3 Simple ways to Improve your Diet
Maybe you’re trying to get started eating healthier but don’t know where to begin. Looking online just provides an avalanche of conflicting information. Everyone seems to have an opinion, and everyone thinks they’re an expert. Talking about nutrition is about the same as talking about politics these days – don’t dare to disagree with someone on social media. Some people claim that the only way to be healthy is to be vegan and eat no animal products whatsoever. Others insist that you should be strict carnivore and eat ONLY animal products. While more restrictive diets may have their place and can help people with certain health conditions, the majority of people could improve their health significantly just by making a few simple changes. Here are 3 basic steps you can take today to improve your diet no matter where you are currently:
1. Eat real food.
This may sound obvious, but most of the food people eat nowadays resembles more of a chemistry experiment than the simple foods our ancestors ate. Processed foods are generally full of ingredients like added sugars, refined grains, artificial flavors and colorings, preservatives, and other things you can’t pronounce. What’s more, many of these packaged foods have claims that make them sound healthy, such as:
“Made with whole grains!”
“Contains 17 vitamins and minerals!”
“May lower cholesterol!”
The real reason they have “17 vitamins and minerals” is that synthetic vitamins and minerals are added after all the processing. I’m sorry, but sticking a multivitamin in a donut doesn’t make it healthy.
So what do I mean by “real food?” I’m talking about simple foods that people have been eating for centuries:
· Fruit
· Vegetables
· Meat
· Fish
· Nuts
· Seeds
· Legumes
· Whole grains
· Dairy products with no added sugar, etc.
Everyone may not do well with all of these foods, especially grains and dairy, but this is a good place to start. Shop on the outside of the grocery store for the most part, where the produce, meat, etc. are located. If you do choose certain packaged foods, check the label for the ingredients list. If the list is short and you recognize the words, that’s a good sign. If there’s a long list of words you can’t pronounce and things like “TBHQ” or “Red 40” I would recommend skipping it.
TIP: Most foods in a bag aren’t great, but frozen fruit and veggies are just fine and can be an easy and convenient option.
2. Stop drinking sugar
One of the most common ways people sabotage their health is by consuming sugary beverages such as sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweet tea, sweetened coffee drinks, etc. These beverages are full of questionable ingredients, empty calories, and will put your blood sugar on a roller coaster for the rest of the day. I can’t tell you how many people have told me that they lost a significant amount of weight just by cutting out soda or sweet tea. Even sports drinks like Gatorade are typically loaded with sugar and artificial colorings or flavors even though they are marketed as a healthy option. And don’t think you’re good just because you drink the “diet” versions – artificial sweeteners may be just as bad or worse than actual sugar.
Another sneaky one to watch out for is fruit juice. One cup of apple juice has 24 grams of sugar and one cup of grape juice has 36 grams. Not only is this more sugar than you would get in an actual piece of fruit, it doesn’t have the fiber that real fruit contains, so it will spike your blood sugar faster.
What should we be drinking then? Good filtered water is obviously the best option, but some people may need to wean themselves off their sugary drinks. Kombucha (watch out for the caffeine and sugar), herbal tea, and sparkling water (such as Spindrift and La Croix) are some healthier options to consume in moderation if you miss your fizzy or sugary beverages.
3. Get an oil change
While fats and oils have been vilified for years, they are actually a healthy addition to your diet if you are consuming the right ones. The problem is, most people aren’t consuming the right ones. Common oils used for cooking and found in processed foods include canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil. Sometimes they are just listed as “vegetable oil.” These oils may be marketed as “heart healthy” but might actually be terrible for your cardiovascular health. Processed vegetable oils are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats that are easily damaged by heat, air, and light. Because of this damage (known as oxidation), when you consume these oils they can cause increased inflammation in your body. Also, people in our culture today tend to consume too many omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3 fats. While you need both, a traditional ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 was typically around 1:1 to 4:1. Today many people have a much higher ratio, and this imbalance could lead to chronic inflammation and increased risk for disease, including cardiovascular disease. Some research has also linked vegetable/seed oils such as soybean oil to greater weight gain and obesity.
If these highly processed oils are not healthy, which ones are better for cooking and adding to your food? Here are some better options:
· Olive oil (extra virgin)
· Avocado oil
· Coconut oil (unrefined)
· Grass-fed butter
· Ghee (aka clarified butter)
These fats/oils contain less inflammatory omega-6 fats and they can better withstand heat during cooking as well. Unlike processed vegetable/seed oils, which are a more recent addition to the food system, these more natural fat sources have been consumed by healthy cultures for centuries. Simply switching out the oils you are cooking with can be a great way to reduce chronic inflammation and improve health.
TIP: Olive oil and avocado oils can be mixed/adulterated with cheap vegetable oils such as soybean oil, so make sure to do your research on what brands are best.
Hopefully these 3 tips are enough to get you started on a healthier diet. If you’re still having trouble dialing in your nutrition plan, we can help! Schedule a free discovery call or an initial consultation to get started today.
References
https://chriskresser.com/heart-healthy-oils-myth/
Blasbalg TL, Hibbeln JR, Ramsden CE, Majchrzak SF, Rawlings RR. Changes in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the United States during the 20th century. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May;93(5):950-62. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.006643. Epub 2011 Mar 2. PMID: 21367944; PMCID: PMC3076650.
Pei, X., Xie, Z., Wang, J., Shi, K., Han, F., Li, A., & Liu, H. (2018). The effect of various intake levels of soybean oil on blood glucose and inflammation in mice. Food and Agricultural Immunology, 29, 511 - 523.
Deol, P., Evans, J. R., Dhahbi, J., Chellappa, K., Han, D. S., Spindler, S., & Sladek, F. M. (2015). Soybean Oil Is More Obesogenic and Diabetogenic than Coconut Oil and Fructose in Mouse: Potential Role for the Liver. PloS one, 10(7), e0132672. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132672
Patterson, E., Wall, R., Fitzgerald, G. F., Ross, R. P., & Stanton, C. (2012). Health implications of high dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated Fatty acids. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2012, 539426. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/539426
https://draxe.com/nutrition/processed-foods/
Malik, V. S., & Hu, F. B. (2022). The role of sugar-sweetened beverages in the global epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases. Nature reviews. Endocrinology, 18(4), 205–218. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00627-6