During a trip to Ocho Rios, I practiced my pitiful patois, soaked up some sun, and took in the fresh smogless air. Doing simple things like sitting by the ocean and walking through the bush opened my eyes to how masterful mother nature is and that eating healthy is really a matter of getting back to basics, cutting out all the processed stuff (like the frozen dinners, canned food, and ramen noodles that I grew up on).

1. EAT NATURAL FOOD IN ITS NATURAL STATE

Food grows out of the ground from trees and bushes and vines.

Say what??

As simple of a concept as that is, you can miss that when you don’t see where your food comes from on a day-to-day. Witnessing food literally growing out of the earth was a wake up call that mother nature gives us food, pure and natural. So, why again, are we (mainly Americans, many other countries eat fresh food) disrupting nature’s food by processing it adding all types of chemicals we can’t even pronounce and think our bodies will know what to do with this junk?

My new rule of thumb, coined by @jangafit is “from harvest to pot to plate,” meaning I’m trying really hard to eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. No additives/preservatives. Plus, natural and fresh, like this fisherman’s fresh catch from the sea, is much tastier than processed food.

2. EAT ALOT OF PLANTS – THEY ARE THE BEST FOOD (OR MEDICINE)

When I used to see trees, plants, and bushes, I would see just green stuff. Seriously. Little did I know how great the “green stuff” is as sources of nutrition and healing (as long as it’s organic, with less exposure to with pesticides and toxins).

In the pics below, we went into the bush foraging for veggies and herbs for our dinner. Check out the visual below showing the benefits of herbs on our bodies.

3. RETHINK DAIRY

How did I go from a girl who drank whole milk with ice cream to not consuming dairy*? Simple: I realized that animals produce milk to feed their offspring (similar to what humans do). So, does it really make sense for humans to consume something that’s designed for animals? Plus, alot of milk sold in our stores has antibiotics that were pumped into the animals, which isn’t healthy (or ethical) for them or us.

*Note: I’m debating transitioning to a vegan diet so I haven’t fully removed dairy…yet!

4. TOSS OUT PETROLEUM JELLY (THIS ISN’T FOOD RELATED, BUT IS RELEVANT!)

My country father got me hooked on petroleum jelly/vaseline as a kid and I’ve been using it ever since, mainly as a lip moisturizer. But it’s made by refining oil, therefore it’s a by-product of carcinogens, and the refining process is not environmentally friendly. Putting something on my face that’s toxic and harmful to the environment is a no-go. Now, I use organic alternatives to moisturize my face. I love these – almond oil (for warmer months because it’s not too heavy on my face) and cocoa butter (for colder months because it’s thicker and, therefore, lasts longer than oils do). For my lips, I sparingly use coconut oil. Otherwise, I try to stay hydrated with lots of water because that keeps them from getting chapped/ dry.

BONUS: COCONUTS!

Coconuts have many great benefits. I use coconut oil ALOT, especially for my daily personal care routine because it’s natural, healthy, effective, and cheap!

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