Just the basics: A bit about healthy eating

Just the basics: A bit about healthy eating

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

Let's keep this simple. Start by eating lots of vegetables. Cover at least half of the plate with it. And eat them, don't just put them on the plate.

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

Should the vegetables be organic?

Eating organic is about avoiding pesticides, not just better taste. Consuming pesticides has no benefits. Organic foods have also been shown to have higher levels of antioxidants. They are good for your health.

To find produce grown with the lowest levels of pesticides, simply search for Clean 15 Produce 2020. On the list you'll find mostly vegetables with some fruits. So you don't need organic versions of these foods.

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

The most important thing, however, is to eat lots of vegetables – organic or not. Just do it.

What about fruits? How important are they?

Fruits and vegetables are usually lumped together, but they are not the same.

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

Eat 2 servings 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 triglycerides, and that is an independent risk factor for heart disease.

Fructose can cause insulin resistance. Metabolic diseases have insulin resistance in common: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, heart disease and certain cancers. Over 70% of deaths in the United States are due to one or more of these conditions.

Fructose can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in susceptible people.

Fructose is addictive for some people.

Fructose can cause tooth decay.

Last but not least, fructose is absolutely the wrong fuel after training. Instead, we need a combination of starch & protein in a ratio of 3 to 1 (in terms of 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:

May help strengthen the immune system. We cannot function without an immune system, and the immune system cannot function without protein.

Provides L-glutamine. This is the fuel that runs the immune system. It is found in fish, chicken, beef, eggs, shrimp, crab, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. Vegans: Plant sources of glutamine include chickpeas, lentils, beans, asparagus, nuts, red cabbage, parsley, spinach, cabbage, kale, coriander and radish.

Can help increase muscle mass during strength training. Because muscle is a highly metabolic tissue, it offers aid in weight management.

May help with appetite control due to the hormones it affects. One of them is CCK, which promotes satiety and reduces carbohydrate cravings. Protein reduces ghrelin, which tends to increase appetite and slow metabolism.

Is the key in brain chemistry. Proteins are made up of amino acids. These are the precursors to many “feel-good” brain chemicals, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

Don’t eat “fake proteins”

Nuts are mostly fatty, with little protein. Quinoa is mostly carbohydrates, with some protein. Beans & rice are high in carbohydrates and low in protein.

Vegans should use plant-based protein powders instead: peas, hemp, brown rice, vegetables.

One final point

Limit sugar and white flour. Both are addictive and trigger a high insulin response. High insulin levels can lead to inflammation, the root cause of most illnesses and virtually all chronic diseases. Food is key to controlling inflammation.

There are many other things that can be said about food, but let's keep it simple.