Food is one of the greatest pleasures of humankind. We spend more time thinking about food than most any other subject. In this day and age, food of many different kinds, from many different cultures is readily available to us. We can decide to eat Chinese or African cuisine one night and then Latin American cuisine the very next.

The choices we make about the foods we eat affect our lives a great deal more than with just the pleasure of eating. Our health depends a great deal on our choices of food. If we are inclined to eat a lot of fatty foods, high in calories, we will be significantly more apt to be over weight. In fact, obesity is a rising concern in many parts of the World.

Some foods that are available to us are more than just fatty. Some are actually laced with poison. Preservatives in our foods are a growing concern in pre-packaged food. Many people have begun to believe that preservatives are a major cause of disease, especially cancer. Our vegetables are sprayed with insecticides; our water has chlorine and flouride in it; our meat, poultry and fish are ‘enhanced‘ with things like anti-biotics and hormones. Milk produced by cows injected with the Bovine Growth Hormone ( rBGH) has been proven to have adverse effects on the human body.

‘Natural’ food is near non-existant in the industrialized nations of the World. We live fast paced lives and do not have time to spend growing, buying and cooking food. The result is often, fast food restaurants, pre-packaged, processed foods and sometimes vitamin supplements.

How can we live in the fast paced societies that we live in and still find ways to eat healthy? How can we retrain our taste palletes to appreciate natural foods. With a little innovation training you can come up with ways to maintain your life and still eat healthy yet tasty food. For one thing, try to start thinking ‘outside the box’. For example, everybody knows that cereal is to be eaten for breakfast and ‘beef is what’s for dinner’. No rules exist that make this mandatory.

Start to look for natural foods that you like. During a meal, simply ask yourself what dishes you like more than others. You may be surprised to find that you do like healthy foods. Try to single out foods that are healthy and make a list of them.

What are the healthy foods? Well, try to stay away from synthetic foods, processed foods and anything that has gone through too much alteration by man. For example, sugar is not unhealthy for you, processed sugar is. If you can get used to natural, unprocessed sugar you’re ahead of the game.

Natural meats are good for you. Try to stay away from meat produced from animals that have been pumped full of anti-biotics and hormones. Try to find meat that comes from animals in natural environments. For example, chickens that live 3 to a cage, where the cage is so small that one chicken must reside on top of the other two is not only cruel, it can’t be healthy.

Grains are healthy food. That means bread and cereal predominantly for most of us. Try to find foods high in whole grains with no preservatives. Look for breads where the flour has not been ‘processed’, especially bleached. White bread is usually bleached and largely devoid of anything healthy, yet rich in preservatives.

Beans, beans, beans. Yes we all know the stories about beans but the truth is, beans are very good for you. Lima beans, black beans, kidney beans – cooked slow over a fire pit; they’re all good for you and they, like most other genuinely healthy foods, put very little strain on your organs, namely your liver.

Healthy pastas are becoming more and more popular. You can usually find whole grain pastas at your grocer. You may have to expend some effort to get used to the stronger taste than the tastless, bland pasta you might be used to.

Dairy products are generally good for you but again, the less ‘processed’ it is, the better. For instance, milk that is not pasteurized is better for you. Of course you need to take care to make absolutely sure it is fresh and from a well known source. Cheese and butter are good for you. Natural fat is not a bad thing. Saturated fat and trans fat, processed by man is bad. Also, too much of anything is generally bad for you.

Fruits and vegetables are very good for you if left in their natural state. If you buy canned goods, again, try to watch out for preservatives. Monosodium Glutimate in particular has gained a really nasty reputation over the years.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are better but most have been ‘enhanced’ one way or another and lack the nutrients they would normally have. Most are also sprayed with chemicals to ward off insects, diseases and other assailants to plant life. Organically grown fruits and vegetables generally cost significantly more but they are grown in a natural state. Natural entities are used to ward off assailants instead of poisons. For example, lady bugs are well known for eating aphids (which destroy plants).

If you stock your pantry and freezer with the right ingredients you can find ways to eat healthy without having to cook large elaborate meals. For example, a nice grain cereal with natural sugar or honey can be served with milk in a matter of one or two minutes. Cereal tastes good and it’s great for you. You literally have no need to prepare an apple to be eaten. At most, you might skin it and cut it up.

A crock pot can do wonders to help you eat healthy without spending too much time in the kitchen. Just slice up some fresh potatoes, carrots, beans and whatever you like, even molasses if it pleases you, then throw in a small portion of beef or pork or chicken and let it simmer all day while you go through your daily routine. When you’re ready to eat, your tasty and very healthy meal will be waitiing for you.

Eating healthy does not have to compromise your life. Just start to rethink food and commit to not letting yourself stay squeezed into the ‘meal box’ we have all grown so accustomed to. You don’t have to eat ‘three meals’ a day, you do not have to cook a big dinner and in fact, if you eat small portions throughout the day (which most of us would prefer anyway) it is more healthy.

Determine what foods you and your family like that are healthy. Innovate, think of ways to feed yourself and your family that are not intrusive to your lifestyles but that are healthy. Will you have to change your habits? You bet. Do the same old thing and you’ll continue to get the same old results. Change the parts of your life that you need to. Your mind and your body will feel much better. You may surprise yourself by learning that you enjoy your food more as well.