Only the basics: a bit about healthy eating

Only the basics: a bit about healthy eating

I am often asked what I consider as the basic guidelines for a healthy diet.

just let us hold that. Start eating a lot of vegetables. Cover at least half of the plate. And eat them, don't just put them on the plate.

Eat a variety of vegetables, not always the same. If you eat the vegetables during the season, it's pretty easy.

Should the vegetables be organic?

Bio-eating is about avoiding pesticides, not just about better taste. The consumption of pesticides has no advantages. It was also shown that organic food has a higher content of antioxidants. They are good for health.

To find products that have been grown with the lowest pesticide, simply search for Clean 15 Produce 2020. On the list you can mainly find vegetables with some fruits. So you don't need organic versions of these foods.

On the other hand, you will find food that has been grown with most pesticides by searching for Dirty Dozen Produce 2020. This year, this list mainly contains fruits with a few vegetables. You don't have to avoid these foods, but buy organic whenever you can.

The most important thing is to eat a lot of vegetables - organic or not. Just do it.

What about fruits? How important are you?

fruits and vegetables are usually thrown into a pot, but they are not the same.

I press on vegetables. Eat at least 5 to 9 servings of vegetables every day.

Eat 2 portions of fruit per day max. One serving is 1/2 cup or 1 medium -sized fruit. Because fruits contain fructose, a harmful sugar.

fructose increases the triglycerides, and this is an independent risk factor for heart disease.

fructose can trigger insulin resistance. Metabolic diseases have a common insulin resistance: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high triglycerides, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Over 70 % of deaths in the United States are due to one or more of these diseases.

fructose can lead to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) in susceptible people.

fructose is addicted to some people.

fructose can cause tooth decay.

Last but not least, fructose is the absolutely wrong fuel after training. Instead, we need a combination of strength & Protein in a ratio of 3 to 1 (based on grams or calories).

What else should we eat for good health?

protein is super important and should cover about 1/4 of the plate.

protein:

can help strengthen the immune system. We cannot work without an immune system, and the immune system cannot work without protein.

delivers L-glutamine. This is the fuel with which the immune system runs. It is contained in fish, chicken, beef, eggs, shrimp, crabs, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. Vegans: vegetable glutamine sources are chickpeas, lentils, beans, asparagus, nuts, red cabbage, parsley, spinach, cabbage, kale, coriander and radish.

can help with strength training to increase muscle mass. Since muscles are strongly metabolic tissue, it offers help in weight management.

can help with appetite control. One of them is CCK, which promotes the feeling of satiety and reduces the desire for carbohydrates. Protein reduces Ghrelin, which tends to increase the appetite and slow down the metabolism.

is the key in brain chemistry. Proteins consist of amino acids. These are the forerunners of many "feel-good" brain chemicals, including dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin.

don't eat "fake proteins"

nuts are mostly fat, with only a little protein. Quinoa mainly consists of carbohydrates, with a little protein. Beans & rice contain a lot of carbohydrates, with little protein.

vegans should rather use vegetable protein powder: peas, hemp, natural rice, vegetables.

a last point

limit sugar and white flour. Both are addictive and trigger a high insulin response. A high insulin level can lead to inflammation, the main cause of most diseases and practically all chronic diseases. Food is the key to controlling inflammation.

You can say many other things about the food, but let's just hold it.