Nutrition and vitality go hand in hand. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about nutrition, part of physical wellness, which is a pillar of the eight foundational principles of wellness, part of the summer Vitality Revolution podcast series.

Dr. Shawn says, "We get set in our ways as we get older. 'Nobody's gonna tell me what to eat.' But there's such a connection with nutrition and vitality, and it starts with food choices. I'm an advocate for making small changes that are realistic. Nobody's going to be perfect. I follow an 80/20 rule, not only with myself, but with my clients and patients of really trying to eat more clean 80% of the time. That's going to pretty much get you where you're going, because you know what? Life happens. Maybe you have a nice cheeseburger like I did over the weekend. Guess what? It doesn't derail your life, and you can't be so strict because then nobody wants to do it, and you've got to find something that works for you. So an 80/20 rule is generally a good way to start.

"But nutrition in this country is the SAD, the Standard American Diet. I say stop eating C-R-A-P, and when I say stop eating C-R-A-P, you want to avoid Carbonated drinks, Refined sugars, and Artificial and Processed foods. The sugar content in soda is crazy. It causes a lot of health problems, and puts you at a lot of risk for chronic disease.

"I say shop the perimeter of the store: your produce, your vegetables, your meats. If you get into the health food aisle, and you're trying to get healthier with protein bars, or things like that, you really need to pay attention to the labels.

"Many, many people I've met who literally have been able to go off of their medications by simply making dietary changes. And I don't believe in diet. I don't say, 'oh, you got to go on a diet.' I've never dieted in my life. It's a lifestyle change."

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