"Nutrition Part 2 for the Wellness Campaign"
Mediterranean, paleo, keto, Atkins, whole 30, carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free…
There are SO many voices in the nutrition world. It has become pretty hard to discern what is useful information versus what is nonsense. I mean there are people eating only plants who look healthy and fit yet at the same time there are people eating only animal products who also look healthy and fit. With dozens of diets in between those two extremes also claiming to be the correct way of eating. So, who is correct? Let’s dive into it.
Quick disclaimer. This blog is not about the best diet for fat loss. Losing fat is more complicated than just what foods you eat and will require a larger lifestyle change. Weight loss can be achieved eating whatever food combinations that you like as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. There is nothing special about keto, paleo, or even gluten free in regards to “burning” more fat or losing weight. It is the restriction of calories that causes weight loss, not the restriction of food groups. Purely restricting calories without a solid game plan will lead to adverse effects such as lower energy, decreasing muscle mass, and disrupting your metabolism. If fat loss is your goal, seek help from a personal trainer in tandem with a nutrition/wellness coach and buckle up for a journey. This IS a service we provide and the button below will take you to that bundle.
Anyways, this blog is about what foods will nourish your body the most, fueling you for a life in which you can thrive, not starve.
Very brief science lesson for ya. In order to operate our bodies every day, we need energy. This energy is in the form of calories we get from the foods we eat. The amount of calories in each food are determined by the macronutrient profile . If you're interested in learning more about macros, we dove deeper into this topic in a previous blog post:
Some foods like beef, beans, or peanuts are dense with macronutrients; beef is high in protein and fat, beans are high in carbs, and peanuts are high in fats. In our body, each macronutrient has different functions: proteins build, carbs fuel, fats regulate. It is technically true that carbs are nonessential, you can survive off solely protein and fat. However, carbs supply easy energy for the body and brain, helping to fuel you each day. In addition to macronutrients, foods also contain micronutrients. While micronutrients don’t provide energy, they do contain vitamins and minerals which are vital for so many functions in your body! To sum everything up, different foods have different nutrient profiles and your body requires an array of nutrients to function properly.
Now that we have the science-y stuff out of the way, what foods should we eat? One thing the majority of the popular diets have in common is they recommend whole foods. In case you aren’t familiar, a whole food is any single ingredient food item. Think bananas, rice, milk, or even ground beef to name a few. So - yes, you can still have ice cream and cookies and chips, but the majority of what you eat should be real whole food. When buying things with multiple ingredients, try to find the option with the least amount of ingredients. Sub 5 ingredients is pretty great, sub 10 is alright. Read the ingredient list too, if you need a science degree to understand the ingredient list in your food, then you probably shouldn’t eat that too often.
With the focus on whole foods, look for a variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits. Yes, I said meat. Beef (red meat won’t kill you), chicken, pork, and seafood. These are your protein sources. Aim to have some at every meal, 4-6 ounces. Most vegetables will be for micronutrients and flavor (lettuce doesn’t really supply you with any energy). However some starchy veggies are high in carbs, like black beans and potatoes. White rice is a good whole food carb course as well. Fruits also contain carbs btw! Breads and pastas with minimal ingredients are pretty decent carb sources too. Aim to have about the same amount of carbs as your protein. So if you have a palm sized portion of beef steak or chicken, aim to have about the same size for your potatoes or rice. Veggies like broccoli, green beans, and carrots can be thrown in as much as you’d like. Don’t worry too much about fats as long as most of your meat is on the lean side and your veggies aren’t soaked in oil (speaking of which, pleeeeease use real oil like olive or avocado oil, not “vegetable” or canola oil).
Sugar isn’t evil. Red meat isn’t evil. Fat isn’t evil. Even a highly processed piece of food-like stuff like Snickers isn’t evil (though I wouldn’t recommend eating one every day). Food is fuel. Some fuel works better than others. Eating a well balanced, whole food diet, with plenty of animal protein and minimal processed food is what I recommend and what I believe is the best approach to fuel your body and prevent dis-ease.
Most diets restrict a food group for whatever reason. Rather than restricting food, build the discipline of eating the most nourishing foods and enjoy the freedom of eating what you want. Eating healthy shouldn’t be boring, you can make incredible food without added chemicals and food-like ingredients while nourishing your body to the fullest. Accomplishing a task like consuming more nourishing meals on a daily basis is also going to mean spending more time in the kitchen but you got this!! Start small, try making a meal from scratch this week! Shameless plug, we do have a cookbook with some great recipes.
I hope you’ve found this useful as you evaluate your eating habits and pursue a lifestyle in discovering who the healthiest version of you is!
Author: John Behage
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