“Enjoy food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Michael Pollan stated those words a decade ago, knowing that it will always be good advice for each person, in every country on the globe, despite the fact that McDonald’s is a major sponsor of the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
As a society, we are so interested in food. We spend numerous money on it, we post pictures and recipes, and we often get frustrated along with the results that it produces in our bodies. We even invest ridiculous amounts of cash on every conceivable gadget that tracks what we eat and drink.
One of the most astonishing gadgets is one called the Pavlock Model, which is a self-administered device that zaps you along with high voltage if you get too close to fried food, or if you go over your allotted amount of calories. We all need motivation, but this seems to go past civilized reasoning.
Research shows that all diets work if we stick along with them. The problem is that few people have actually the perseverance to hang in there long enough to see results, nor do we exercise sustainably, which often times covers for our poor diets because we simply burn off the excess.
Enjoying food is very important. Food is pleasurable, especially when we dine along with good company, and take time to savor the meal.
For most of us, food is additionally plentiful, which often turns our blessings into a curse. We simply overeat, or eat products that are detrimental to us. A little meat won’t kill you, though it’s better approached as a adverse dish than as a main.
Once upon a time, food was all we could eat, but today there are numerous edible food like substances in the supermarket that sound good, but really have actually little nutrition. These products of food science often come in packages along with health claims, which reminds me that if the manufacture has actually to write these claims on the package, it’s a good indication that it’s not really the kind of substance you want to eat on a regular basis. Examples include Go-Gurt, Healthy Heart Strawberry Vanilla Breakfast Bar and Circle Shaped Processed Sausage Patties.
Especially avoid products containing ingredients that are unpronounceable, have actually over eight ingredients, or are high in high-fructose corn syrup. They are all indicators that the product is highly processed.
A healthy rule of thumb is to have actually 80 percent of your diet be whole (one ingredient) foods. Whole foods basically look like what they start out being: eggs, bananas, nuts, spinach. Taken a step further, whole foods are even better for you when they are not cooked. Nutrients begin to disappear when heat is applied through cooking. So, even if you are eating good foods, cooking them greatly reduces the value. Obviously, some plants need cooked. If so, try grilling or steaming.
Nuts and seeds are perfect sources of protein, and do not need to be prepared. Lean meats, are fine once in a while, but as stated earlier, as a side, rather than the main course.
“Eat Less” could be the most unwelcome advice of all, but indeed it is a message that needs communicated. Eating less has actually numerous advantages, including disease prevention, lean muscle-mass, and the overall good feeling that numerous of us crave. I hate feeling full, despite the fact that at times I do indulge in more food than I should eat. We have actually so much abundance.
Back to the 80 percent rule: Eat until you are about 80 percent full, and then stop. Feeling powerful rather than fat and full is a much better way to live and be happy.
Enjoy food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Dana Neer is a local coach and fitness enthusiast who contributes a monthly column. He could be reached by email at Dana.Neer@Culver.org.
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