There are so many conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not healthy. One day we are told that we should avoid alcohol and the next that red wine contains healthy antioxidants. It is no wonder that we are all very confused! However, I am sure that really you know what things are healthy for you and make you feel good. You might just want be looking for permission to eat those things you know you are better to avoid!
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Here are 10 tips to help focus you to eat healthier and help reduce any confusion about nutrition:
Protein – it is important to eat good quality protein at every meal. According to Dr Mark Hyman in his book “What the heck should I eat?”, we should aim to eat 115-170g protein per meal. Remember, also, to vary the proteins we eat so that we are sure to get the full spectrum of amino acids that our bodies need. We need protein for good bone health and to help our liver work efficiently to move toxins and excess hormones out of the body.
Eat the rainbow – we need to eat different coloured plant foods with 50-75% of each meal consisting of coloured vegetables. According to Deanna Minich, we should try to eat the following colours daily: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, white (eg raspberries, carrots, lemon, broccoli, blueberries, mushrooms, onion).
Healthy fats - aim for 3-5 servings of healthy fats daily (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut, olives, extra virgin olive oil). These are vital for healthy cells.
Low-glycemic - Eat a low-glycemic diet to keep your blood sugar stable. This helps keep your insulin down and reduce your risk of Diabetes Type 2 as well as keep your mood stable and help you avoid over-eating. Including protein and vegetables at each meal helps with this.
Timing of meals - eat every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugar stable and to avoid cortisol kicking in. Also, it is important that you allow the full cycle of digestion to complete before you start eating again.
Chew, chew, chew! – make sure you chew your food thoroughly and never eat when stressed. This enables optimal digestion and absorption of all the great nutrients from the foods you are eating.
Varied diet – it is important to eat different kinds of foods and not stick to the same old foods. The good bacteria in our gut thrive on many different types of foods and there is a risk that the diversity of bacteria will be low unless we eat a varied diet.
Avoid inflammatory foods - avoid foods which cause you digestive issues. Gluten and dairy are known to irritate the gut for certain people and it is wise to avoid eating these at every single meal.
Whole grains - eat small amounts of whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa,
and buckwheat for fibre and B vitamins.Real whole foods - avoid processed foods with artificial ingredients and sweeteners that you cannot pronounce. Try and eat things that our ancestors would have eaten, for example, meat, eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables.
I hope I've given you some ideas to eat healthier and help you choose those foods which make you feel great. Final takeaway (of the non-sugar fatty salty variety!!) – make sure you always listen to your body as just because something is healthy does not mean that your body enjoys it or can digest it well. Avoid foods that make you feel uncomfortable and enjoy the ones that make you feel good. And if you do want to enjoy something that is not the healthiest, make sure you sit down and savour it properly.
