Changing Your Mindset About What a Healthy Diet Is
Have you ever experienced eating all the right foods but still suffering from bloating, inflammation, and discomfort?
Or maybe you maintain a balanced diet, yet your weight keeps increasing? If so, today's episode is made to help you understand what healthy eating really means. I'll share five tips to help you rethink your approach to eating and achieve better results.
Let's explore how you can make healthy eating work for you.
How Food Makes You Feel: A Guide to Personalized Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, the key question isn't just 'Is this food healthy?' but 'How does this food make me feel?'
Often, we don’t notice immediate effects. Initially, we might feel full or satisfied, but symptoms like reflux, stomach irritation, gas, or bloating can occur soon after eating. It’s important to pay attention to these reactions.
For instance, eating a plain salad might leave you unsatisfied, leading to snacking on chips afterward. Or, a heavy meal might leave you feeling overly full and uncomfortable. Noticing these responses is the first step in understanding how food impacts your body.
Observe how your body reacts to different foods. Do they cause symptoms like reflux, gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea? Notice your energy levels, as foods high in simple carbs can lead to rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes, causing fatigue. Consider how you feel the next day and if certain foods trigger tiredness or sugar cravings. These reflections can reveal how your diet impacts your overall well-being.
It’s essential to recognize that 'healthy' varies from person to person. For example, a patient with IBS might find certain vegetables aggravate their symptoms, regardless of how nutritious they are. Similarly, if black beans cause stomach cramps, it’s best to avoid them.
Listening to your body is crucial. If oatmeal keeps you satisfied and energized, there's no need to switch to a high-protein breakfast just because it's generally recommended. Keeping a food diary and working with a dietitian can help identify patterns and reactions you might overlook.
Ultimately, the healthiest foods are the ones that make you feel good. Understanding how food affects you is a powerful tool for determining what’s healthy for you.
Personalizing Your Diet
Finding the right diet can be a personal journey. What works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s perfectly fine. Whether it's a ketogenic diet, plant-based plan, or Weight Watchers, each approach has its merits. The key is to discover what aligns with your own body and lifestyle.
If a diet that works for others doesn’t suit you, don’t be discouraged. Don’t judge yourself by someone else’s standards. You may face challenges if those around you have found a diet that suits them but not you. It's important to honor your own body's needs.
Trying a diet that worked for someone else is reasonable, but if it doesn’t fit, don’t blame yourself. It just means that approach isn’t right for you. The goal is to find a healthy fit that makes you feel well.
Remember, nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. Our bodies are unique and can react differently to various foods and eating patterns. By experimenting with different diets and paying attention to how your body responds, you’ll gain valuable insights into what works for you. This personalized method will help you create a sustainable and enjoyable way of eating.
Find What Works for Your Reality
There’s an ideal version of what we think we should eat, and then there’s the reality of what we can eat in our daily lives.
In a perfect world, I’d live on a ranch, eating only organic, pasture-raised food I grow myself. But that’s not realistic for me. Instead, I prioritize eating well within the constraints of being a busy, working parent.
The key is to find the next best thing. For me, that means prioritizing protein and vegetables, sometimes using shortcuts like frozen foods. Daily Harvest is one of my favorites for quick, vegetable-forward meals. If you restrict yourself too much and end up hungry, you might turn to fast food, which doesn’t make sense. It’s better to consistently make the best choices possible, even if they’re not perfect.
Avoid the trap of all-or-nothing thinking. Instead of sticking to a super strict plan and then falling off completely, find a sustainable middle ground. This might mean using meal replacements, frozen foods, canned foods, or choosing healthier options when eating out. The reality of what you should eat versus what you can eat depends on time, budget, and other commitments.
For example, if your kitchen is being renovated, your eating habits will change temporarily. Or if you travel a lot for work or are in a busy period of life, you’ll have different eating patterns. Do the best you can in your situation without giving up completely. There might be times when you can stick more closely to your ideal diet, but don’t let the pursuit of perfection prevent you from making good choices daily.
Eating in a way that is realistic and sustainable for your lifestyle is crucial. Avoid black-and-white thinking and find your middle ground. This approach ensures you make intentional, healthy choices without unnecessary stress.
Identify and Manage Your Trigger Foods
Knowing your trigger foods is crucial, whether they are healthy or less healthy options. These are the foods you tend to overeat or choose at the expense of healthier options. Managing these can make a big difference in your diet.
Trigger foods can sometimes be healthy items. For example, dried mango is fiber-rich but easy to overeat because it’s dehydrated. Similarly, peanut butter is nutritious, but eating it straight from the jar can lead to consuming high calorie amounts. If you find you overeat these "health" foods, they might not be the best fit for you at the moment, or we may need to adjust how to keep a reasonable portion size.
Less healthy trigger foods like chips, crackers, and gummy worms are more obvious culprits. If these are your triggers, consider keeping them out of your house to avoid overeating.
Food manufacturers often create "healthier" versions of junk foods. Low-sugar gummies and paleo chips might seem better, but if they're still ultra-processed, they might not be much healthier than their traditional counterparts. It’s important to make the best choices you can but stay mindful of these health-labeled trigger foods.
Focus on whole, healthier foods whenever possible and avoid trigger foods that lead to overeating.
Recognize That Your Body’s Needs Change Over Time
What works for your body can change over time. A diet strategy that was effective in the past might not work as well now. Instead of sticking with something that no longer suits your body, adapt to what it needs now.
Our bodies change as we age. Hormonal changes such as perimenopause, menopause, and andropause can alter dietary needs. For example, you might need more protein as you age or experience hormonal shifts.
Carbohydrate sensitivity often increases with age. If you’ve followed a plant-based diet but now struggle with weight gain, you might need to focus more on complex carbohydrates and protein. As the risk for insulin resistance increases, being more intentional with your diet becomes necessary.
Health changes, like developing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, can also require dietary adjustments. Plus if you're healing from surgery or engaging in intense physical activity, your nutritional needs will shift too.
Listen to your body and adapt your diet accordingly. If you're unsure what your body needs, consult a dietitian who can help you understand why your current approach isn’t working and how to adjust it for better results.
To explore these concepts further and discover actionable tips for creating a healthier, more satisfying approach to eating, listen to the full episode. Tune in now and take the next step toward a better relationship with food!
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