Webster defines a diet as a: food and drink regularly provided or consumed; b: habitual nourishment; c: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a specific reason; d: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight.
If you have time, look up the different types of diets on Wikipedia; There are so many (my favorite two being the Cookie Diet and the Salisbury Diet (yes created by the founder of the Salisbury Steak)). So many times, I get asked the question, what diet should I try? And try is always a hard word for me, because, as Yoda says “Do or do not, there is no try”
Most people I encounter are coming to me with the standard American diet (yes, the SAD diet), which consists of red meat, processed meats (lunch meats), prepackaged foods, fried foods, high fat dairy, refined grains, and corn and high fructose corn syrups. This diet has mainly come to us via technology, impatience and fast food. And while very comforting this food may be, this is not the best way to eat….
I encourage all who I talk with to JERF, or Just Eat Real Food! And make sure to eat the Rainbow. With more whole foods in your diet, you are likely to stabilize your blood sugar more effectively, increase energy, enhance your mood, and metabolize more efficiently. You will increase the quantity and quality of vitamins and minerals naturally in your system without having to take additional supplements. Your body will be able to process food correctly if it does not have to battle with toxicity, preservatives, etc. It’s easy to change small parts of your nutrition to start, switching from deli sliced turkey to home roasted sliced chicken; from white bread to whole grain bread (or even better, to lettuce); and many others.
There are three easy ways to aid your digestion of food and increase the retention of nutrients:
- Chew your food 20-30 times per bite – really utilize your jaws and teeth. This breaks down food into smaller chunks and mixes with saliva which helps digestion in your stomach and intestines.
- Reduce stress while eating. I know this is easier said than done, especially in fast paced lifestyles, where we tend to eat on the run, be on our phone, or already thinking past dinner. To start, take 10 deep breaths before you eat. Read another blog post here. Stay in the “rest and digest” level, not the “fight or flight” level. Your body will actually focus on the digestion of your food, and not fighting the stress it would otherwise experience. We will cover this more in future posts.
- While drinking water is so vital to life, avoid drinking large quantities of water within 20 minutes of eating (either before or after). Let your body’s natural acids work their magic on your food without dilution. HOWEVER, do drink water amply throughout the remainder of the day (we will cover hydration in future posts as well!).
In the coming weeks, look forward to topics that touch on some Basic Lifestyle Guidelines that can help lay the foundation for better health and fitness. Food, sleep, stress, breath. All of these I am sure we can improve on!
If you haven’t thought about your nutritional plans…now is a great time to start! Reach out to us and chat
Stark Health & Fitness 