Is Everything You Think You Know About Healthy Eating, Wrong and Making You Fat and Tired?
Oh my goodness – nutrition and diet info is everywhere!
And each expert and association tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you. Right?
Well, maybe…
Everyone has heard (and maybe lived through) the intense focus on how much you eat. This has gotten way too much attention because while this does affect your weight and energy level, it’s certainly not the “holy grail” of health.
Let’s focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.
What you eat and drink
The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (i.e. how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that may be just as important. Don’t get me wrong limiting calories, carbs or fat can certainly help you drop some pounds but that’s simply not the only factor for long-term weight release and maximum energy for everyone.
When the intense focus on how much we ate didn’t work in the long-run it wasn’t really a surprise. We kinda knew that already, didn’t we?
You can certainly still continue to count your calories, carbs, and fat if that has been working for you, but don’t forget to also pay attention to what you eat.
Ideally, you need a varied diet full of minimally-processed foods (i.e. fewer “packaged” “ready-to-eat” foods). This simple concept is paramount for weight release, increase energy, improved mood and overall health and wellness.
Every day this is what you should aim for:
- A colorful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack. This will provide the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that you need.
- Enough protein with each meal. This can be animal or plant base protein. Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids (bonus: eating protein can increase your metabolism).
- Healthy fats and oils (never “hydrogenated” ones). There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” – you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads . Healthy fats and oils included extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, coconut, avocado, olives, nuts and seeds . You don’t need to overdo it here. Just make sure you’re getting some high-quality fats.
How you eat and drink
Also pay attention to how you eat and drink.
Studies are definitely showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.
As a Busy Professional, Real-Life Superwoman, are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues?
When it comes to how you eat let’s first look at “mindful eating”.
Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe.
This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.
This can also help with weight release because eating slower often means eating less. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?
Thought so!
We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.
And don’t forget about drinking your food.
Yes, smoothies can be healthy and a fabulously easy and tasty way to get in some fruits and veggies (hello leafy greens!) but drinking too much food can contribute to a weight problem and feelings of sluggishness.
Don’t get me wrong a green smoothie can make an amazingly nutrient-dense meal. In fact, I have one every morning. – just consider a large smoothie to be a full meal not a snack. And don’t gulp it down too fast.
If your smoothies don’t fill you up like a full meal does try adding in a spoon of fiber like ground flax or chia seeds. Another helpful hint is to use avocado instead of banana and add a scoop of protein.
Summary:
Consider not only how much you eat but also what and how you eat it.
References:
http://summertomato.com/wisdom-wednesday-salad-dressing-is-your-friend
https://authoritynutrition.com/20-reasons-you-are-not-losing-weight/
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2
So many great truths here. I have heard about the fact that if we eat too fast, unaware of the intake that we are doing more damage than good. Eating mindfully does go a long way. I also thank you for sharing how too many smoothies can actually not be great for us. I too have heard that from a nutrition expert, but it is hard for the general public to figure out what is “wrong” and what is “right”. Nutritional information can be information overload for sure! Thanks for breaking these down for us. Sharing!
Elizabeth,
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on the blog post. Yes, soo much information on what to eat and what not to eat can be very confusing. I am glad you found this post helpful.