Finding the Best Diet For You
Monday, July 13, 2015
Itʼs easy to tell why they might be confused. In the last several years, there has been a greater emphasis on eating foods that fall under very strict restrictions with the idea of minimizing negative food reactions: Vegetarianism, Veganism, Paleo, Atkins, Gluten-free.
Itʼs no wonder people are bewildered.
Well, Iʼm sorry to say that I donʼt have those answers for you. What I can offer is a different way of looking at food and how it interacts with your body.
By incorporating a few simple ideas into how you think of food, you will have tools available to help you determine which foods should become staples, which foods to avoid, and which foods you can indulge in, but only every once in a while.
Avoiding Additives
One thing that I will say to avoid universally is anything that was not considered a food prior to 1945. When I say this, Iʼm not talking about foods that didnʼt reach the US until after that point, or combinations of ingredients with a more recent pedigree.
Iʼm referring to foods, additives, preservatives, and other edible compounds that literally had never been consumed by any living creature on earth prior to that time because they didnʼt exist.
There were a number of creations that came pouring out of the factories of chemical and pharmaceutical companies following World War II that found their way into the food supply. Artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives were discovered that have since become ubiquitous, but which our bodies had not ever processed before.
Adapting to a new factor in the environment often takes several generations and in the past four generations, humanity has seen literally millions of them arrive. These items wonʼt have an immediate effect, but if they become a regular part of the diet, they can start to build up in your system (which has no use for them, but doesnʼt always flush them out) and create greater health problems or exacerbate existing ones over time.
The second step is to keep a food journal. This isnʼt terribly uncommon advice when it comes to dieting as most people generally donʼt think about all the things they consume during the day.
The difference in what Iʼm advising is that three to four hours after you eat, write down how you feel. Good, bad, bloated, tired, energized, clear-headed?
Write it down.
The reason you want to wait a few hours is because our digestive system takes time. Specifically, it takes time to break down foods that are complex, full of nutrients, and which havenʼt been overly processed.
Some simple and quickly absorbed foods are fine - things like soups and broths for example. But if you eat a hamburger that breaks down fast enough to make you feel energized in fifteen minutes and hungry again two hours later, that is not a good thing if you arenʼt burning through those nutrients through physical exertion.
Fast Food is Never a Smart Choice
The problem is that our digestive system works best when it has to break things down. If that work is done for it, some things that shouldnʼt be absorbed are, and other things that are supposed to be released slowly hit the body in a flash.
Hereʼs another way to think about how food should make you feel. A good meal should feel like waking up after a good nightʼs sleep. You should feel energized, but calm and collected, like you're ready to go all day but at your own pace.
Overly processed and artificial foods will make you feel more like youʼve just slammed a triple-espresso after three hours of sleep. Technically you have energy, but itʼs the jumpy, nervous kind that leaves you exhausted three hours later.
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Related Slideshow: New England’s Healthiest States
The United Health Foundation recently released its 2013 annual reoprt: America's Health Rankings, which provides a comparative state by state analysis of several health measures to provide a comprehensive perspective of our nation's health issues. See how the New England states rank in the slides below.
Definitions
All Outcomes Rank: Outcomes represent what has already occurred, either through death, disease or missed days due to illness. In America's Health Rankings, outcomes include prevalence of diabetes, number of poor mental or physical health days in last 30 days, health disparity, infant mortality rate, cardiovascular death rate, cancer death rate and premature death. Outcomes account for 25% of the final ranking.
Determinants Rank: Determinants represent those actions that can affect the future health of the population. For clarity, determinants are divided into four groups: Behaviors, Community and Environment, Public and Health Policies, and Clinical Care. These four groups of measures influence the health outcomes of the population in a state, and improving these inputs will improve outcomes over time. Most measures are actually a combination of activities in all four groups.
Diabetes Rank: Based on percent of adults who responded yes to the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes?" Does not include pre-diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy.
Smoking Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are current smokers (self-report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke).
Obesity Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher.
Source: http://www.americashealthrankings.org/
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