How To Eat Healthy

There seems to be a lot of confusion lately regarding the basic concept of what the human diet is. Considering people are sicker and have more chronic disease than ever before leads to the simple fact that we have lost our common sense when identifying the human diet. Technically, we are frugivores which means a plant based diet is optimal for humans. There is a lot of push in many different directions creating mass confusion on what to eat. Low carb vs Low fat vs Carnivore or Plant-based. There is also a lot of hype around extreme practices like fasting, intermittent fasting, juice fasting or water fasting. Well, I’m here to tell you the answer for an optimal diet and how to eat and be healthy is not really so complicated.

Rule No 1

Cut out processed food. Processed food is unhealthy and full of excess oils and sugar which are inflammatory and are empty calories that you do not need. These foods are also void of fiber and water which is what the body needs. Also, processed foods contain a lot of chemicals and preservatives that can be toxic to the body and make you sick. Avoid food in a box or package. That’s your first clue it’s processed. If there is a box or package read the ingredients. If there is more than a few ingredients or you do not know what an ingredient is that’s a sure sign to avoid buying it.

Rule No 2

Eat real food. Eating from nature is your best bet. Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of fiber, water and nutrition such as vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Make healthy choices by picking foods like fresh fruit rather than a bag of chips. Eat fresh vegetables instead of canned vegetables. Adding more vegetables to your meals adds fiber and will make you feel full and improve gut health. Eat hydrating fruit like watermelon and a big salad daily. Replace your unhealthy foods with nutritious fruit and vegetables.

Rule No 3

Eat small frequent meals. Over eating and eating large meals overloads the body and raises blood sugar. Big meals actually stress the body, weakens the immune system and causes over production of insulin.

In addition, digestion requires energy production and when you eat too large of a meal you get tired because digestion literally steals your energy. How frequent you eat may depend on hunger levels, how much you ate at the previous meal and your activity level. Everyone is different and this is where you should listen to your hunger signals. You may eat more meals one day versus another day and that is okay. The goal is not to wait until you’re starving and cranky which can lead to overeating. Focus on nourishing your body when needed and stop eating when you are satisfied.

Rule No 4

Eat a low fat diet. Fats in general are high in calories so you need less quantities of fat than other foods. Also, fats are directly tied to inflammation in the body and we need inflammation because that is how the body protects itself, but over stimulation of inflammation leads to disease. In addition, type two diabetes is caused by too much fat in the muscle cells which the fat prevents the sugar from being able to get into the cell. Imagine a drain pipe clogged up and you turn on the water but it backs up and the water can’t go down the drain. That is what fat does to our cells. It clogs the cell and prevents the sugar from entering. It is also why we have heart and vascular disease. The vessels are also clogged with too much fat in the blood. So you end up with too much fat and sugar in the blood leading to diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Rule No 5

Balance. Eat in moderation. A balanced diet without restricting any food group is best for optimal health. We need carbs, protein, and fats. Just eat the right kind of carbs, fat and protein. Choosing the healthy option of these without cutting out any food group is best. When we are picking natural foods they are naturally designed in the right proportion as Mother Nature intended. For example, eat carbs like fresh fruits and vegetables, potatoes or beans or whole grains. If you eat pasta or rice just eat small servings. Focus more on the vegetables. For protein, avoid fried greasy foods and choose low fat options and keep serving sizes small. Choose plant based protein options when possible such as beans and legumes. For fats, choose natural forms such as nuts, legumes and seeds, but remember you just need small amounts because they are concentrated and are high in calories and all fats if you eat too many can be inflammatory. If using oil use sparingly, I would recommend olive, avocado or sesame oil. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to get a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Rather than doing extreme practices like restricting food or food groups, focus on nourishing the body and giving it what it needs while eliminating unhealthy choices. By eating small frequent meals you prevent your body from having to over work, yet your not depriving you body and you are giving it the fuel it needs.

Homeostasis is a state of balance and well being within the body. Focusing on these five principles of common sense and getting back to basics is the key to not only the human diet, but to the optimal human diet.