We have lost our connection to the power of food and our sense of balance. We need to return back to the basics; the food mother earth provides us with. This diagram is a representation of the balance of food we should have on our plate at each meal and snack. To get you started, I will just scratch the surface of these topics and the purpose of this balance to help you understand why it works.
Food is used for one of three purposes: rebuilding the body, energy, or storing fat for later. When you don’t eat properly, these functions will be disrupted, resulting in poorer health. When you eat a balanced meal, your body uses the nutrients for energy and in rebuilding your body (nails, hair, bones, skin, cells, etc). And when you don’t eat a balanced meal, not only does your body store it as fat, but also your body is unable to rebuild properly, and becomes susceptible to inflammation.
The GOAL in following this balanced plate is to maintain your blood sugar levels (or insulin) throughout the day. I’ll talk about why this is so important later, so for now just go with me! Ok, so each meal (have 3) and snack (have 3) should consist of a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and non starchy vegetables, and healthy fat. (Some foods can be categorized in more than one group).
PROTEIN: Animal sources have the best protein such as fish, eggs, meat, dairy. Protein is also in nuts, seeds, lentils, and whole grains. Grass fed is the best choice for eggs and meat choices, not grain fed.
CARBOHYDRATES: Pay attention! This is the tricky one. Whole grains are your best source, but you must watch how much you eat here! Avoid anything refined (ex. white flour, white bread, table sugar, crackers) as they have little nutritional value and raise your insulin (we don’t want it raised!).
Ok, so how many carbs? I have a table I’ll post soon but in general, don’t go above 35 g of carbs per meal, and 15 carbs per snack. (It’s different depending on how active/sedentary you are and your weight). If you’ve never counted carbs you’ll be shocked at how many you’re used to consuming! This is where the balance comes in, and is really the only numbers I want you to focus on. Oh, BTW, NEVER eat a carb alone! (that doesn’t mean eat it with friends…), as it will spike your insulin. Eat your dessert with dinner instead of waiting until later.
I will give plenty of tips about carbs from my own experience and education so stay tuned. But for now here are some healthy choices: starchy veggies such as artichokes, cooked carrots, corn (select organic as non organic is genetically modified), as well as beans, ½ medium potato, ½ sweet potato, brown rice (it’s better cooked in broth!), oatmeal (I have a great recipe I’ll post), yogurt (whole fat), hooray for popcorn! (don’t you dare microwave it! I’ll include my recipe soon) Small amounts of fruit starting with berries, then apples and citrus, and the most sugar in bananas, grapes and dried fruit. Whole wheat is good but whole grain is better.
NON-STARCHY VEGETABLES: Vegetables for breakfast?! Bring it on! You should have at least 5 servings a day of fresh non-starchy veggies (they’re most of the colorful ones). You cannot overeat here (so it can be bigger than 1/3 your plate) so start trying something new and experimenting with different recipes for salad. Examples are: raw carrots, broccoli, salad greens, celery, cucumber, peppers, raw tomatoes, asparagus, etc. BTW, raw is best.
FAT: Eat Fat Lose Fat! Fat is your friend, so pick your friends wisely! Some are not good for you, others are fantastic and help you out. I will go in depth in this area later as well since there is so much to say! But for now, just know that fat slows down the induction of sugar into the blood stream, therefore eliminating a spike in insulin levels (which we’re trying to maintain, remember?) Also, your fat soluble vitamins (A an D) do not get absorbed if you are not consuming fat. And low fat and non fat products are usually filled with chemicals or fillers that are not good for your body. God purposely did not create skim milk cows!
So what are good fat choices? Natural sources are best such as meat, fish, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, eggs, organic salted butter, followed by oils such as unrefined coconut oil, cold, pure or expeller pressed vegetable oils like EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), peanut oil, flaxseed, and more I’ll post soon. But fats can be damaged easily and some shouldn’t be heated so I’ll get you a table soon about it all.
This balanced plate should be the building block of your food choices and eating habits for the rest of your life! Each meal and snack should contain healthy choices of protein, carbs, non-starchy veggies and good fat. This balance will help your body maintain insulin levels, absorb nutrients effectively, curb hunger cravings, give you energy and more. Our diet needs variety so that our food can work with each other to offer our bodies the most nutrition from what we eat.
From here on out I will focus on specific areas pertaining to details about this balanced plate, as well as other healpthful information. Don’t be overwhelmed! Next up: Cleaning out the pantry, and also Good Fat
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