By Jon Yaneff — healthy and conscious lifestyle writer at WellBeing Stadium — www.wellbeingstadium.com

When I discovered that what I fed my body was the foundation for not just my body, but my mind, heart and soul; that changed everything!

The palette is just not in the creation, but the true art is with the healing power of food that captures the long-term moment.

Health is more than what happens to us — such as the medicine some might take to rid themselves of a cold or illness. Health is happening to us always, and nurturing our bodies with fresh foods from nature, allows us to live naturally. I now live with food as my medicine. Food creates a masterpiece in my stomach.

Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine by Elson M. Haas, MD (with Buck Levin, PhD, RD) states the following: “Whole foods, unprocessed and without chemical additives, as Nature itself presents them to lucky us, are again becoming the mainstay.”

Let’s hope so. When a person’s perception of What Food Is changes, so begins the discovery of health and happiness. Here are a few things I’ve learned on my journey about What Food Is: 

  • Real Food: Today’s nature is continually polluted, which means ‘real’ food isn’t the same as it was 30 years ago. But, eating more meals with foods from nature, such as fruits, vegetables or some grains such as rice or quinoa, will increase your energy in the short term and your vitality in the long term. Having more foods from nature rather than processed and with chemicals
  • Where to get it: when you explore the local farmer’s market or grow your own vegetables and herbs, you can’t go wrong. Also search your local health food or grocery stores for organic or whole food options. If you are going to purchase products from the store check for the fewest ingredients. This is where less is definitely better!
  • Add more greens: I used to think having a garden iceberg lettuce salad was full of greens and nutrients. Now I experiment with spinach, kale and avocado in my salads. The difference is evident with taste and added iron and protein.