Whole Foods Market 28 Day Challenge

During the month of January, I attended a workshop hosted by Whole Foods Market (WFM) called Health Starts Here! It was for 4 days every Tuesday, and I learned about having a healthy and nutritious diet. It involved very little talking and more about cooking and eating (which I love).

A knowledgeable Nutritionist Nahid  that taught me and my peers different ways of view food and the 4 pillars of Healthy Eating in WFM's point of view.

The four pillars include (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/):

1.  Eat whole, unprocessed foods. We believe that food in its purest state — unadulterated by artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings, and preservatives — is the best tasting and most nutritious food available.
2. Eat a colorful variety of plants. No matter what type of diet you follow — including those with dairy, meat or seafood — reconfigure your plate so the majority of each meal is created from an abundance of raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains.  
3. Eat healthy fats. Get healthy fats from whole plant sources, such as nuts, seeds and avocados. These foods are rich in micronutrients as well. Work to eliminate (or minimize) extracted oils and processed fats.
4. Eat nutrient dense foods. Choose foods that are rich in micronutrients when compared to their total caloric content. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals. For guidance on this, look for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scoring system in our stores.

 For more info check out: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/fourpillars.php#wholefoods

*I am in no way endorsing or advertising for WFM. I am simply sharing my experiences with foods and WFM.

Our chef Cris was an amazingly talented chef that whipped up delicious foods (including desserts!) that followed the four pillars. I'd say 85% of the food I loved.

And then Lisa was an extremely kind assistant that helped facilitate the workshops.

I enjoyed my Health Starts Here workshops very much and I intend to check out more perspectives of foods as I go along with my healthy eating and living transition.