Food is a seemingly simple thing. And yet pop culture is full of fad diets that go in and out of favor and battle for superiority. Some people swear by the Atkin's. Some people think you should avoid all Cholesterol like it's a deadly flesh eating bacteria. Some tout the claims of Superfoods and bottled supplements as a miracle. Some think all diets are ridiculous.
The one thing in common with the majority of these points of view is that there is a mysterious lack of perspective and Scientific data to truly back up claims and support their viewpoint. Well, I assure you, I have looked into the Scientific literature over a period of a couple of years now and although I'm still working towards a deeper perspective and more refined view of optimal health standards, I am pretty sure I am on the right track. I am always willing to course correct though.
This post will be about some simple guidelines I think we should follow if we want to get variety and easily digestible meals.
Firstly, we must ask ourselves what main "food groups" we should eat from. I'm not talking about the groups in the pyramid yet. I'm starting one level of abstraction higher than that even. I'm talking about the basic 3...Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins.
We've all heard of these. Carbohydrates are complex sugars which are sources of fuel for our cells. They constantly get broken down into Glucose (blood sugar) in the bloodstream and used to energize the metabolism of our cells. We all know that it's best to avoid highly refined sources of sugar such as table sugar or drinks which contain many, many spoon fulls of the white crystals such as sodas, energy drinks, and fake "juices."
So where should we get our Carbohydrates? Fruits and Vegetables are a good source. Grains from Granola, Cereals, and Bread are OK sources although shouldn't be relied upon too heavily. Fruits do have a lot of sugar but they are also full of lots of Fiber which buffers the impact of sugar on the body and makes it easier for our body to absorb the sugar without mounting an emergency response and creating a huge spike in Insulin. These insulin spikes are very intense and not healthy for the body. It is best to keep as stable a blood sugar level throughout the day as reasonably possible.
Proteins are obviously important for the building of muscle and cellular machinery but the truth is that there are lots of sources of most Amino Acids besides just meat. A lot of people tend to think of meat as the main source of protein but really there is lots of protein in other foods. Nuts, seeds, fruits...there is often a lot of protein to be found...
It is important that we get all the different kinds of Protein that we need. The different kinds are called Amino Acids. The kinds we need from our diet are called Essential Amino Acids. I won't go into those in detail in this post but I will at a later date. The important thing to keep in mind is that you need a good variety of foods. I don't recommend eating the same thing or same couple of things every meal, for obvious reasons. (although I do recommend keeping each meal as simple as possible...in essence, food combining principles...again, I will get into that at a later date as well)
Now, for the evil Fats. LOL. This is definitely the most hated category. It makes sense due to the fact that this is the category that is most visible to the naked eye when we see someone who is clearly not healthy. Even though excess fat storage on the body is a common sign of bad health, this is not a very good reason to malign the entire food group.
In fact, Fats are extremely important for you Heart, Brain, Nerves, Cell Membranes, Skin, Liver, Blood Vessels, etc! Fats are insulators and in the body they protect our brain and nerves from interference. Fat also divides the inside of the cell from the intracellular fluid. Fat cushions soft, delicate tissues as well and can even do emergency healing in arteries and blood vessels if there is damage to the internal structure of the vessels. This is why arterial plaque (cholesterol) is often found in heart attack patients. But we need to keep in mind that "Correlation does not equal Causation!" Vitamin C deficiency is in fact often cited by many Scientists, including Linus Pauling, as a good predictor of heart disease. Vitamin C is an important Antioxidant that can protect against free radicals which often do the most damage to delicate organs like the heart, blood vessels, brain, and nerves. Fats and Antioxidants protect against this Free Radical damage which we absorb from our food, the environment, and even is produced naturally from metabolism.
What types of fats should we look for in our diet? Which should we avoid? Through my research, the main fats that I have learned to avoid are Hydrogenated oils such as Margarine. I recommend opting instead for real Butter from Cow Dairy.
I also recommend looking for Whole Milk from Grass Fed Cows in a Glass Bottle. The taste will be surprisingly different.
Good sources of Cholesterol are eggs.
Then there are the Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids. These are commonly recognized especially in the last decade or so and, as many know, they are common in Fish and Fish Oil Capsules.
Through my research, I have learned that the Standard American Diet (SAD) which is high in grains and meat and often way too low in fresh fruits and vegetables...is too high in Omega 6 and too low in Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
The recommendation is to move the ratio to a more optimal level where you are taking in more Omega 3 and less Omega 6. A good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids is Flax Seed. You can add Flax Meal to yogurt, cereal, smoothies, etc. Or you can alternatively take Flax Oil in Capsule form or bulk oil form. A good way to ensure a healthy balance of Omega 3 and 6 is to eat fish at least once or twice per week and limit your grain and meat meals compared to fruit and vegetables.
The main problem with modern, industrialized countries (especially the United States) is that a lot of us go for the quickest meals we can possibly find including microwavable box dinners, quick oven boxed meals, takeout, fast food, quick stovetop meals, etc. Most of these things are not inherently bad but our over-reliance upon them is. When we don't make time to sit down and peel an orange or take a few bananas along with us to work or pack the kids' school lunches with an apple and some peaches...we are setting ourselves up for infections, sickness, tiredness, irritability, headaches, and nutritional deficiencies. The nutritional deficiencies are basically what causes all of the sicknesses. Disease mostly has to do with not eating the right stuff and less to do with eating the bad stuff. (although when we eat more of the good stuff, we usually have less room for the bad stuff...)
Now, for the big picture view of Carbs, Protein, and Fats. I subscribe to the 80/10/10 Diet which recommends about 80% of your Caloric daily intake as Carbs, 10% as Protein, and 10% as Fats.
A lot of people don't realize how much Protein is in nuts and seeds or meat so they inadvertently eat a lot more protein than they probably really needed that day. Same thing with fats. It's so easy to pack a lot more fats (especially the kinds we really should avoid) into our diet if we eat that donut or that cake, or that ice cream, or what have you...
Also, be careful where you are getting your Carbohydrates or Sugars from! If you are getting most of your Calories from Soda, you are doing it all wrong!! We've all done this. I have drank more pop in my lifetime that I can keep track of and it hasn't done me any good! I can guarantee you that! It's a quick fix to fatigue and it doesn't really last all that long anyway. It's not worth it. If you are low on energy, peel open a banana, an orange, bit into an apple, drink some 100% Fruit Juice, juice your own fruit, etc.
Do NOT give into the temptation of going to your local convenience store and filling up the 32oz. cup with your favorite mixture of highly sweetened, carbonated syrup and water! You will only be satiated for a little while and then you will get thirst for some more! This is not a sustainable way to drink/eat...
Also, if you get the urge for a soda, there's a good chance that what your body is truly craving is a big glass of mildly cold water. BTW, it is a great idea to down a quart or two of water early in your morning routine. You may want to consider adding a small amount of salt to it as well in order to prevent having too low of salt in your body.
Anyway, I commend you for making it this far and I hope that I haven't made you fall asleep!
One last recommendation real quick:
Try to eat most of your heavier meals (high in carbs) earlier in the day and have lighter meals in the evening. Try to have more of your fats especially at night. Maybe a nice large salad with olive oil and some tomatoes perhaps for your Supper meal! Also, you can always have a banana anytime!
Bananas are great for any snack and having a three or four of them can even be pretty filling! They are only approximately 110 Calories each and are rich in Fiber, Potassium, and Tryptophan which is a precursor to Melatonin. The Potassium can prevent leg cramping and is an electrolyte which helps rehydrate so athletes and runners often eat bananas quite often.
The reason you should eat more of your Carbs earlier in the day and eat lighter, less energy-dense meals towards the evening is so that digestion is easier and you don't get hopped up with a whole bunch of energy just when your body should be going to sleep!
So, I hope I gave you a taste of what I have been learning.
Peace! Happy Easter.
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