<![CDATA[Kathy's Healthy Living - Mother Nature's Digestive Principles]]>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:47:37 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Mother Nature's 12 Core Principles]]>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 17:45:02 GMThttps://www.kathyshealthyliving.com/mother-natures-digestive-principles/december-29th-2025PictureCopyright mothernaturesdiet.me

Talking about diet these days can feel like walking through a minefield. No matter what you say, someone’s bound to disagree, call you out, or insist you’re wrong. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to food. Everyone’s different—your metabolism, gut health, and the way your body absorbs nutrients aren’t the same as anyone else’s. Even the food itself changes depending on the soil, the climate, and where it’s grown. What one person calls an “active lifestyle” might be completely different for someone else. Some people are training like athletes, others just want to get moving a little more. Some want to lose weight, others to gain it. There are so many factors at play—it’s no wonder we all have our own version of what works.

According to mothernaturesdiet.me, the 12 Core Principles are all about helping you live your healthiest, most energized life—and making it doable for real people. They designed them to work for as many folks as possible because health shouldn’t be complicated or exclusive. These principles are a balanced, sustainable, and feel-good way to live for most people. But, as you know, everyone’s body and lifestyle are different.

This is their take: treat the 12 Core Principles as flexible guidelines, not rigid rules. The principles are more like a framework you can adjust to your life—a solid foundation you can make your own. Try them out, see what clicks, and leave what doesn’t.

If you want to read it in more detail, click mothernaturesdiet.me/the-rules/

Because at the end of the day, long-term health isn’t about following the latest trend or celebrity plan—it’s about discovering what really works for you.

The 12 Core Principles of Mother Nature’s Diet 🌿
Mother Nature’s Diet isn’t a fad, a detox, or a quick fix—it’s a sustainable, down-to-earth approach to health and happiness. These 12 Core Principles are built around common sense, balance, and respect for nature, helping you live in harmony with your body and the planet.

1. Eat Fewer Processed Grains and Starches 🍞
Modern diets are overloaded with processed carbs—bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, and pastries. These foods pack a ton of calories but very few nutrients, making it all too easy to gain weight and feel sluggish.

Instead, focus on natural carbs like vegetables and fruits, which provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals without the crash. For most people, especially those who aren’t endurance athletes, eating fewer processed grains and starches is one of the simplest ways to improve energy and manage weight.

2. Cut Down on Refined Sugar 🍭
Refined sugar hides in nearly everything—sauces, snacks, cereals, drinks—and contributes to obesity, diabetes, and energy crashes. It offers nothing but empty calories and can be surprisingly addictive.
Cutting back on sugar helps balance your blood sugar levels, boost energy, and clear your mind. Read labels, skip sugary drinks, and get your sweetness from fruit instead. A little sugar won’t ruin you—but less really is more.

3. Avoid Processed Foods 🥫
If it comes in a packet with a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, it’s probably not real food. Processed foods are usually loaded with sugar, refined oils, salt, and additives—and short on nutrition.
Your best bet? Eat fresh, whole foods instead. Shop local, cook from scratch, and fill your plate with ingredients that look close to how they came out of the ground or from the field. The simpler your food, the healthier it tends to be—for both you and the planet.

4. Ditch the Toxins 🚭🍷💊
Keep it clean—your body will thank you. Smoking is a total no-go, alcohol should be moderate (if at all), and recreational drugs will only hold you back. Even prescription meds should be used thoughtfully—talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes that might reduce your need for them.
Avoiding unnecessary chemicals in your food, home, and skincare products can also reduce your toxic load. Choose natural whenever possible and keep your environment as pure as you can. 🌱

5. Breathe Deep and Get Outdoors 🌬️☀️
Air is the most important nutrient you’ll ever consume. Most of us don’t use our lungs enough or spend enough time outside. Get daily fresh air, breathe deeply, and move your body.
Exercise that gets you puffing—running, swimming, or even a brisk walk—keeps your lungs strong and your body energized. Breathe deeply, soak up some sunshine, and appreciate the simple magic of fresh air.

6. Stay Hydrated 💧
Water is life. You can survive weeks without food but only days without water. It fuels your cells, regulates temperature, boosts digestion, and keeps your skin glowing.
Mild dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, dry skin, and brain fog—so drink up! Aim for around two liters of water a day, and more if you’re active or it’s hot out. When in doubt, sip some water and feel the difference.

7. Eat Plants and Animals 🥦🍳🐟
Human beings evolved eating plants and animals—it’s that simple. Real, whole foods from nature are what our bodies were designed to thrive on.
Fill your plate with colorful vegetables, fruits, and quality proteins like fish, eggs, and meat. Variety is key—eat the rainbow when it comes to plants and mix up your sources of protein. Don’t fear healthy fats, either; natural fats from foods like fish, eggs, olive oil, and avocados are vital for energy and hormone health.

8. Choose Quality Food 🌾🐄🌎
Quality matters. Modern industrial farming harms the environment, animals, and even the nutritional value of our food.
Whenever you can, choose plants that are local, seasonal, and organic, and aim for animal products that are free-range, grass-fed, or sustainably caught. Support farmers who care about the land and their animals. Food grown or raised naturally is better for the planet—and for you.

9. Move Your Body Daily 🚶‍♀️💪
Your body is your best asset—use it! You don’t need fancy gym memberships or extreme programs to stay healthy. Walk every day, get your heart rate up a few times a week, and do some strength work to keep your muscles strong, especially as you age.
Strength training keeps you youthful, cardio keeps your heart healthy, and stretching keeps you mobile. Consistency matters more than perfection, so find activities you enjoy and make movement a regular part of your life.

10. Stress Less, Live More 😌🌿
Constant stress drains your energy, disrupts your hormones, and can even block weight loss. Learning to manage it is key to overall health.
Simplify your life, get outside, move, meditate, laugh, and sleep well. Spend less than you earn, let go of grudges, and focus on experiences over possessions. Choose joy, gratitude, and laughter—they’re powerful medicine.

11. Get Outside and Reconnect with Nature 🌳☀️
Time outdoors heals both body and mind. Studies show that spending time around trees lowers stress, improves mood, and even boosts immunity.
Whether it’s a beach stroll, a walk in the park, or a hike in the hills, being in nature restores balance and perspective. Disconnect from screens, breathe the fresh air, touch the earth, and remind yourself what “natural living” really means.
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12. Progress, Not Perfection 🌱✨
Healthy living doesn’t mean being perfect. Core Principle 12 is all about balance—doing your best most of the time and not stressing over the rest.
If you eat well 90% of the time, an occasional treat won’t derail you. It’s about creating sustainable habits, not rigid rules. Life’s better when you enjoy it—so focus on progress, consistency, and self-respect. Your results come from what you do most of the time, not once in a while.

Final Thoughts 🌼
Mother Nature’s Diet is about working with nature, not against it. Eat real food, move often, breathe deeply, sleep well, stress less, and connect to the world around you. Live in a way your body will thank you for—not just today, but for the rest of your life.


Mother Nature’s Diet is a long-term commitment to feeling great and staying healthy, built on personal responsibility and smart choices. Remember: it’s what you do most of the time that matters, not what you do once in a while. So stay consistent, stay kind to yourself, and keep moving forward—because progress will always beat perfection. 🌱💪


That’s easy enough, isn’t it?

People say that what they love about Mother Nature’s Diet is that it is simple, easy to learn and easy to follow. People have said that what is so easy about MND is that it is “a diet of reduction, it’s cutting things out, simplifying, not adding complex things in.”


Try living your life by these 12 Core Principles for just 1 month and see how you feel. What have you got to lose?


]]><![CDATA[Eating mindfully]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2015 03:29:14 GMThttps://www.kathyshealthyliving.com/mother-natures-digestive-principles/eating-mindfully
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"Being able to digest our food and absorb its goodness into our bodies can mirror our ability to digest and absorb experiences too."
~Esther Ekhart

I have mentioned it before...I love Esther Ekhart from EkhartYoga​. She is beautiful both inside and out and I have been following her for years. I happened across a post of hers and wanted to share it with you. It's about eating mindfully and this is something we all struggle with.

"According to the science of Ayurveda it is Agni - our digestive fire - which helps us to do this. When our agni is weak the food is not broken down and leaves toxins in our body - these toxins are known as Ama in Ayurveda. When our agni is strong and healthy we can easily break down our food, burn the waste and assimilate the good elements and nutrients we need into our bodies. The result of healthy digestion (these elements and nutrients) make up what’s known as Ojas.

Here are a few ideas to try:

These tips help fire up our agni and produce ojas by looking at the way we eat.

Get grounded - Before eating take time to feel grounded and ready to receive the food. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, so you're not emotionally distracted. You can do this by taking a few deep breaths, keeping your out-breath the same length, or longer, as your in-breath. Or just having a few moments of silence, doing nothing else, before you eat.

Notice prana in your food - Consider the energy in your food and how you are taking this into your body. When you make this a habit you might also find you naturally want to make changes to your diet moving towards more whole foods and away from over processed meals. Note: For me, it means staying away from animal meat.

Pause and experience gratitude - Love the source of your food and be grateful to the people who prepared it, before the food becomes your body.

Chew slowly - Notice the taste and the structure of your food and how it changes when it mixes with the physiology of your body. This also helps with digestion, taking some of the work away from the stomach. It also helps with the next tip...

Don't over eat - Your body needs food and nutrients to stoke the agni, but overloading it can smother the digestive fire leading to bloating and producing more ama.

Relax after you eat - This goes back to point one - let your food go down and take rest for your body to do its work before you rush off on to the next chore.

These simple points all come down to basically being present and most of all taking the time through the whole process of preparing your food, eating it and then afterwards.

So let go of eating on the go, quickly in the car, in between chores. Especially if you are experiencing digestive issues. This might be just as important or more important than what you eat!!"

For the full article, click here - http://www.ekhartyoga.com/blog/eating-mindfully-tips-from-esther
]]><![CDATA[Avoid Extreme Hot and Cold Temperatures in Foods and Beverages]]>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:34:15 GMThttps://www.kathyshealthyliving.com/mother-natures-digestive-principles/avoid-extreme-hot-and-cold-temperatures-in-foods-and-beverages
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Eating some chickpea, spinach soup (not too hot) with some wine on a cool autumn evening in Hungary.
Excessively hot soup irritates the tender lining of the mouth and esophagus thus impairing salivation and peristalsis (which help in the transport of food in your digestive tract). NEVER drink ice water or other freezing cold fluids with meals. It prevents the gastric ducts from secreting gastric juices in the stomach. This halts digestion and permits putrefaction (decomposition) and fermentation occurs instead. So, by the time the temperature of the stomach returns to normal, it's too late for proper digestion to start. If you're going to drink anything WITH your meal, it should be wine or beer since they are both fermented (pre-digested) and actually aid in digestion (in moderate amounts of course). Even the Bible tells you not to drink water, but wine with your meal (1 Timothy 5:23).
]]><![CDATA[Chew Food Thoroughly Before Swallowing It]]>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:35:31 GMThttps://www.kathyshealthyliving.com/mother-natures-digestive-principles/chew-food-thoroughly-before-swallowing-itThis especially applies to carbohydrates which require initial digestion by ptyalin (an alkaline enzyme) in the saliva of the mouth. Gandhi's advice on this subject rings with the wisdom of Tao: "Drink your food and chew your beverages." What he meant is that solid foods should be chewed to liquid before swallowing and liquids should be swallowed as slowly as solid food.
]]><![CDATA[Eat Sparingly]]>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:53:45 GMThttps://www.kathyshealthyliving.com/mother-natures-digestive-principles/eat-sparinglyEating sparingly will help you live a long and healthy life. The basic Taoist rule is to eat until you are 70-80 percent full. Your body will punish gluttonous eating with all sorts of misery (believe me...I've been there). The human body simply can't utilize the enormous quantities and complex combinations of food which civilized, sedentary man tends to gorge himself with each day.
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