of nutrients that your body can use as fuel and that put you on the right track to a healthier lifestyle.
Unhealthy eating can be a difficult cycle to break because our bodies will crave items that we are used to eating and that we associate with making us happy. If you decide to make changes to your diet, start by using the numerous online sources including Pinterest pages, blogs, and websites that are devoted to helping people make changes and become healthier eaters. My advice is to start by making small changes to your diet, and look for recipes that use 5 ingredients or less in order to complete a meal. This is a great way to create simple, hearty, and healthy meals that will propel you towards a healthier lifestyle.
While you are making changes to your diet, the importance of paying attention to whatever you are drinking cannot be overstated! Most popular sports drinks marketed as great for hydration are actually filled with a ton of sugary ingredients, and the harmful effects of sugar and chemicals in sodas are well documented. Nothing beats a tall glass of water to help you hydrate and maximize energy. Try drinking a glass of water immediately upon waking up to jump start your metabolism, and keep a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day to help track your water intake.
Achieving a healthier diet can be difficult, but the positive effects it will have on your energy level, happiness, and overall well-being will make the journey well worth it. For more questions about making healthy lifestyle choices, contact your local AZ physical therapy clinic today.
