A whole section dedicated to diet books telling you exactly what to eat to get shredded, lose 10 lbs in 10 days!, and become healthier. Why are we still relatively unhealthy and overweight? (mostly, because a lot of books are based on fads, and there is no one-size fits-all diet).
Do you have celiac disease? peanut allergy? lactose intolerance? kidney disease? glycogen storage disease? a competitive athlete? etc, etc, etc.
If YES, then you probably need very specific dietary instructions. For those instructions, you should seek specific attention from an expert who deals in that area (or click the contact link at the top of the page for my help).
Otherwise, the collective whole who generally do not have specific dietary needs can probably be given a set of guidelines to live by when shopping, purchasing, and eating food and drink. I aim to shed some light on my take of just what those "guidelines" to go by are. This is only my expert opinion, and I am sure others, both expert and non-expert, will agree and disagree with some, none, or maybe all of it. Oh well...they are entitled to their opinion, which is exactly why I write this.
#1 Rule: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (Exclusively)...and you will likely become healthy/healthier. Likely this consists of the produce, bakery, meat, seafood, egg/dairy, and deli sections. There are of course choices to go for organic, free-range, grass-fed, pasture raised, etc., but that discussion is for another time. I do advocate to shop ethically humane first, and locally second, with organic and the other stuff next. Regardless, the concept of eating whole, unprocessed foods is paramount to a simple and practical diet that will likely embody positive health.
(Of course, there are the frozen veggies, the herbs, spices, sauces that would also be included; the easiest way to tell is the list of ingredients should be ~1,2, or 3 ingredients long. These definitely can have a place in your kitchen. The general rest include your pasta, rice, beans and other "complex type carb". I suggest them to make up a small side of your plate, if they are on your plate at all (this depends on your "carb tolerance, current health status, and desired outcome goals). All the other stuff is likely processed sugary and fatty combo food like products. Stick to the perimeter.
If you say, Dr. D., I work like crazy, hate/can't cook, and eat out almost all of the time.
Simple...you probably eat at the same or similar eating establishment most of the time. Find out what healthy choices are available and choose them when you go there. Healthy eating habits are hard to break too. If you do randomly go to eat somewhere else, then that would be the equivalent of eating out for you, so you might say to yourself "I can get whatever I am in the mood for because I rarely come here". If there are no healthy choices at your daily eatery....than change your daily eatery! On top of that you can try to pack some snacks that are simple and found in the perimeter (veggies, fruits, nuts, plain yogurt, etc.)
#2 Rule: Don't have cheat days. The last time I checked, the term cheat refers to a negative connotation and is essentially bad. Why would you want to enjoy cheating. I love homemade chocolate chip cookies, but when I eat one I do not say "oh, its alright..today is my cheat day". Bollucks. You are supposed to enjoy that food and because I rarely get to enjoy a homemade chocolate chip cookie I am not that worried about it's impact on my OVERALL health (To understand more of my take on this topic, please read the last blog on Easter Candy)
#3: Consistency: Understanding that things happen and things change on a day-to-day basis is important. The concept of a "detour" is something that deviates from the original path, but still brings you back toward it. That is what eating out, getting a certain dessert you absolutely love, or changing where you eat on a random day is all about. Don't let it re-route your entire path or change your destination, but merely be a detour that is still part of your healthy dietary path. Remember, we are looking to establish lifestyle habits. You know, one's you'll have for life.
#4: Eat a little bit slower. I won't go into this in detail, but a lot of the literature tells us that it does take some time (~20 min) for hormones, receptors, etc. to signal that you have filled the nutrient quota for the moment.
#5: Sit down and try to eat with people (for meals that is). Food is a great social network, plus a great "bonding" practice.
#6: Keep it simple, stupid: Hey, if you see a recipe on a cooking show that is fancy and you want to try and make it...have at it Haus. But on a daily basis (I) do not try and make elaborate and complex meals with a wide variety of ingredients. I typically eat very simple, and so does my family. If I want those bacon wrapped scallops that have been pan seared to perfection and combined with asparagus and topped with a Hollandaise sauce that is just heavenly...I will go to a nice/specific restaurant, with a chef who has essentially dedicated their life to making this meal absolutely perfect, and enjoy the heck out of it there.
Now when it comes to the proportions of what you should eat, I am slowly forming strong opinions about this. I am slightly biased, because my postdoctoral training is in a lab that studies low carbohydrate dieting and also, my eyes have been opened to the general truth behind carbs and fats.
As you can see from above, I generally recommend fruits/veggies, eggs, seafood, meat (if you consume it), dairy (same as last food). Yes, the bakery has bread, and (most likely) that bread is made fresh daily, from a few ingredients. Sure, eat some of it, but again...it is a small side or compliment to the whole of your meal. The concept behind putting a percentage or ratio to macronutrients (fat,carbs,protein) seems to be so important to people. These rules can get complicated because they have to consider the context of all the different foods you are eating. Anyway.
Without getting complicated here (as I would love to get complicated, and probably will in another post):
Eat vegetables and fruits whenever you can, as much as you want (typically more veggies than fruits...but as my good friend Dr. William Lagakos said, "Nobody gets fat from eating too many apples".
Eat seafood: (Salmon tends to reign king, but seafood is great so just include it as much as you can). Again, EAT SEAFOOD
Eat meats/eggs: Fresh, pasture raised/grass fed, and local is what you SHOULD probably buy and what I DO recommend. Don't be afraid of the fattier cuts of meat. In fact, I support them. After all, If you buy 80% ground beef (as I just did from Trader Joes at a SUPER cheap price of $2.69/lb) per serving there are 23g of total fat, with only 9g of saturated fat....That means the rest is unsaturated fat, primarily monounsaturated?? Yes, meat has a great fatty acid ratio and one that you should generally strive to consume (again, another topic/post). If you don't eat meat (and even if you do), yes Soy is a great source of protein and has adequate amounts of leucine (a very important amino acid for protein synthesis).
Consume dairy: I shoot for plain and 2% or whole milk varieties. The "slandered" saturated fat consumed in 5-8g amounts, as is present in 2% and whole is very filling, will only help with your HDL-cholesterol, and is happily burned by your body, IF....I say, I do say IF you are not consuming a ton of carbohydrate, primarily simple based, but complex carbs as well.
Carbs: My favorite go to are beans. Use pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, yada, yada, yada as a great side to each meal.
My typical lunch is either a badass salad (with meat, cheese, olives, avocados, etc.) or a ground beef/turkey, kidney/black/cannellini bean, salsa, and spinach/greens mix. My snacks are cashews/walnuts/almonds.
Drink: water/tea are again what you SHOULD be consuming (unless you consider some type of milk as well), with (IMO) diet soda being better than regular soda, if you actually enjoy the taste of diet soda [I do, but can't stand sweeteners in my coffee, yogurt, and even some protein powders (yet, another post talking about sweeteners and sugar)]. I'm totally down with coffee, but avoid the coffee "drinks" that contain a ton of sugar. Alcohol tends to be very beneficial when consumed in moderation (1-2 drinks every day/other day).
In the end, I could write a whole book on this topic alone, especially with the details that would make up several other blogposts (and in fact I am writing such book).
Anyway, most people probably know what to eat (in general) and what to avoid (in general), but rarely follow what they know and believe to be healthy. Who knows why...will power might play a part of this. So easier instructions....follow RULE #1.
Each person is different, and individualized diets are the way of the future....but for now, I hope some of these tips can at least help guide you to making healthier choices.
This specific post is not intended, nor claiming, to be a cure for health or obesity, but rather a set of guidelines that I believe to be easy to follow, and in favor of promoting health and weight maintenance.
-Pd
Do you have celiac disease? peanut allergy? lactose intolerance? kidney disease? glycogen storage disease? a competitive athlete? etc, etc, etc.
If YES, then you probably need very specific dietary instructions. For those instructions, you should seek specific attention from an expert who deals in that area (or click the contact link at the top of the page for my help).
Otherwise, the collective whole who generally do not have specific dietary needs can probably be given a set of guidelines to live by when shopping, purchasing, and eating food and drink. I aim to shed some light on my take of just what those "guidelines" to go by are. This is only my expert opinion, and I am sure others, both expert and non-expert, will agree and disagree with some, none, or maybe all of it. Oh well...they are entitled to their opinion, which is exactly why I write this.
#1 Rule: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (Exclusively)...and you will likely become healthy/healthier. Likely this consists of the produce, bakery, meat, seafood, egg/dairy, and deli sections. There are of course choices to go for organic, free-range, grass-fed, pasture raised, etc., but that discussion is for another time. I do advocate to shop ethically humane first, and locally second, with organic and the other stuff next. Regardless, the concept of eating whole, unprocessed foods is paramount to a simple and practical diet that will likely embody positive health.
(Of course, there are the frozen veggies, the herbs, spices, sauces that would also be included; the easiest way to tell is the list of ingredients should be ~1,2, or 3 ingredients long. These definitely can have a place in your kitchen. The general rest include your pasta, rice, beans and other "complex type carb". I suggest them to make up a small side of your plate, if they are on your plate at all (this depends on your "carb tolerance, current health status, and desired outcome goals). All the other stuff is likely processed sugary and fatty combo food like products. Stick to the perimeter.
If you say, Dr. D., I work like crazy, hate/can't cook, and eat out almost all of the time.
Simple...you probably eat at the same or similar eating establishment most of the time. Find out what healthy choices are available and choose them when you go there. Healthy eating habits are hard to break too. If you do randomly go to eat somewhere else, then that would be the equivalent of eating out for you, so you might say to yourself "I can get whatever I am in the mood for because I rarely come here". If there are no healthy choices at your daily eatery....than change your daily eatery! On top of that you can try to pack some snacks that are simple and found in the perimeter (veggies, fruits, nuts, plain yogurt, etc.)
#2 Rule: Don't have cheat days. The last time I checked, the term cheat refers to a negative connotation and is essentially bad. Why would you want to enjoy cheating. I love homemade chocolate chip cookies, but when I eat one I do not say "oh, its alright..today is my cheat day". Bollucks. You are supposed to enjoy that food and because I rarely get to enjoy a homemade chocolate chip cookie I am not that worried about it's impact on my OVERALL health (To understand more of my take on this topic, please read the last blog on Easter Candy)
#3: Consistency: Understanding that things happen and things change on a day-to-day basis is important. The concept of a "detour" is something that deviates from the original path, but still brings you back toward it. That is what eating out, getting a certain dessert you absolutely love, or changing where you eat on a random day is all about. Don't let it re-route your entire path or change your destination, but merely be a detour that is still part of your healthy dietary path. Remember, we are looking to establish lifestyle habits. You know, one's you'll have for life.
#4: Eat a little bit slower. I won't go into this in detail, but a lot of the literature tells us that it does take some time (~20 min) for hormones, receptors, etc. to signal that you have filled the nutrient quota for the moment.
#5: Sit down and try to eat with people (for meals that is). Food is a great social network, plus a great "bonding" practice.
#6: Keep it simple, stupid: Hey, if you see a recipe on a cooking show that is fancy and you want to try and make it...have at it Haus. But on a daily basis (I) do not try and make elaborate and complex meals with a wide variety of ingredients. I typically eat very simple, and so does my family. If I want those bacon wrapped scallops that have been pan seared to perfection and combined with asparagus and topped with a Hollandaise sauce that is just heavenly...I will go to a nice/specific restaurant, with a chef who has essentially dedicated their life to making this meal absolutely perfect, and enjoy the heck out of it there.
Now when it comes to the proportions of what you should eat, I am slowly forming strong opinions about this. I am slightly biased, because my postdoctoral training is in a lab that studies low carbohydrate dieting and also, my eyes have been opened to the general truth behind carbs and fats.
As you can see from above, I generally recommend fruits/veggies, eggs, seafood, meat (if you consume it), dairy (same as last food). Yes, the bakery has bread, and (most likely) that bread is made fresh daily, from a few ingredients. Sure, eat some of it, but again...it is a small side or compliment to the whole of your meal. The concept behind putting a percentage or ratio to macronutrients (fat,carbs,protein) seems to be so important to people. These rules can get complicated because they have to consider the context of all the different foods you are eating. Anyway.
Without getting complicated here (as I would love to get complicated, and probably will in another post):
Eat vegetables and fruits whenever you can, as much as you want (typically more veggies than fruits...but as my good friend Dr. William Lagakos said, "Nobody gets fat from eating too many apples".
Eat seafood: (Salmon tends to reign king, but seafood is great so just include it as much as you can). Again, EAT SEAFOOD
Eat meats/eggs: Fresh, pasture raised/grass fed, and local is what you SHOULD probably buy and what I DO recommend. Don't be afraid of the fattier cuts of meat. In fact, I support them. After all, If you buy 80% ground beef (as I just did from Trader Joes at a SUPER cheap price of $2.69/lb) per serving there are 23g of total fat, with only 9g of saturated fat....That means the rest is unsaturated fat, primarily monounsaturated?? Yes, meat has a great fatty acid ratio and one that you should generally strive to consume (again, another topic/post). If you don't eat meat (and even if you do), yes Soy is a great source of protein and has adequate amounts of leucine (a very important amino acid for protein synthesis).
Consume dairy: I shoot for plain and 2% or whole milk varieties. The "slandered" saturated fat consumed in 5-8g amounts, as is present in 2% and whole is very filling, will only help with your HDL-cholesterol, and is happily burned by your body, IF....I say, I do say IF you are not consuming a ton of carbohydrate, primarily simple based, but complex carbs as well.
Carbs: My favorite go to are beans. Use pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, yada, yada, yada as a great side to each meal.
My typical lunch is either a badass salad (with meat, cheese, olives, avocados, etc.) or a ground beef/turkey, kidney/black/cannellini bean, salsa, and spinach/greens mix. My snacks are cashews/walnuts/almonds.
Drink: water/tea are again what you SHOULD be consuming (unless you consider some type of milk as well), with (IMO) diet soda being better than regular soda, if you actually enjoy the taste of diet soda [I do, but can't stand sweeteners in my coffee, yogurt, and even some protein powders (yet, another post talking about sweeteners and sugar)]. I'm totally down with coffee, but avoid the coffee "drinks" that contain a ton of sugar. Alcohol tends to be very beneficial when consumed in moderation (1-2 drinks every day/other day).
In the end, I could write a whole book on this topic alone, especially with the details that would make up several other blogposts (and in fact I am writing such book).
Anyway, most people probably know what to eat (in general) and what to avoid (in general), but rarely follow what they know and believe to be healthy. Who knows why...will power might play a part of this. So easier instructions....follow RULE #1.
Each person is different, and individualized diets are the way of the future....but for now, I hope some of these tips can at least help guide you to making healthier choices.
This specific post is not intended, nor claiming, to be a cure for health or obesity, but rather a set of guidelines that I believe to be easy to follow, and in favor of promoting health and weight maintenance.
-Pd
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