5 Nutritional Goals for 2014

I'm not a nutritionist, but friends, family, clients and patients ask my advice on diet all the time. For the past 12 years I have engaged in self-study and diets to find the "diet" that works best for my age and activity level.  As a result I have been a vegan, a vegetarian, paleo, calorie counter, etc.  Below, I have distilled 5 general guidelines that have had a profound effect on my life, health and well-being.   

1.  Cook

This reeks of common sense doesn't it?  If you commit to cooking for you and your family, everybody will benefit...immediately.  Fast food, frozen food, delivery sucks.  It is horrible.  There is no argument in favor of it, not even one night a week.  Most of the foods in fast food chains don’t even fall into the definition of food.  According to Webster’s, food is “something that nourishes, sustains or supplies.”  But I digress.  The point here is that if you start cooking you will gravitate towards a healthier lifestyle.  You will eat more whole foods, and become more mindful of what you are putting into your body.   

2.  Eat nutrient dense foods

Think whole foods, vegetables, fruits, and meat, nuts.  Generally foods that don't come in packages will be good for you.  Nutrient density means that what you are putting in your body delivers large amount vitamins and nutrients relative to the amount of energy (calories) it provides.  These foods tend to be satiating, discouraging overeating.  It’s easy to shop for these foods.  At most grocery stores whole foods tend to be around the periphery, beware the food in the isles.  

3.  Eat grass-fed beef.

Is there a difference?  Is the meat worth the extra cost?  Maybe.  Grass-fed beef has a more balanced lipid profile.  That is to say, it has higher amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef.  Additionally, grass-fed beef is much less likely to have been given antibiotics or growth hormones. 

4.  Avoid all vegetable oils

We have been told that cooking with vegetable oils (i.e. canola) is good for us, lower in saturated fat and cholesterol.  Unfortunately, these oils are detrimental to our health.  Vegetable oils break down and oxidize with exposure to high heat.  Their manufacturing process requires exposure to high heat, so they are oxidized before you cook with them.  These oxidized fats are inflammatory (contribute to heart disease) and are known carcinogens.  Warning, avoiding these oils is difficult as they are in just about every commercially processed food….you have to read the label.     

 
5.  No Sugar (sucrose, fructose, etc).

Sugar in any form is detrimental to your health.  Sugar enters the blood stream very quickly, stimulating an insulin spike.  This is not only hard on your pancreas, but also your vascular system.  Repeated exposure these sugar and insulin spikes cause an inflammatory cascade that can lead to heart disease.