A Healthy Diet

You would think that eating a healthy diet would be a no-brainer, but in today’s high stress, limited prep time, make-it-convenient world, that is no longer the case.  Consider that for the first time in a century, the children who are growing up today have a projected lifespan that will be shorter than their parents.  Consider, too, that of the 10 leading causes of death in America, 9 have to do with lifestyle.  Diet and the lack of activity are the core problems. 

The basic goal why we eat is to nourish ourselves, but the reasons why we eat are myriad. Our diets consist of comfort foods, power foods, foods to make us stronger, foods to make us thinner, and foods to help heal us.  In considering all the reasons why we eat, what then, determines a healthy diet?  It is this; a combination of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, sugars and amino acids that sufficiently provide for our bodies all the nutrients necessary to energize, repair, replenish and satisfy us.  Ultimately, the healthy diet is one that empowers us; a rich variety of foods in all colors, shapes and sizes that bring joy and vigor to our very souls. 

The healthy diet should take into account our genetics, as research has found that our ancestral trailings can make a difference in how we process food.  This is particularly evident with allergies and food intolerance.  Some people have difficulty processing wheat, dairy, or fats, causing an inflammatory response that shows up as sinusitis, weight gain, fatigue, abdominal cramping, bloating or gas.  Knowing and avoiding those foods that create problems can help you live a vital and symptom-free life.

Our diet should be enjoyable.  I grew up in a household that dictated we eat everything that was on our plate, and if we didn’t finish it at dinner, we had to have it for breakfast.  I don’t consider this a healthy method for acquiring one’s daily requirement of nutrients, and did not follow this method of cuisine control with my children.  What this did was only make my sister, brother and me hate liver, lima beans and mixed vegetables. 

Look at your daily diet not as a pyramid but as a team.  Your breakfast should start with the long distance runners; the oatmeal and granola, the whole grain bread and eggs.  These are the foods that are going take hours to digest, providing a slow burn of calories that keeps you energized throughout the morning.  A few sprinters show up by mid-morning; usually fresh or dried fruit.  Lunchtime brings in the specialists, a variety of vegetables and proteins found in salads, soups, chicken, fish and cheese, which will nourish you and replace valuable vitamins and minerals necessary for your body to function properly.  By mid-afternoon, another power player is engaged to help ward off the possible energy meltdown.  This can include almonds, walnuts, celery with peanut or almond butter.  The evening meal brings in the closers, the proteins and amino acids necessary to repair and promote cellular growth.  This could be a meatless meal of beans, rice and/or corn or a choice of beef, fish or chicken with vegetables.  An evening snack might include popcorn, a cup of hot chocolate or frozen yogurt, a handful of nuts and raisins, or a piece of dark chocolate.

Interspersed among the food is a steady diet of water, usually between meals, and which contains zero calories.  Supplemental beverages can include green tea, wine and dark beer.  Staying well hydrated throughout the day helps maintain your energy levels and keeps you from over-eating by confusing hunger with thirst.

Finally, make sure your diet is varietal.  Eat different foods with different colors and textures, learn which foods are great combined together, be bold enough to try new food, and be discerning enough to stop eating the foods which can inflame you or make you ill.

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