Food is Food…Right?
Different Kinds of Food
Food is food to some, but to the body there is a BIG difference between “food” and “Super Foods”. The majority of foods people consume today are high in calories, preservatives, colorings, sodium, additives and low or devoid of nutrition.
Addictions
They do NOTHING for your body except keep you ADDICTED to the sugar and salt which in turn makes it feel impossible to get off the “junk” and onto the whole foods. Did you know that MSG is just as addictive as nicotine? It is literally a CHEMICAL addiction! No wonder you CRAVE those boxes and bags of foods while the fruits and vegetables rot away in your refrigerator!
Processed Foods
These processed foods (especially the low or no calorie ones) are creating incredible toxicity in our bodies that leads to people walking around like zombies: lethargic, tired, unstable, depressed and waiting for the next gorge fest. No wonder we have millions of people fighting the scale and popping pills to get through their life!
Super Foods ARE Whole Foods
Whole Foods
Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. So when you compare a pastry or bowl of cereal to whole oats with blueberries, you can see that according to the definition, whole oats and blueberries would be the Super foods in this equation.
Great Taste Good Food
The Healthy Edge supports you in adding whole foods into your daily lifestyle and healthy diet recipe list without sacrificing taste. There are over 100 Healthy Edge approved healthy diet recipes included in the online program that incorporate these whole foods into incredible works of culinary art you and your family will LOVE!
Easy Ideas
You are also provided with simple and easy ideas that require virtually no prep time for those of you dealing with a very fast paced lifestyle. For those of you who love structure, the 14 Day Meal Plan and Sample Day Eating Guide will provide the support and variety to get through the beginning of your Healthy Edge journey. Soon, you will discover what works for you and your family and you will have the knowledge to begin formulating your own Healthy Edge creations and dieting recipes!
Processed Foods
Benefits of Super Foods
What Super Foods offer are nutrition, fiber, water and other essential nutrients that nourish the body which are lost in the processing of foods. Drinking 3 glasses of apple juice is a typical daily habit for a 3 or 4 year old, but eating 6-10 apples would not be. What about eating a bag of chips compared to eating 40 slices of cucumber?
Food Reactions
The body reacts differently to processed foods versus whole foods. You can eat processed foods (and never feel full) because the body is not receiving any nutrition. So instead of eating and stopping when you are satisfied, you eat until you are STUFFED and EMOTIONALLY satisfied.
- So why do you feel hungry when you start to eat whole foods?
- Why do you not feel satisfied?
You are ADDICTED to the processed foods and you are looking for the “stuffed” feeling, not the satisfied feeling. Your body is going to need time to detoxify and get re-programmed after years of abuse of processed foods.
Seminar #1
The Healthy Edge discusses a five day program that can support people in overcoming carbohydrate/processed food addiction. This is a very real issue for people who want to adopt a healthy lifestyle but find themselves trapped in their cravings. We address this issue in the first week of the program so you can get on track fast.
Different Kind of Program
This is something many programs do not address or the program includes highly processed foods that lead to further addictions and health problems! There is a way for you to break this cycle forever. We can’t wait to share this gift with you!
Super Foods and The Healthy Edge
Your Lifestyle
We realize that some processed foods are going to be present in your lifestyle. These may include products such as breads, wraps, cereals, cheese, crackers and pastas. There are healthy versions of these products that you will be able to choose after completing The Healthy Edge online program.
Other Foods
The recommendation of 6 or more whole foods a day does not take into account the other foods that may be processed such as a sprouted whole grain piece of bread or organic feta cheese (with no preservatives).
Even though the “bread” or “feta cheese” does not count as a super food, it does not mean that it is not an excellent choice for your health. The Healthy Edge gives you incredible guidelines for purchasing these types of products and they can absolutely enhance your health and weight release when included in the healthy diet recipe of your choice.
We DO NOT promote that these foods are unacceptable, we simply do not count them towards the 6 or more super foods for the day. This may ease some of your minds about feeling restrictive or that this lifestyle is only whole food based. The Healthy Edge gradually moves you towards more whole foods by providing variety on how you get those whole foods and mixing them with other foods you love.
Meal Replacements
Low-glycemic meal replacement shakes and snack bars can be included in your 6 or more whole foods a day. Some people require a quick and convenient option for diet recipes if they are struggling with time management, especially at the beginning of the program.
The Healthy Edge dieting recipes do not endorse any particular company or product but does have very strict standards for choosing these products. Although these products are processed, they provide an option for quality carbohydrates, fats and proteins and contain enough calories to fully replace a meal or snack without spiking your blood sugar.
Be sure to carefully follow the standards outlined in The Healthy Edge program.
Dairy Products
We also include a few products such as cottage cheese and yogurt, which if purchased properly can be counted as a Super Food. We will lay out the standards of how to purchase these products by avoiding unnecessarily additives, preservatives and added sugar.
Does it fall into one of these categories?
Fruit, vegetable, bean, nut, meat, egg, or whole grain
Does it come in a package?
If so, does it have more than 1 ingredient?
By asking yourself these questions, you can see how a bagel with cream cheese is not a Super Food, but oatmeal with fruit is. The goal of The Healthy Edge is 6 or more Super Foods a day and for advanced Healthy Edgers, 10 or more a day.
The lifestyle logs provide an extensive list of approved Super Foods and The Healthy Edge recipes provide a way for you to cook with whole foods and create meals you and your family will love!
Although there are foods like sprouted whole grain bread which is a better choice than white bread, you would not count this as a Super Food towards your 6 a day. It does not mean you will not eat these; you will simply eat them with the whole foods.
