Eat Right for Life 1) Conquer Your Carbs The type of carbs you choose has an enormous impact on your health and quality of life. Eating the right carbs, while minimizing the wrong carbs is arguably the most powerful nutritional strategy available to guard and protect your health. Vigilance with this particular strategy is vital for everyone, but especially critical for people who are overweight, inactive, and/or suffer with prediabetes, diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Minimize consumption of the highly refined, high glycemic index, bad, white carbs white flour products, white rice, white potatoes, sugar, and sweets. I refer to these foods as the Great White Hazards because they promote weight gain and obesity, increase your cardiovascular risk, promote type 2 diabetes, promote certain cancers, and lead to rapid fluctuations in blood glucose that aggravate the brain. Consume the majority of your carbohydrate calories from those with a low to moderate glycemic index: whole grains, beans/legumes, fruits, and vegetables (i.e. the 4 right carbs ). These carbs improve and protect your health through many powerful means. Doing your carbs as outlined above can: 1. Aid in weight loss and weight control 2. Reduce hunger 3. Lower cardiovascular risk 4. Provide cancer protection 5. Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes 6. Boost energy and vitality 7. Slow the aging process 8. Maximize the benefits of physical activity 9. Reduce the risk of age-related vision loss 10. Improve mental well-being 11. Reduce pain and inflammation 2) Give Yourself an Oil Change It is the type of fat in your diet that really matters, not so much the amount you eat. Choosing the right fats, while avoiding the wrong fats (right up there with conquering your
carbs) is one of the most powerful nutritional avenues available to guard and protect your health and vitality. Strictly avoid trans fats: partially hydrogenated oils (in processed and fried fast foods), stick margarine, and shortening. Minimize saturated fat: fatty cuts of red meat (beef, pork, and lamb), whole dairy products, butter and palm oil Consume the majority of your fats from the monounsaturated fats: extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts/seeds, and avocados. Strive to have a serving of omega 3 fats daily: oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines), walnuts, canola oil, flax, chia and hemp seeds, omega 3 eggs, wheat germ, and small leafy greens (arugula, watercress, etc.). Doing your fats as outlined above can: 1. Slash the risk of heart disease 2. Improve neurologic and mental health 3. Boost metabolism 4. Protect vision 5. Reduce the risk of cancer 6. Slow the aging process 7. Reduce inflammation in the body 8. Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes 9. Reduce the risk of dementia 3) Fall in Love with Fruits and Vegetables this is the simplest strategy of all! Strive to have 7 servings (about 4 cups total) a day (but note any improvement counts!) The phytochemical power in fruits and vegetables is extraordinary your magic bullet. The superstar fruits berries, cherries, plums, any whole citrus, cantaloupe, kiwi, mango, peaches, pears, red grapes, apples, and pomegranates.
The superstar vegetables all cruciferous (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards), carrots, garlic, onions, leeks, sweet potatoes, all dark leafy greens, tomatoes, winter squash, asparagus, and red/orange/yellow bell peppers. Doing fruits and vegetables as above can: 1. Reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes 2. Protect against and lower high blood pressure 3. Improve gastrointestinal health 4. Prevent age related vision loss (cataracts and macular degeneration) 5. Aid in success with a healthy metabolism and body weight 6. Reduce the risk of some cancers 7. Make meals beautiful, delicious, and exciting 4) Power Up with the Right Proteins The body requires a constant supply of amino acids that protein foods provide. If you choose the right proteins, you will get those amino acids plus loads more health-building nutrients and compounds. The key concept is choosing the healthiest protein packages. The healthiest protein packages are: beans/legumes, nuts/seeds, whole soy foods, fish, especially oily fish (salmon, tuna, lake trout, sardines, black cod), shellfish, poultry, wild game, omega 3 eggs, and low-fat dairy products (plain yogurt and kefir best). Limit the unhealthy proteins red meat (especially processed varieties and fatty cuts) and whole dairy products (butter, full-fat cheese, ice cream etc.). Limit red meats to 2 servings or less a week. Choose lean cuts when you do and avoid processed red meats (bacon, sausage, ham, cold cuts, etc.) Restrict dairy foods to low-fat, reduced fat, and skim varieties. Strive to have some healthy protein at each meal. Protein is nature s diet pill - a powerful tool for appetite control. 5) Drink the make-me-healthier beverages Clean water (should be your primary beverage) Vegetable/tomato juice (low sodium best) 1% or skim milk, plain soymilk Freshly brewed tea (green, black, white, oolong or herbal), unsweetened best Coffee, unsweetened best
Optional Alcoholic beverages in moderation (1 drink or less in women 2 drinks or less in men) red wine is best. Strictly avoid if medically contradicted. Talk with your healthcare provider first. 100% fruit juice strictly avoid if overweight, diabetic or pre-diabetic. Otherwise limit to 4 oz. daily. Fruit juice is filled with rapidly absorbed sugar and it is always better to eat the real fruit! Just say no to all sugary beverages soda (including diet), fruit drinks and sports beverages. Sugary beverages have emerged as the most fattening and metabolically disruptive form of calories known. 6) Nurture Your Precious Microbiome The huge ecosystem of microorganisms that reside in your gastrointestinal tract (your microbiome) largely define your health destiny. What defines a healthy microbiome is having a broad array and an abundance of good bacteria in your gut. These beneficial bacteria play a fundamental role in GI health and function along with maintaining robust immunity, keeping inflammation in check, garnering a healthy metabolism, maintaining mental health and much more. Here are the key strategies for establishing and maintaining a healthy microbiome. Eat an abundance of plant-based, high fiber foods- whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. Good bacteria feed off of fiber and the more real food fiber you eat, the more good bacteria you will have in your gut. This is THE MOST POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE of all five of these strategies. Honestly, if you do not eat an abundance of fiber, success is IMPOSSIBLE. Limit consumption of processed, industrial foods, especially fast foods, junk foods, and those lacking fiber. These foods feed the bad bacteria, and the more bad bacteria you have in your gut, the less good ones you will have as they are in competition. Include probiotic foods regularly in your diet yogurt, kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, and any other fermented foods that contain live bacteria.
Do not take antibiotics unless medically indicated. And if you must take an antibiotic, be sure to take a daily probiotic supplement as directed (they are overthe-counter) while you are on the antibiotic and for two full weeks thereafter. Get out in nature and get dirty. The soil contains an entire ecosystem of good bacteria. Gardening is highly recommended, especially vegetable gardening! Consider a regular, daily supplement of a high quality probiotic or better yet drink plain Kefir daily (sweeten with a bit of honey as needed). Avoid use of consumer products that are marketed and labeled as antibacterial. There is no evidence they have benefit and growing evidence that they kill the good bacteria and may come with risks. Stay educated and motivated! Sign up for weekly inspiration at