What Should You Really Be Eating?
Diet is really individualized, but if you want to look at the bigger picture, here are some general guidelines:
1. Whole Fruits and Vegetables: get in as many as you can and a variety each day so that you are getting a diverse range of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The benefits range from aiding in lowering blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular disease, to assisting in better digestion, to providing energy throughout the day and restful sleep at night.
a. Fiber: is extremely beneficial in regulating the body’s use of sugar as well as keeping hunger in check. This is known as soluble fiber and can be found in a variety of foods: oatmeal, chia seeds, hemp seeds, nuts, legumes, lentils, apples, blueberries. It is well known that fiber is also key when looking at digestion, helping food to move through the digestive system. These insoluble fibers are in foods such as: quinoa, barley, legumes, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fruits with edible skins. All in all, the importance of fiber ranges from blood sugar control and digestion to producing anti-inflammatory effects in the gut leading to decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
2. Whole Grains: whether rice, quinoa, barley, couscous, pasta, etc., whole grains are key in giving you energy as well as keeping you full and satisfied. Similarly, they are filled with key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals—extremely important in disease prevention; high in fiber to aid in digestion, allows for the slower breakdown of glucose to keep your blood sugar at bay, many are even packed with protein, the benefits are endless!
3. Proteins: from chicken and turkey to tofu and beans/legumes to fatty fish and shellfish, protein is extremely important for every part of your body. It helps to build and repair cells and body tissues [think hair, skin, nails, muscles, bones], and is key for immune system responses, hormones, and growth/development.
4. Fat: can often have a bad reputation, as oftentimes low-fat is seen as the best option. I am here to tell you otherwise! Fat is wildly important in giving you energy, in aiding in the absorption of many key vitamins, and helping to improve blood cholesterol levels. Omega-3s are a type of fat that is heard repeatedly, and for good reason, as they aid in inflammation, making sure that your artery walls are working properly, and have been shown to prevent many diseases. Consuming fat in the form of avocado, nut butter, olive oil, butter, flax seeds, hemp seeds, fatty fish is just a short list of some great fats to be adding to your daily and weekly fat intake!
5. Water Intake: many people strive for the 1 gallon of water/day, but actually, aiming for half of your body weight in ounces is a much better number to shoot for each day. This, of course, is all dependent on whether or not you had a high activity day or it’s particularly warm outside. You may need more if so. That being said, generally, stick to the half of your body weight in ounces per day of water and you will be perfectly hydrated. Looking for ways to change-up your water? Add citrus and berries for a new flavor, try different teas, even eating foods high in water such as melon or celery can count towards your daily intake!
6. Balance: this is one of the most important pieces about nutrition. Your relationship with food should be something that you put as much time and effort into as you do with choosing what food or meals you’re eating each week. When you are stressed about what you are eating each day, this can then manifest itself in a variety of ways in your body: weight gain, poor digestion, and inflammation. Remember, you can have all foods in your diet [unless you have an allergy]. There does not have to be restriction. Eating incredible whole foods is, of course, important for a variety of reasons [as listed above], but also making sure to consume equally as delicious and beneficial foods like chocolate or chips and salsa is just as important for your physical and mental health. And, craving chips and salsa could also mean that you need more sodium in your diet that day, so eating that as a snack or part of your meal could be aiding in your diet both physically and mentally!
Making sure that you aren’t restricting or putting any label on foods will help you to go a long way in your relationship with food. Labeling “good” or “bad” can then cause guilt around eating more of one food than the other. This can lead you down the restrict and binge cycle, and, in turn, feeling guilty. Listen to your body, make sure you are eating in balance, and remember that all foods are allowed. This is what makes the diet well-rounded!
If you are looking for more personalized guidelines or nutrition approaches, book with our nutritionist and chef, Katie Henry, today!