Everything You Think You Know About Healthy Eating is Wrong and it's Making You Fat and Tired
Oh
my gosh – 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 lose weight but that's simply not
the only factor for long-term weight loss 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 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 loss, energy, and overall health and wellness.
Every
day this is what you should aim for:
●
A colourful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal
and snack. You need the fiber,
antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
●
Enough 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.
Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, eat your organic egg yolks,
and get grass-fed meats when possible.
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.
Are
you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from
gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?
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 loss 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 and is way better than stopping for convenient
junk food – 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.
Summary:
Consider
not only how much you eat but also what and how you eat it.
Recipe
(Smoothie meal): Chia Peach Green Smoothie
Serves
1
handful
spinach
1
tablespoon chia seeds
1
banana
1
chopped peach
1
cup unsweetened almond milk
Add
ingredients to blender in order listed (you want your greens on the bottom by
the blade so they blend better and have the chia on the bottom to absorb some
liquid before you blend).
Wait
a couple of minutes for the chia seeds to start soaking up the almond milk.
Blend,
Serve and Enjoy!
Tip:
Smoothies are the ultimate recipe for substitutions. Try swapping different greens, fruit or seeds
to match your preference.
Bonus:
Chia seeds not only have fiber and essential omega-3 fatty acids but they contain all of the essential amino acids from
protein.
References:
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