BIO
Dr. Natalie Cheng-Kai-On, ND
Dr. Natalie Cheng-Kai-On, ND has practiced naturopathic medicine and acupuncture for the last fifteen years and is available for Telemedicine (video conference or by phone) appointments in Ontario. She focuses on diet and exercise – the foundation of health, to help people reach their health goals. She became a Certified Coach with FASTer Way to Fat Loss®, to help people make lasting lifestyle changes with the program’s signature six-week new client experience.
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3 Simple Ways to Eat Well
Written by Dr. Natalie Cheng-Kai-On, ND
It may sound shocking, but fast food doesn’t have to be expensive or unhealthy.
As a mother of two children and a naturopathic doctor, I understand that life is busier than ever and people often don’t have time to take care of themselves. But that doesn’t mean that it’s hard to eat a balanced meal. Of course, you can sign up for some healthy meal guides or meal delivery kits, but they can get expensive. So what can you do? Whether you live alone or you are in charge of meal planning for a household, here are three simple tips to make healthy food fast.
When you eat balanced and healthy meals, you should notice better digestion, improved sleep, more energy, better skin, less pain and the list goes on. If you eat clean for a month, but don’t notice any improvement in your health, then you should seek help from a health practitioner or naturopathic doctor. You may have underlying nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalance or other conditions that need medical supervision.
Tip #1
Divide your plate.
1/2 leafy veggies
1/4 starchy veggies or grains
1/4 protein rich legumes and beans
Top with nuts, seeds and cold pressed oil. Eat fruit in between meals. With this strategy, there’s no need to weigh food or count calories. The proportion of food is what makes this a balanced meal.
Tip #2
Season your food.
Use herbs, spices, lemon and lime to season your food. You can also add coconut or soy aminos for extra flavour.
Tip #3
Eat a whole food diet and eat enough.
When you eat a colourful rainbow of food, you will get a variety of vitamins and minerals. These are called micronutrients. Usually, people crave sugary and fatty foods because they don’t get enough nutrients or calories. I’ve seen so many people who claim to eat healthy during the day and then can’t stop their cravings at night. When you fill up on nutrients, you will notice that you won’t crave the extra junk.
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Note from Monica Ng (website creator): Dr. Cheng-Kai-On, ND is my naturopathic doctor. I got a lot of helpful information from her during my consults, so I reached out to her to write an article for my site.
It’s important to stay on top of your own health and find out the best ways to maintain your body and improve your health naturally. For myself, life is extremely busy and I spend a lot of time hiking and biking. I need lots of energy to keep going. Where possible, I use natural products and stay away from chemicals. I try to eat whole foods (i.e. food that is in its original form such as vegetables) vs. packaged/processed foods and avoid food containing ingredients that I can’t pronounce. Take some time to read food labels – you might be surprised at how many additives there are.
Since I’m vegan and there is a massive movement towards eating a plant-based diet (perhaps for health, environmental reasons and ending animal cruelty), I asked Dr. Cheng-Kai-On, ND, to write this article keeping a plant-based diet in mind.
