Life is complicated enough right, so simply by focusing on avoiding highly processed foods is key to health improvements. It is a safe bet that foods containing 4 or more ingredients or products labels it as highly processed. So, by avoiding these foods not only improves your health but also removes the confusion around smarter choices in your diet diet.

Often it is the smarter swaps that can allow us to make change but still enjoy the foods we love.

Building a healthy lifestyle and cooking meals at home can be the start for you in making smarter lifestyle changes.

Planning and preparation can assist great, such a bulk cooking meals and freezing them for in the week. This really does help you after a stressful day at work and with a hungry house to feed.

Create that habit and discourage the overuse of prepacked foods, foods where the volume of ingredients does not give us that nutritional return.

Reduce the volume of those quick and easy foods that contain four of more ingredients and products. Yes, once in a while is ok, but these food choices should not be making up the majority of meals for you and your family.

These products in itself often come with higher levels of salt, sugar and fats and so as the swaps are made, we can increase fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants providing dense nutritional value to the body and mind.

So be bold, be brave and create a plate full of vibrant colours, fuel the body with that diverse range of nutrients it needs and see how much of a positive impact this will have on how you feel.

Food for Thought

The simple act of focusing on the quality of the food you eat, such as making wholesome choices can have a huge impact on both physical and emotional health.

So often taking the time to consider how the body responds to the dense nutrients the body needs allow us to flourish and thrive.

Volume of food is not the answer and neither is just counting the calories.

An avocado contains more than double the calories of a can of coke, do they have the same affect on the body, one certain contains more ingredients than the other.

Get Creative in the Kitchen

Getting the whole family involved in the cooking process can be a great way to help learn that new kitchen skill.

What a great habit this new skill can be, still enjoying that pizza on friday night but done so in a way that we are not missing out on those family nights in.

Cooking from scratch allows you to recognise the importance of food quality and making wholesome choices. These little changes in your dietary habits and improve mindset and approach on why making such healthy choices can support your overall health and wellbeing.

The value to the body and mind from eating whole food ingredients is well documented. Even reducing ingredients such as sugar can make a marked impact, in fact we become more enrgised, focused and inspired to improve other areas of our health.

The food first approach is the best way to start unprocessing your diet.