My road to being healthy: I love to eat healthy, and I love the naturalness of healthy food. I was not always healthy, I would engulf in junk food as a teen. As time went on I realized that everything you put into your body whether it is food, drinks, lotion, or soap can have an effect on your health. Once, I realized that, I started my journey that my body is more than just flesh, bones, and a face that reflects in the mirror, it is a temple. I will not have my body forever, and if I ruin it there might not be no turning back. I want to treat myself, and my body the right way not because a doctor, a magazine, or friend is telling me; I do it because I love myself. Why would I want to hurt my body, even if I do not feel the pain at this exact moment.

I slowly stopped eating chips, candy, and drinking pop/soda. All I drink now is water (sometimes I add lemon, lime, cucumber, strawberries, and blueberries), and natural juice (no name brands, just pure juice). Then I started to buy grass-fed beef and chicken with no hormones added. I buy organic products when possible.

The road to being healthy is a journey not an instant diet. You first have to acknowledge your body, and ask yourself what do you want to put in your body, and what results do you want in a week, month, and years from now. Food affects both your overall health, and well-being as the years go by.

Quitting unhealthy food and drinks does not happen overnight (maybe for some it can). I believe if you try to quit eating something very fast you have higher chances of going back to eating that unhealthy item. Unless you are completely ready to give up that item, then you should quit right away. For me drinking pop/soda was the most difficult. I slowly started the process by only drinking it at parties, then only once a month, then every 3 months, and now I do not drink pop/soda at all! It is all a process! I am still learning about healthier food options today, and stopping old habits.

I feel being healthy is challenging for me since I am Hispanic, and there are so many delicious fatty foods! (of course we have healthy foods, but some of my favorite ones are fattening!) As of right now I do not plan to give up my culture's food, but I do plan on modifying it in a healthier way.

Here are the 10 foods I eat every week to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

1. Chicken Breasts

Nutrition: Full of protein (low fat protein), helps maintain a healthy muscle growth, naturally anti-depressant, high in amino acids, and can boost metabolism

2. Cocoa Powder/Nibs (I always crave chocolate so this helps to eat healthy chocolate)

Nutrition:  Fiber, can lower LDL Cholesterol, reduce blood clots, and increase blood flow

3. Coconut Oil (I cook all my food in Coconut Oil)

Nutrition: Chain fatty acids, increase energy expenditure, helps burn fat, and can kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi

4. Avocado

Nutrition: Absorbs other nutrients, can reduce risk of cancer, lowers cholesterol, helps with weight loss, boosts eye health

5. Spinach and Kale Salad

Nutrition: Spinach has fiber, RDA, and strengths bones. Kale has protein, Vitamin C and K, and prevents bone loss.

6. Garlic

Nutrition: Reduce blood pressure, nutritious with few calories, decrease heart disease, combats sickness like the common cold

7. Turmeric (I use it in tea, drinks, and as seasoning)

Nutrition: Powerful medicinal properties, has curcumin which is anti-inflammatory, can help treat and prevent cancer, and helps delay aging

8. Grass-Fed Beef

Nutrition: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin E

9. Chia Seeds

Nutrition: Healthy fat, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and has antioxidants

10. Lemon Water

Nutrition: Vitamin C, can help prevent colon health problems, antibacterial, reduce pain and inflammation in joints and knees, and strengths liver




These are foods that are currently in my daily routine. Also, keep in mind to do your own research on these foods. There are many more nutrition facts on the foods, but I did not list them all.

I hope you enjoyed learning about these foods! I would love to know about your healthy lifestyle journey! Comment below!