Oh my goodness – nutrition and diet info is everywhere!
And each expert and association tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you. Right?
Well, maybe…
While there may be good intentions behind most people and associations, not everything out there is accurate or going to help you in reaching your optimal health.
Everyone has heard about (and maybe lived through) the intense focus on how much you eat. Hence the MANY different calorie counters out there these days. This has gotten way too much attention! While this does affect your weight and energy level, it's certainly not the “holy grail” of health.
Instead, let’s focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.
What you eat and drink
Have you heard that saying that in order to lose weight it’s all about “calories in vs. calories out”? That simply meals that we need to be consuming fewer calories than we burn in order to see progress.
In theory, that makes complete sense. But in reality, it’s rarely that simple.
The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (so again that focus on how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that may be just as important!
Don't get me wrong limiting calories, carbs or fat can certainly help you lose weight but that's simply not the only factor for long-term weight loss and maximum energy for everyone. And often, when we are taking the approach of limiting and counting calories, we start to fall into a diet mindset, which can just set us up for failure and doesn't work in the long-run for truly changing lifestyle habits.
When the intense focus on how much we ate didn't work in the long-run it wasn’t really a surprise.... sadly there was just too much of a focus on the numbers that we lost focus on the other BIG factors that also effect weight.
You can certainly still continue to count your calories, carbs, and fat but don't forget to also pay attention to what you eat.
For example, we could eat 1500 calories a day that comes solely from fast food, processed food snack or diet foods, sugary treats, and other less healthy choices. Technically, if we are only counting calories we might feel like we are rocking it! But those choices are empty calories and do not provide our body what it needs and therefore will not be achieving optimal health.
Where as someone who is counting calories but who is also watching what they are eating might see for that same 1500 calories a day lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, intact or whole grains, healthy fats, etc... Likely, this person is going to feel fuller, more satisfied, and overall better than the first person not watching what they eat. AND they are more likely to be losing weight and/or achieving their health goals.
So what should we eat?
Ideally, you need a varied diet full of minimally-processed foods (i.e. fewer “packaged” “ready-to-eat” foods). So in other words real whole foods. This simple concept is paramount for weight loss, energy, and overall health and wellness.
Every day this is what you should aim for:
● A colorful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack.
You need the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. You can't get these nutrients in their natural form from anything except wholesome plants! Which is why this is SO important to make sure are having enough produce and minimally processed plant foods. The variety of colors is important because each color has different nutrients. So by eating the rainbow as we might hear, we are ensuring we are nourishing our bodies with all the nutrients it needs.
● Enough protein.
Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids (bonus: eating protein can increase your metabolism). Note: this protein does NOT have to come from animal sources. It can absolutely come from plant-based proteins. While you don’t have to go vegetarian or vegan if you don’t want to, I would even encourage MORE plant-proteins mixed in on a regular basis.
● Healthy fats and oils (never “hydrogenated” ones).
There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” - you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads. Enjoy some avocados on top of your favorite dish or guacamole to dip some veggies in, choose some nuts or seeds alone or mixed into a dish to add a texture, use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, eat your organic egg yolks, and when choosing meats, go for some grass-fed meats when possible. You don't need to overdo it here. Just make sure you're getting some high-quality fats.
If you are looking at this list of what to eat and feeling like you might need some help, don't worry! Let's set up a time to talk so I can hear more about what challenges you are facing and see what solutions might best help you in making some healthy changes.
How you eat and drink
Another approach to take is to also pay attention to how you eat and drink.
Studies are showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.
Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?
When it comes to how you eat let's first look at “mindful eating”.
Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe.
This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.
This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?
We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.
And don't forget about drinking your food.
Yes, smoothies can be healthy and a fabulously easy and tasty way to get in some fruits and veggies (hello leafy greens!) but drinking too much food, too fast can contribute to a weight problem and feelings of sluggishness.
Don't get me wrong a green smoothie can make an amazingly nutrient-dense meal and is way better than stopping for convenient junk food – just consider a large smoothie to be a full meal not a snack. And don't gulp it down too fast.
If your smoothies don't fill you up like a full meal does try adding in a spoon of fiber like ground flax or chia seeds.
Summary:
● Consider not only how much you eat but also what and how you eat it.
● Choose more minimally processed whole foods, especially plants.
● Slow down and focus on mindful eating, whether you are eating or drinking your food.
I know that is a lot to think about. But if you are reading this and thinking that what you knew about healthy eating might be wrong, then chances are you aren't feeling as good as you could be! Let's set up a time to chat so that I can share how I can help.
Are you looking for a tasty idea on how to create a healthy balanced smoothie? Make sure to check out this Chia Peach Green Smoothie!
Recipe (Smoothie meal): Chia Peach Green Smoothie
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
handful spinach
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 banana
1 chopped peach
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Ice if desired
I also recommend adding in 1 scoop of Vanilla Complete to this recipe. It is not a supplement or protein powder, but a whole foods shake mix. Not only does it add 13 grams of minimally processed plant-protein {which by the way is the only plant protein that has scored a perfect score for protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS)}, but it also adds 8 grams of soluble and insoluble fiber from a variety of plants, has Shiitake Mushrooms for Vitamin D, and tastes AMAZING in both Vanilla and Chocolate!
DIRECTIONS
● Simply add ingredients to blender in order listed (you want your greens on the bottom by the blade so they blend better and have the chia on the bottom to absorb some liquid before you blend).
● Wait a couple of minutes for the chia seeds to start soaking up the almond milk.
Blend, Serve and Enjoy!
Tip: Smoothies are the ultimate recipe for substitutions. Try swapping different greens, fruit or seeds to match your preference.
Bonus: Chia seeds not only have fiber and essential omega-3 fatty acids but they contain all of the essential amino acids from protein.
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