My Philosophy
When it comes to food, I’ve had a lifelong love-hate relationship. However, I’ve found the love, and it’s here to stay. Here’s my food philosophy:
- Eat to nourish your body. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat. Once your stomach is satisfied, stop. Learning to listen to your body and know what it needs takes time, so practice and it will become a habit.
- Eat nutritiously. This goes hand-in-hand with eating to nourish. Eat foods that are nutrient-dense and unprocessed, which brings me to #3.
- Eat whole foods. This means fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. No, Enriched, White, and anything you can’t pronounce should not be on your food labels nor on your ingredient list. Don’t know what it is? Wouldn’t sprinkle it on your popcorn? Don’t buy it.
- Have a balance. Too much of anything, good or bad, is not good for you. Yes, vegetables are amazing for you, but a diet of all veggies is not going to be good. Think of lunch and dinner like this: half veggies, one-quarter whole grains, and one-quarter legumes. For breakfast, be sure to have a whole grain, fruits and/or vegetables, a healthy fat, and a protein (nuts, nut butters, nut or bean or rice milks, tofu, and tempeh).
- Eliminate all processed sugars. That means you, Granulated White Sugar, and yes, you too, High Fructose Corn Syrup. These are just straight up bad for you and are converted immediately to fat by your body. There’s a world of natural, guilt-free sweeteners out there that will make your head explode. Stevia, agave nectar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and barley malt syrup are all great alternatives.
- Minimize salt intake. Sea Salt is a much healthier alternative to its iodized table-salt counterpart, but remember that a little goes a long way. Salt increases cravings and makes you bloat, and a pinch is usually enough. Learn to enjoy the taste of your food – not the taste of salt!
- Choose cruelty-free. This means organic and sans animal products. Why would you want something that got to your plate by way of an animal being poorly treated? And why would you ever want pesticides, growth hormones, or chemicals in your food (as well as in the environment, for that matter)? Exactly – you wouldn’t. So choose organic, whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Your body, the animals, and the environment will thank you.
- Enjoy your food. Yes, enjoy it! Enjoy the aroma, the texture, the taste, and the nourishment to your body. Take time to sit down and just eat. Have the experience of your food sans distractions and you’ll enjoy your food that much more. Also, many believe in chewing more (about 30-50 times per bite, but I often totally flunk the chewing thing), which aids in digestion and keeps the taste in your mouth longer. Try it out!
- Learn to cook. Put some time and effort into it, and you’ll reap the benefits. Not only is cooking one of the best ways to de-stress, you’ll be proud and have a big ol’ smile on your face when everyone gives you the thumbs up!
- Make your food beautiful. If it ain’t pretty, it usually tastes good anyway, but wouldn’t you love to eat something pretty? Put the effort into making your food beautiful, and you’ll enjoy it even more. Putting love into the food equals getting love out of the food. Pretty nice, huh?
So eat well, live well, and love well, children. My philosophy in a nutshell – embrace it.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
love this! especially #7
Thank you!
Hi girl I absolutely love your blog! This philosophy is how I strive to eat. Im working on eating intuitively more and this will definitely help to get me there! Really looking foward to reading! =)
Thank you!! I’m so glad you like it And I’m so glad that it’s helping you to reach your health goals! Thank you for reading
If only I’d been as wise about food at age 17 as you are Keep up the great work!
It means so much for you to say that! Thank you Nutrition is really my passion.
Just found your blog…love this page! You'll be seein me around
So glad! Looking forward to it
What a great philosophy! I haven't quite mastered everything on this page, but I'm working to move in that direction!
Any step towards a healthier life is a huge one – I'm so glad you're workin' towards 'em:)
How are you only 17 years old yet you have such a great understanding of health and compassion? Most adults don’t understand half of what you do. I am amazed that someone so young is already so evolved.
You have a lot to be proud of.
I love this page! I totally agree. Whole foods, cut out processed sugar, etc!
I love this! And I love your blog! Especially number 3. I'm all about only eating things that I know what they are – it makes food so much better!
Great philosophy–I can feel your energy just reading it.
Peace & Raw Health,
Elizabeth
Great philosophy – I'm working on incorporating each of those points into my own lifestyle.
Love your philosophy! Only thing I’m curious about is your position on sea salt vs. iodized salt. As someone who doesn’t eat meat more than a few times a year, I make a point to throw a pinch of iodized salt in my diet occasionally. My nutritional research has led me to believe that iodine is rarely found in great enough numbers in a naturally in a veggie diet. Does sea salt have naturally occurring iodine or do you get yours from other sources?
Just wondering
Okay, Katelyn, I’ve decided that we must be twins separated at birth or something because THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE MY FOOD PHILOSOPHY. AND your addictions are pretty much the same as mine. What. Is. My. Life.
Love your blog, girlie! =)
Love your philosophy – LOVE IT! Mine is quite similar
Love this page! Perfect advice IMO!
I just found your blog and am excited to start following for some dairy free inspiration.. I have fallen off the bandwagon! :-/
Yayyyay! I'm so glad you stumbled here
um love itttttttttt!!
What made you decide to no longer practice veganism? What influenced your decision? Do you think you are easily influenced by books/articles you read?
Whole foods, organic sources, selective choices……. being a selectarian is a choice we all have. Remember, life is a journey. Some journeys involve changes along the way.
"sea salt is much healthier for you than iodized table salt" …for many people table salt is their main source of iodine, which is important for normal cellular metabolism. If you don't eat seafood or dairy, and don't use any table salt, you might be out of luck there…
this is perfect, just perfect. i have trouble with the sugar part though
I love it. And doesn't it make you feel 100% better when you eat this way than when you don't? I have days when I don't have time to cook or I'm not home or for whatever reason I wind up eating a bunch of junk all day, and I can feel it. And I hate it.
I love your blog, and I can't wait to try some of your recipes! I'm always searching for new ones. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Katelyn! I’m very impressed with your level of maturity and wisdom when it comes to your philosophy on food and eating. Bravo!
Love all of these points! Great philosophy, my friend.
I love this Katelyn!! <3
Just found your blog & I love it! I totally, 100% agree to all of the above.
Keep on doing what you’re doing – you rock!
I LOVE your blog!! just added you to my favorites over on my blog enjoy the day girl!
Hey Katelyn!
Just curious if you were studying to be an RD/nutritionist or have any other kind of certification? Because you seem to have very strong opinions!
“Eliminate all processed sugars. That means you, Granulated White Sugar, and yes, you too, High Fructose Corn Syrup. These are just straight up bad for you and are converted immediately to fat by your body. There’s a world of natural, guilt-free sweeteners out there that will make your head explode. Stevia, agave nectar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and barley malt syrup are all great alternatives.”
Have you done a ton of research on these “healthy” sweeteners you’re advocating? You may want to. For example, to say that regular sugar is converted “immediately to fat” unfortunately isn’t entirely accurate – how your metabolism processes any nutrient depends on your needs at any given time. For example, just after exercise, your body is likely to use glucose consumed directly, and in the absence of a direct need, it’s more likely to be stored as glycogen by the liver. Only when glycogen stores are completely topped off will your body synthesize fats. Further, agave can be up to 90% fructose, significantly more than HFCS! And brown rice syrup actually has a higher glycemic index than regular table sugar. Just some stuff to think about!
Happy reading!
I’m not! Nope. Just my personal trial and error // Internet “research”. Thanks for your comment!
What made you change your philosophy about choosing cruelty free and animal free products?
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