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The Secret to Vibrant Health and Fitness

What's the real key to more vibrant health and a fitter body?

Though there's no 'once size fits all' approach, creating optimum health comes down to what you eat, how you breathe and—ahhhhhhh—taking time to properly stretch, says Brigitte Malaaya Britton, H.N., a holistic nutritionist, organic gourmet chef and author of The Mega Way.

But there is no getting around it—what you eat is the cornerstone to more vibrant health, says Britton. "It's human nature to look for the quick fix, and unfortunately there's more emphasis in society on weight loss than health."

We asked Britton to elaborate on her unique approach to health and well-being. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

How do you really know if what you're eating is helping or hurting your health?

Food is supposed to energize you, not sedate you. If a meal sedates you, you're eating the wrong foods. If you're eating right you should feel great after a meal. Think of it this way: you put fuel in your car to keep it running, not to shut it down. Your body is the same.

What are five foods that we must include in our diets to stay fit, lean and feeling good?

First, let me mention two things that are essential for better health—fiber and water. Fiber helps your body achieve overall balance; it eliminates toxins and wastes in your body, helps eliminate cravings for bad foods and gives you more energy. It even helps your body burn fat! And without enough water, your body can't flush away toxins. Water is essential.

PODCAST: EAT GREAT, LOOK GREAT

In our youth and celebrity-obsessed culture, everyone wants to look younger, hotter and better than everyone else. For many, looking good is the main reason to eat healthier, with increased energy and better overall health running a distant second.

Want a tip? Get rid of all fake food-- non-dairy creamer, margarines, artificial sweeteners, packaged foods. Then increase your vegetables.

But regardless of your reasons for deciding to tweak your eating plan, here are some fast, easy tips to creating the ideal daily diet. We talked to renowned holistic nutritionist Sally Kravich, M.S., C.N.H.P., author of Vibrant Living: Creating Radiant Health and Longevity, in search of nutrition advice that will help you look and feel younger, boost your immune system and create vibrant health.

To hear audio highlights of this interview, click below

Download Sally_Kravich_2_4_08

We're all interesting in starting our day feeling great. What's an ideal breakfast?

I like to have some kind of protein, but it’s going to depend on someone’s digestive system. Someone could start the day with a protein shake, but not the standard one from a package and they add milk or water. I’m taking about starting with a base of fruit juice or water or almond milk and water, a healthier base. A shot of Pomegranate juice is great to get some antioxidants. Then throw in some good protein powder, maybe with some flaxseed oil or green nutrients or powder. That’s your super-shake and for a lot of people a great way to start the day. It’s easy.

I also really like yogurt, especially plain yogurt. I don’t like anything with aspartame at all. Avoid that completely! Diet soda will tear your health down real fast. I recommend pure food, not fake food, and those sweeteners fall in the fake food category. Plain yogurt with fresh fruit and a little cereal thrown or ground flax seeds in works well. Oatmeal with nuts and apple thrown in is great. You always need a fruit or veggie in there to break down the other foods. You could also have a vegetable omelet or poached eggs with a piece of dark bread and grapefruit. Those are things that are good to start the day.

If someone wanted to have to most healthy lunch possible, what would you tell them to eat?

Two different things. Protein is best. It’s best to have your heaviest meat and protein in the daytime. So if somebody is a red meat eater, that’s the best time to eat it. If you look at your plate as a circle, half of the circle needs to be vegetables and the other half is two-thirds protein and also a healthy starch like sweet potatoes, butternut squash or brown rice, something not high on the glycemic index. So sandwiches are not that great.<

How do men and women differ when it comes to healthy eating?
For women, they’re not going to go for the red meat as much. I tend to tell women to go for the salad and protein at lunch, whether it’s salad with veggie protein like avacado, sunflower seeds or pine nuts, then adding some grilled fish or chicken. It's about keeping their proteins simple and making sure the good fat is there as well.

Can you give us a guide to an ideal evening meal?
Dinner should be your lighter meal. They work best even as full vegetarian meals, or maybe soup and a salad. The heavier proteins are better during the day. You don’t have a lot of time before you sleep to digest and you want to sleep well so keep it light—fish, veggies and some brown rice or a total vegetarian meal.

Is there just one super tip you can offer to help us eat healthier?
Can I give you two? First, get rid of all fake food, non-dairy creamer, margarines, artificial sweeteners, packaged foods that have a shelf life that have no enzymes and can’t break down in your body. Get rid of those foods. Cookies, chips, etc., ger rid of them.

Then increase your vegetables. Include something that’s dark green like spinach or kale or arugula, something orange, like butternut squash or carrots. I think parsley is essential, because it actually cleans your urinary tract. Celery is really important for breaking down fatty matter so it’s really important for the body. Anything red, from beets to radishes to tomatoes, that have the different carotenoids and betacaratenes; they are all found in vegetables and they keep your immune system healthy.

My bare minimum number of servings of vegetables is four to six servings per day. For ideal health we need six to eight servings a day (one cup is one serving, with a variety of the colors previously mentioned).