The renowned American naturopath, Anne Wigemore, stated “The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
Likewise, Hippocrates famously stated “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”
Yet, the average American diet is characterized by a high intake of calories, unhealthy fats, added sugars, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates while missing fresh fruits and veggies, adequate protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.
According to the Commonwealth Fund, “The U.S. spends nearly twice as much on health care yet has the highest chronic disease burden and an obesity rate that is two times higher compared to other high-income countries.”
As a clinician, I see little else that matters more than what we eat when it comes to our health and wellness.
However, deciding which diet to follow can be very confusing. It seems like there is a new diet every time we turn around with each one claiming to be “the best.” Vegetarian, keto, paleo, carnivore, juicing, intermittent fasting and the list goes on. It’s enough to make your head spin!
I hope I can help you sort through the madness with these practical tips. Let’s go!
Some considerations to start with:
⭐ While weight management is an important piece of our diet, a healthy diet is about so much more than our weight. As the adage goes, “Garbage in, Garbage out”, the food we consume is information for our cells.
One of the reasons quick fix diet approaches don’t typically have long lasting results is they neglect to address our mindset or our relationship with food. We may change the way we eat initially because we want to lose weight, but shifting our relationship with food is how we will maintain and sustain. There are many layers here including our comfort and emotions so this can take time.
⭐ A second factor to consider is that we are all individuals with varying conditions which can impact how we lose weight. This is exactly why that new diet regimen may have worked for your friend but didn’t seem to work for you. Weight loss resistance can be a genuine struggle and is often associated with underlying health issues such as an underactive thyroid or cortisol dysregulation. I see this often.
⭐ Lastly, our needs can change over time. We have different seasons of life, stresses, hormonal shifts, age, etc. which can influence what may have worked yesterday but isn’t working today.
➕ Then on top of all this, there are food sensitives and allergies, medical conditions, autoimmunity, nutrient depletions from medications, environmental factors and more which can influence our individual nutritional needs and dietary restrictions.
These are the many reasons why there is seldom a one size fits all approach when it comes to health, including our diets. However, there are certain characteristics that make up the foundation of a healthy diet which we can lean into.
Some key concepts to keep in mind:
1️⃣ A healthy relationship with food should not be legalistic which often times can do more harm than good. We are all human; we will have good days and bad days.
2️⃣ Eating with the following ten principles @ 80% of the time is going to be a strong baseline for most, including our kiddos!
3️⃣ Prepare, prepare, prepare. We tend to make better food choices when we stock good food in our fridge and pantry. Prepare in advance.
10 PRACTICAL HEALTY EATING TIPS
1.) Eat clean, whole, nutrient dense food. Eat as close to nature as possible, minimizing chemicals, additives and excess sugars which are inflammatory.
2.) Home-cooked is generally best. This helps us control quality and quantity. Consider making leftovers your friend to make this easier. When using packaged foods, look for whole food-based ingredients.
3.) Aim to have each meal balanced with adequate protein, a healthy fat, complex carbohydrates, fresh veggies and fruit. Specific macronutrient ratios may vary per person and even our season of life. Aim to have @ 50% of your plates consist of fresh, varied veggies and fruit.
4.) Eat the rainbow. Our bodies like diversity, this supports getting in various vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Eat a variety of different colors including red, orange, blue, purple, yellow, green, white and brown. This is a great game to play with the kids!
5.) Don’t forget to hydrate! Ditch sodas and sugary drinks. Lean towards water and herbal teas. Look at the color of your urine to judge your hydration. Lighter means you are more hydrated, darker means less.
6.) Pay attention to fiber. Besides adequate protein, this is probably the biggest deficiency that I see. Fiber supports a healthy gut amongst other things. (If fiber is chronically bothersome, this may be a sign of an underlying gut condition.)
7.) Eat fermented foods to support a healthy microbiome. Plain Greek yogurt, fermented pickles, kefir, olives, and sauerkraut are some examples.
8.) Get in your healthy fats. Cold pressed olive oil, avocado, raw nuts and seeds are good examples. Avoid cheap seed oils, trans fats and margarine which are inflammatory.
9.) Listen to your body! Pay attention to how you do with some of the most common problematic foods like gluten, dairy, caffeine and alcohol. If you are unsure, an elimination protocol can be very helpful here such as THE WHOLE 30 or consider a food sensitivity test.
Lastly, I see this all too common – including myself.
10.) How you eat is just as important as what you eat. Avoid distracted and/or rushed eating which interferes with digestion and a mind-body connection to our food. Eat mindfully. When possible, enjoy your food with good conversation and the people you know and love.
I find sticking to these basics is a strong foundation; you can always build from here.
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⭐ If you are looking for more personalized guidance, I would love to help. Learn more about me, follow me or reach out to me via links below. Sign up for my monthly newsletter on website.
drjen@hopehealthwellness.com