“I eat a pretty healthy diet….”
It happens every year New Year. There is a huge surge in interest in dieting, losing weight, and eating healthier. It’s a rare dinner or cocktail party without this subject coming around, and invariably I am asked lots of questions. I love to share with people my knowledge and expertise, trust me, I could talk about it all night. In this day and age there is a lot of information floating around out there, giving everyone a “pretty good idea” of what’s right and good in nutrition. This is not a bad thing at all, except that almost all conversations from there head into a familiar direction. Invariably people will to go on to say, “Well, I eat a pretty healthy diet now…..”.
You see that trail off right? That little downcast side-eye of non commitment?
It gets confusing. How do we know what’s right and wrong?
There are a lot of reasons why I fell in love with Nutrition. One major reason is that it’s a science- but the implementation of it is an art. We are each a dynamic human being with many things that can affect us, but chemistry is black and white. What this means is that in a perfect world we would all be the same, eat the same foods and have the same outcomes. Yet, even with our imperfections, (genetics, geography, economics), chemistry will always react the same under the same conditions. I get excited about this because what this means is that our bodies don’t fight us, we fight with our chemistry.
Right about now you’re saying, Whaaaaa?
Allow me to explain. For most of us we have been lead to think that our body was something to rail against. We had to trick our system into compliance by following one fad diet or another. I am here to tell you that diets will work. You heard me. Most diets take that beautiful chemistry and fiddle with it to create a dynamic that gives you the results you are looking for. A good example is the Ketogenic diet which is low in carbohydrates thereby forcing your body to turn fat into ketones so you get the energy you need to keep all systems a go, and the benefit is the burning of stored fat.
Sounds perfect right? Do this-get that. But here’s the rub. That dynamic human thing I was telling you about? It doesn’t relate solely to the black and white chemistry of extreme diets, our bodies have many functions that require balance in order to work optimally. The Ketogenic diet does not provide you with enough fiber or nutrients to sustain this type of eating to be “healthy”. You won’t immediately keel over, or develop negative side effects, but it will be happening, like it or not. Get where I’m going here? The long term effect of imbalance is disease. Plain and simple.
What is a Healthy Diet?
Here’s the good news. The second reason why I fell in love with nutrition is that I love to be self empowered. A CDC study says that in 2015 the top leading causes of death between the ages of 45 and 85 are heart disease and cancer (my paraphrasing), which are both diet related. We have a fantastic medical world available to us now that will provide us with the necessary medications and operations to keep us from dying faster than we otherwise would- but diet is the ONLY method to prevent these diseases. Let me say that again- what you choose to put in your mouth every day is the best and only way to prevent getting sick in the first place. In fact of the top 10 reasons for mortality, only 2 are not diet related (accidents and suicide, and some would argue that depression can be positively affected by diet too).
So, what is a healthy diet? For me it’s a diet that above all else keeps this bucket of bones in top notch shape, running smoothly and efficiently, and gives diseases no ability to take a foothold.
Some Changes at A Healthy Hunger
Back at that cocktail party I get questions about gut health, questions about different fad diets, questions about coconut oil- you name it. There are a lot of frustrated and confused people and I don’t blame them.
I am now in my mid fifties. I’m in great shape, but this past year there have been quite a few people in my life that have had some serious health issues, including two dear friends who died of cancer in their early 50’s!! Diseases and illnesses are happening now people, and it’s happening hard and fast! This has lead me to dive deeper into the current research and literature and look for answers so that no one that is dear to me (and that includes you!) is not well informed. My goal is to continue on this path and share with you what I learn so that you will have the ability to self empower your own health. I don’t want to just be alive in 40 years, I want us all to be vitally LIVING!
A Healthy Hunger will have more posts about explaining what’s what, and how to realistically integrate what is good into your own life. We’ll get deeper into nutrition in a way that you can understand and relate to. Along the way there will be recipes and the usual good stuff. You know I love food and sharing food. You’re going to love how delicious I can make powerful foods- no hippie dippie boring brown stuff here. Cross my heart.
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Please let me know if there is anything you have questions about. I’m excited about this. This year we’re taking back all sorts of power!
Let’s do it!