The Proven Secret to Eating Healthy, According to Author Michael Pollan

Discover the true path to health and wellness.

Shhh! Can you keep a secret? It’s a secret many people know and are reaping the full health benefits. Then, there are people who don’t know this secret and are suffering the consequences, because of their lack of knowledge.

The secret to eating healthy is quite simple, but elusive to many: Eat Real Food. That’s it! It’s not complicated. If we eat real food, we stand a better chance of living a healthy life, free of chronic diseases and illnesses.

But what defines real food? Sorry, but I don’t think fast foods qualify as real food. You may not agree, and that’s ok — I get it! Having followed this philosophy of eating real food for the past forty years, I can attest to the value and benefit for overall good health and well-being.

I’m a firm believer that the journey of good health starts with the foods we eat. We literally have the power to eat ourselves into good health.

In his book “In Defense of Food,” Michael Pollan defines real food as foods that our great grandmothers ate: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and meats. He cautions against our over-indulgence on edible food-like substances: processed and packaged foods. His philosophy to eating healthy is: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Here are Mr. Pollan’s 7 Rules for Eating:

1. Don’t eat foods your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. Avoid eating foods with 15 ingredients you can’t pronounce.
2. Shop the outer perimeter of the store, which is where real foods are located. Food-like substances are usually in the middle of the supermarket.
3. Don’t eat foods with more than 5 ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.
4. Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot, like Twinkies; not real food.
5. Never eat until you’re stuffed; leave the table a little hungry.
6. Enjoy meals with people you love.
7. Don’t buy food from the gas station.

Now, you know the proven secret to eating healthy! You’re welcome! Do you have any secrets to eating healthy?

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