Nutrition Basics!

Healthy Eating, what is it? What does it look like?

Healthy eating can mean different things to different people. On one hand, one person might be allergic to dairy (like me) and can have a severe allergic reaction that risks their life if consumed. Another person might not be allergic and might have dairy become a vital part of their lifestyle that provides extra protein in their diet. Overall, some diets might be good for some people like keto or low-carb for people watching their blood sugar or even their epilepsy. Others might thrive on a carb-heavy diet that provides them with steady energy during a run.

For diets, it isn’t a one size fits all type of “fix.” Yes, our bodies have the same mechanisms, but they don’t all work the same. This can be different based off of genetics, environment, health conditions, and how our bodies metabolize foods differently.

First, let’s start with the basics, that pretty much everybody should follow. Now if you have other diseases that may impact, I recommend talking with your doctor or a Registered Dietician to see which may work best for you for nutritional therapy.

Healthy eating can be as simple as following the USDA MyPlate chart and serving sizes on your nutritional facts on the side of food boxes. Your plate should have vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and dairy. If you are like me, dairy will not be included but non-dairy alternatives can be substituted for dairy. I like to fill half of my plate with vegetables, about 2 1/2 cups worth of options like broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc. 6 ounces of grains, anything that is whole grain, oatmeal, and brown rice are some options you can choose from. 5 ounces of protein, or a protein size equivalent of the size of the palm of your hand. Options can include lean-meats like fish, turkey, eggs, chicken, beef, or pork. Dairy equivalent size of three cups throughout the day. This can include a cup of yogurt or a glass of milk. I like to include fruit in the morning about 1 1/2 cups of fruit, weather it be on non-dairy yogurt, a fruit smoothie, or a serving of grapes, etc.

This is what the myplate looks like for reference!

I recommend cooking with avocado oil as it has a high smoke temperature and is one of the healthiest oils as it is mainly made up of monounsaturated healthy fats. As a pro tip, it also helps the break down of dark leafy greens, and the absorption of many nutrients greens have, including calcium, iron, Vitamin A, K, and antioxidants.

For those who live in a darker climate during this winter, I recommend, especially if your doctor has tested your bloodwork, and you’ve found yourself to be low in Vitamin D and or B12 to supplement daily. 5000 IU of a third-party tested Vitamin D, and I also take 5000 mcg of B12 everyday. Adding a variety of foods can also help to make sure your diet supplements all of the correct and needed micro-nutrients it needs everyday.

To feel fuller for longer, high-fat foods, and high-protein foods should be added and focused in your diet vs. white/simple carbohydrates that are digested fast and cannot keep you as full. Lean-meats like one’s mentioned earlier as well as certain monounsaturated oils, polyunsaturated oils on vegetables, butter, avocado, nuts, and seeds are included in these categories. These foods keep you fuller because fats have 9 g per kcal of energy to keep you fuller for longer. Protein has essential amino acids needed to move our muscles everyday, even involuntary ones, like your intestines that help digest food. As well as protein takes more calories to break down as it is harder, in a good way, to digest, burning more calories, to do so. Peptide YY or PYY is one hormone secreted by the gastrointestinal tract that is released when digesting protein that plays a role in regulating appetite, decreasing hunger, and food intake. This can help you keep satiated, full, and help you lose weight in the long run! Especially if your calories in are lower than your daily energy intake or total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) of the day. Now you can count your calories or you can stick to focusing on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins’ to help you stay happy and healthy.

I hope you found this information helpful! Thank you for reading everyone have a good day and healthy eating!