Eat Real Food

Real food is what we are meant to be eating. The majority of ‘foods’ that stock grocery store shelves are actually ‘food-like’ substances that mimic closer to a drug than to real food. One easy guideline to remember is that real foods tend to not come in a package. Go for fresh fruits and vegetables in place of packaged, processed foods, whenever possible.

Stop Dieting

This is a lifestyle approach, not a diet. Diets don’t work – plain and simple. Research consistently show’s that 95% of all people regain their lost weight in 1-3 years. This is not about a two-week hiatus to loose as much weight as possible; it’s about adopting a healthier lifestyle (the up-spiral lifestyle) so you can truly enjoy the precious days of your life and experience a deep sense of happiness.

Live An Up-Spiral Lifestyle

Once you get the ball rolling it will only get easier and easier to choose healthier choices. Living a healthy lifestyle is not just about what you should or shouldn’t eat – that’s only one small aspect of healthy living! When you incorporate the other principles that we advocate here at happy & raw, like effectively managing stress, getting better quality sleep and more exercise, you’ll start to feel better and this good feeling will continue to fuel your other efforts and motivate you to eat better as well – the up-spiral lifestyle!

Drop the Food Struggle

Food is meant to bring us great pleasure in our lives, not be the source of so much pain for so many people. Many people constantly obsess and think about food all day long. With a shift in perception you can free yourself from the internal struggle with food and body weight and see food as the miracle that it is – life force potential sustaining your very existence.

Eat Mindfully

There are many subtle triggers encouraging overconsumption for food that most people are not aware of. These countless triggers fly below the conscious radar and can prompt you to eat hundreds of calories more; calories that your body is not asking for and doesn’t need. Incorporating mindful eating techniques can shine the light of awareness on these triggers and allow you to develop mindful habits around food and prevent you from mindless eating.

Incorporate Joyful Activity in Your Life

No need to have a gym pass to get exercise, incorporate movement into the foundation of your daily life. Instead of driving, try walking or ride your bike. Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, take the stairs. Go outside and play with your children or get in the garden and move your body whilst growing your own food. There are countless ways to incorporate activity into your lifestyle and this will up-spiral you to continue to eat better and make overall better choices for your health.