Diet is a fascinating topic — there’s an endless amount of nutritional nuance, refinement, and data available, with all that information it is possible to create a prescriptive personalized diet. Yet, what is appropriate for one person’s diet may not necessarily be ideal or work for another — we all have different taste preferences, come from different families and cultures, have different health profiles and resources, and have unique life circumstances.
As a consequence, there are innumerable challenges with trying to develop an ideal diet that will work well for everyone. Be leery of a diet claiming it “is the only way to eat healthfully”, that unnecessarily eliminates foods or food groups (people with food allergies, intolerances, or suspected digestive issues are exceptions), or that makes sweeping claims about the results of eating in accordance with the diet. “Lose fat”, “get lean”, and “easy”, are some of the red-flags indicating the author has an agenda other than your health — perhaps they’re after part of the 60 billion American’s spend annually trying to lose weight. That said, nutrition is also not rocket science and having a basic framework of food choices on which to build a diet is a good place to start. One of my favorite pieces of diet advice is from the book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, in which he states: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” His guidance is brilliant in its restraint, but requires a little more detail to be fully understood and put into use. In the next three posts, I will expand on Pollan’s three points.
Eat food. “Food” in this context means edible items that have been grown, raised, caught, hunted, or foraged. Note what is missing from that list — items that have been processed, boxed, or packaged. I prefer to clarify what “food” means with the terms “whole food” or “real food”. Eating real, whole foods that have not been industrially processed, either prepared at home or from a food purveyor who prepares food from scratch, is the best way to ensure your diet is nutritious and healthful. Although I am a staunch advocate of in-home meal preparation — I am also a realist — many of us lead hectic lives and not everyone has the skills (although a few basic skills are all you really need) or interest to cook. Additionally, eating a meal at a quality restaurant can be both a healthful and pleasurable experience.
So, what qualifies as a whole or real food? Whole foods in the most literal sense of the term are completely unprocessed and in their raw, natural state. But, as with many things related to nutrition, a little perspective and flexibility is helpful. Do you need to consume only raw, completely unprocessed foods in order to consume a whole foods diet? No. Cooking and baking are forms of food preparation not of processing, therefore you can consume a whole foods diet while employing those preparation methods. The lineup of whole foods includes: vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, whole grains, fats, tea, and coffee. Then there are minimally processed, but still very real foods: cultured plain dairy products (kefir & yogurt), unrefined oils (coconut, avocado, olive), fermented vegetables (pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut), high-quality cheese, and some beverages (smoothies, kombucha, raw milk & raw “milk” alternatives). It’s okay to occasionally consume pre-made items that have been minimally processed and have relatively few ingredients (less than 5 ingredients is the guideline Pollan recommends and that I agree with). Take note of what’s not on the preceding lists: processed grain products (bread, pasta, chips, crackers, pizza crust, pastries, cereal), processed meats, sugar, candy, and desserts. While none of those things should be forbidden (unless you have a food allergy), they’re not nutritious and should be consumed with far less frequency than someone eating the standard American diet. Sugar is particularly insidious and should be drastically reduced in most people’s diets.
Consider that any time you eat an item from a package, container, or box, it was almost certainly heavily processed and made by a large company or corporation. Even if the company claims to have your health in their best interest, they exist to make money, and if they’re a publicly traded company they exist to make money for their shareholders. By definition of their business structure, their priority is money, not your health. Yes, some products made by food companies are nutritious, but the vast majority are not. Luckily, by making unprocessed whole foods the bulk of your diet, you can take more personal control of your health, and be less influenced by food industry corporations.
Keep in mind, the foundation of a healthy diet is to eat primarily whole foods without adhering to unnecessary constraints on your intake. Be discerning about the foods you consume with a goal of nourishment, not restriction. Although consuming whole foods will give your body the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally, but it’s only part of the optimal diet equation — learning to moderate your intake and consuming primarily plants are also vitally important.