Hey Friends!
In this week's blog, we're gonna talk about the importance of balancing your daily nutrition to fit your individual needs, ensuring the perfect balance for your body. To really make vital changes to your overall well-being, look beyond a simple "take some herbs" approach. While herbs alone can dramatically improve health and alleviate disease and discomfort, they work much better as part of a multifaceted, holistic approach.
Diet, lifestyle, and mind-body balance are the pillars of health, and no amount of tinctures or capsules can take their place. Attending to these key areas will resolve or improve just about any health concern. Pretty much everything you eat or drink influences your body. Your digestive system breaks food and drink down into tiny bits that enter your bloodstream serve as the building blocks for skin, bones, organs, blood, hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes, glucose your body uses for fuel, and so on.
Specifically, what you consume and how it's balanced in the context of your overall diet, in large part determines your health, both good and bad. Sometimes the effects are immediately noticeable, and sometimes they accumulate gradually and don't become apparent until years or decades later. Aiming for dietary perfection may be futile, and fortunately the human body can handle a surprising amount of junk. But strive for good habits, and listen to your body to figure out what it likes best. No one rigid diet works for everyone. Your constitution, taste buds, food sensitivities, cultural influence, budget, and food availability will all play a role in which diet makes you feel most vital.
With that being said, let's discuss some general "good diet" principles to keep in mind. Enjoy good quality produce, protein, carbohydrates, and fat at every meal and ideally at snack time as well. Avoid dietary ruts, which can get boring and can cause you to miss out on essential nutrients over time. By eating a rainbow of natural colors and mixing things up regularly, you will avoid the boredom of "healthy" eating. In general, your plate should comprise the following:
1. One Half Produce. Plants provide an abundance of micronutrients (like vitamins and minerals), fiber, antioxidants, and protective phytochemical that fight disease, improve digestion and detoxification, and help you feel your best. Aim for 5 to 9 servings of (heavy on the veggies) daily. Salads, stir-fries, beds of greens, and fruit for a snack and dessert make it easy. Go organic and/or local if you can; it's generally more nutritious, better tasting, and free of herbicides and pesticides.
2. One Quarter Protein. Protein helps you feel satisfied, reduces the glycemic effect of your meal, and ultimately serves as building blocks for the structure and chemicals of your body. Focus on fish, seafood, nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butters, beans, poultry, hard cheeses, yogurt, eggs, mushrooms, and seed "grains" (quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth). In moderation: dairy products, meat (preferably from pasture raised or wild sources), and whole fermented soy. Vegetables and whole grains provide some protein as well.
3. One Quarter Carbohydrates. Carbs primarily serve as fuel. Complex whole-food carbs eaten as part of a balanced diet provide a steady energy source without a blood sugar roller coaster. Focus on root vegetables, winter squash, beans, fruit, whole grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice, barley, rye, teff), and seed "grains" Most forms of dairy also provide carbohydrates, and vegetables provide some as well. In moderation: whole-grain flour, white potatoes, honey, and maple syrup. Avoid or limit sugar, refined and white flours, and fried potatoes.
4. A Little Bit of Fat. Fats are a key component of cell membranes, and they have a profound effect on your entire body, particularly your nerves, brain, heart, hair, skin, and nails. Fats help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients ( vitamins A, D, E, K, carotenoids, and more) and are building blocks for various essential compounds, including hormones and cholesterol. Focus on fatty fish, nuts and nut butters, extra rigid olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, tea seed oil, avocados, olives, and eggs. In moderation: whole-fat dairy, meat, and butter from pasture-raised sources.
5. Add Herbs for Nutritional Punch. Adding tea, herbs, and spices to your daily cuisine amps up your antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other key compounds that help keep you healthy. Everyday seasonings and tea blends can improve digestion, fight inflammation, fend off cancer, enhance the benefits of other foods you eat, and even counteract some of the detriment of certain foods like sweets and grilled meat. So enjoy herbs liberally, fresh or dry, in teas, in salads, in smoothies, as seasonings for your meals, as flavorings for your beverages, etc.
Overall, as much as possible, work with foods in their whole, unprocessed form, if you eat animal products, opt for pasture-raised, wild, or organic sources that have been treated humanely, as this improves nutrient profile dramatically and minimizing problematic fats and chemicals. Look at healthy traditions such as Mediterranean, Indian, and Asian cuisines, even vegan, as these tend to lean toward healthier food choices. Also ensure you hydrate wisely, focusing on water, unsweetened all-natural seltzer, tea, herbal tea, soup, broth, and juicy fruits and veggies. Most importantly, listen to your body. Not one specific diet fits everyone. You might do better with more or less protein, vegan or vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. The perfect diet for you will depend on your health issues, how you feel, and even your genetics. You'll know what feels right to you.
Lifestyle is more than an important piece of the health puzzle, it is the foundation upon which all aspects of well-being are built. Even the smallest changes can lead to bigger ones over time, you just have to take that first step. In the meantime, I'll be here to help answer any questions and provide as much information as I can.
See you next week!