Today, I want to talk about the temple that is your body and how to treat it through living preventatively. Preventative living is the only way to live, in my book. Isn't it better to do what's good now, instead of having the treat illnesses and disease down the road when it's too late?

Treat Your Body As The Temple it Is.

Our bodies are temples and they need nourishment and care to function optimally and be healthy. When it comes to health, the foods we put in our mouth are more important than how we move our bodies. Both definitely go hand-in-hand, and you don't want to forego one for the other.

You all know I am a huge proponent of exercise, and yes, it's what I do for a living, yet I also recognize how truly integral diet is in the big picture of optimal health and wellness. And when I say, "diet" I don't mean counting calories and ingesting diet foods. Your diet, and what you eat, is a way of life.

I literally cringe inside when I hear people say, after finishing a workout, "Now I can eat whatever I want." And then they go for the cheeseburger or donuts, or some heart-stopping, processed foods. Exercising is not about getting to eat whatever you want. It's a vehicle used in conjunction with healthy food to keep your body performing at it's best as it ages.

Food is Health, Exercise is Fitness

Look, the way I see it is this; Food is Health, Exercise is Fitness. You need both. It's simple really. Eat good food everyday, move your body every day and health can be yours.

Remember that little (yet extremely powerful) saying from Hippocrates, "Food is Thy Medicine?" Well, I've seen it first hand in my life. When I began to change my diet many years ago and eat healthy, it changed how I felt physically, my energy levels went through the roof and I was sleeping better and had more balanced moods.

It is possible to prevent future health problems through eating a whole food diet, and very possibly reverse some of your current health issues!

How to Incorporate Whole Foods Into Your Diet

I do my best to stay away from any food that comes in a bag, box or can that has more than 4 ingredients. Processed food is frankenfood. It's not real. It's not good for you. And it provides nearly no nutritional value.

Sometimes it's hard to avoid, especially because convenience can be a huge factor when it comes to how we eat, but convenience does not equal health. Most convenience foods contain a lot of chemicals and ingredients that tend to be hard to pronounce and harmful to the body.

I travel extensively and believe me, it can be challenging to stay healthy on the road, but the key to staying healthy is being prepared and eating as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. This includes veggies, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, healthy fats and lean proteins.

The more of these whole foods we put into our body, the better and healthier we will feel. Eating this way will start to bring your body into a more alkaline state which is how our tissues, blood and organs stay healthy.

Alkaline foods are known for helping to reverse disease. Foods like leafy greens and other veggies will help your body to become more and more alkaline. Drinking a green smoothie everyday is a great way to get those awesome, alkaline greens into your life.

When the body becomes over loaded with acid (ie: processed foods, sugar, coffee, meats, dairy) it will become a breeding ground for disease and also exacerbate any current health issues you may have.

Make sure to have a huge leafy green salad every day and pile lots of veggies on your plate.

Live Preventatively

Look, preventative living doesn't have to be hard. It's about educating yourself. As you age, your body will break down more and more, it's a given, so you have a choice about whether you want to help it stay strong and healthy, or add to the aging process by not taking care of it.

Enroll friends or family to help you. Shop at your local farmer's market, and on the perimeter of the grocery store or plant a garden. Start to seek out fun, delicious recipes to incorporate more alkaline, whole foods into your diet. Get creative. Your body will only thank you, and you will feel so much lighter, happier and energetic. Your vitality depends on it!