My number one tip for eating healthy would be to substitute one processed meal either breakfast, lunch or dinner for a raw food meal. Take my lunch here for instance, it’s a bowl of organic, raw vegetables, and fruits. It has vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

Eating processed foods can decrease your body’s ability to function efficiently. According to Dr. Campbell, (author of The China Study), a diet that consist of processed foods are suggested to be related to the development of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, aging, shorter lifespan, psycho-behavioral conditions, cancer and many more illnesses. Processed foods like refined sugars, white flour, processed meats, packaged foods, flavored noodle mixes, packaged mac and cheese, soda and other processed foods are notorious for containing questionable levels of phosphate-laden ingredients as well as genetically engineered ingredients, which are destructive to your health.

According to the American Heart Association, we down about 22 teaspoons of sugar a day; that’s why diabetes and obesity are high amongst American’s.

I recommend eating a diet that consist of mostly plant-based with whole grains, nuts and fruits. These foods are rich in fiber, omega-3’s, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and so much more vital nutrients our body needs to be healthy. After changing my diet, I can honestly say, I feel wonderful. The biggest change was my energy level especially, after eating my meals. I didn’t feel bloated, lethargic, or groggy. Instead, I felt refueled and ready to tackle the rest of my day.

The main idea is to stay away from anything unnatural or processed. I think by adding a raw meal into your daily diet will help to propel you to make wiser choices. By doing so, you’ll have more energy, and the most important one of all, your body is getting the proper nutrients it needs.

If you can, stick to organic foods. Since organic standards ban the use of artificial food dyes, genetically engineered foods, and additives it’s safer. Now I don’t buy everything organic. I definitely follow the, Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen list. According to their website, the Dirty Dozen generally have the most pesticide residues when grown conventionally because they’re more prone to pesky bugs. I also shop at my local farmers market.

The EWG also recommends peeling fruits and vegetables or removing outer layers of leafy greens. That is also a great way to cut back on pesticide intake. That said, certain fruits and veggies might be more important to buy organic than others.

Be selective and do your research.