How to eat healthy? The 4 pillars of a healthy diet

Everyone in his opinion on the question: for him, eating healthy is eating organic . For her, eating healthy is eating without fat. For him, for sure, it is to eat without sugar, for the other obviously, it is gluten free and for this one it is exclusively vegan. For the neighbor it is to ban the industrial products and do everything home, for the neighbor it will eat everything and variety. I'm sure you have lots of examples and advice on how to eat healthy.

And it is normal to have a different opinion because the science of nutrition is very young . We realize today that the food recommendations that we have been made, and that we are still made most often, may not be as well founded as that. I read just about anything that comes out on the subject, and it does not matter if it's okay with me or not. I test and I get my opinion. I can tell you that we find absolutely everything and its opposite. So how to eat healthy with so much conflicting information?

It is difficult to find one another between the recommendations we hear everywhere "Avoid eating too much fat, too sweet, too salty! Or "5 fruits and vegetables a day" or "eat 3 dairy products a day". We must sort through agribusiness lobbies and scientific studies in every sense that says everything and its opposite.

What are the consensus around healthy eating?

You will see there are very few points on which everyone agrees. Finally, when I say "everyone" I'm talking about scientists and nutritionists who are working on the subject. We will make a tour of what is almost everywhere. I say almost because we always find exceptions to the rule, as in our grammar! Eat healthy, a whole story!

To eat healthy, eat vegetables and fruits

Vegetables is the basis on which everyone agrees. And if a ranking is to be made we will favor mainly green leafy vegetables , then vegetables from the cruciferous family (cabbages, broccoli ...). And finally the vegetables rich in carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots ...) last. But overall vegetables everyone agrees on it. The exception is the potato, which is rich in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index *. Depending on how you cook it can really vary blood sugar.

Fruits are also popular , except for strict followers of sugar-free. In priorities we find the berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries ...), then the low-sugar fruits (green apple, lemon), after all fruits moderately sweet (pears, peaches ...), then come the fruits very rich in sugar (banana , mango ...) and last of the ranking the dried fruits (dates, figs ...). I am talking about whole fruits with their fibers because fruit juices are bombs of sugar.

The fruits are certainly high in sugar but consumed whole and raw they provide micro nutrients (vitamins, antioxidants) essential to our contributions. On the other hand, the "when to eat" the fruit makes debate. We often hear not say at the end of the meal because it digests faster than the rest of the meal. So it would ferment and prevent good digestion. But it does not seem to have any real scientific basis on which this theory is based. If you know what this theory is based on, do not hesitate to comment on it.

Plants are at the top of healthy foods on which we can base most of our diet. If there is one thing to change to have a healthy diet it would be: add vegetables and fruits (especially vegetables you will understand). Trying to use all your meals will leave less room for other foods considered less healthy.

To be healthy eat less

Also everyone agrees, we eat too much. So we have the choice, eat smaller proportions, finish the meal by still a little hungry. Or intermittent fasting or water fasting for several days from time to time.

Not long ago fasting was mocked in the media. Limit shown as a practice of sectarian fanatics. Today everyone has heard about it and it has even become a health practice and even an additional practice in sport. Especially intermittent fasting that advocates eating over a defined time period.

You must already know the benefits of fasting . Fasting lowers insulin levels in the blood. Insulin is the hormone responsible for weight gain. Also by fasting, we increase the hormones responsible for the metabolism of fats (glucagon or growth hormone). This allows to gain muscle mass and it is in this case that in addition to the sport is very effective.

Who can not fast? Young children and pregnant women, people with gallstones. Overall if you have health problems, ask your doctor if it is a good thing for you. And if you want to be accompanied in this process, there are more and more centers to fast .

To eat healthy ban industrial products

It is also a point that we find very often. Eat as few industrial products as possible and cook from fresh and whole foods. I received testimonials on the subject, many of you felt better passing behind the stove.

I would add that you have to learn to read labels. If you already ban all the ingredients in the list that you would not use in your kitchen, you will avoid a lot of junk food. Of course we do not put sugar in salty dishes, additives or preservatives (except lemon juice). In short, the more the list of ingredients looks like a list of ingredients in a "normal" recipe, the better.

In addition when you do everything or almost home, you eat less "junk" because it takes time to prepare everything. I know, it takes time. For my part I have in the freezer vegetables, fish, fruits in their raw form. This allows me to eat healthy and quickly. I also prepare vegetable fries in advance that I freeze.

Similarly I prepare cookies in advance I freeze the raw dough and already shaped for the days when I will have less time.

For a healthy diet I avoid trans fats of industrial origin

There are a number of studies now that indicate that fats are not harmful to health, except trans fatty acids * . There are different types of fatty acids: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans.

Trans fatty acids in their natural state are found in some ruminant meat and some dairy products. But this is not the main source. The major problem is that the main trans fat intake comes from industrial products (yes again).

These are the hydrogenated fats found in cakes, pastries, biscuits, breadcrumbs, candy bars, ready-made meals ... Knowing that the labeling of trans-fatty acids is not mandatory, we must remain vigilant.

This trans fat, low-end I would say, is used in the food industry to give flavor and texture to dishes and cakes, also for conservation. Trans fat increases bad blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

Do not confuse trans fat with saturated fat. Besides, the fat is gradually returning in a state of grace. The Swedish Health Assessment Board has compiled 16,000 studies on the subject and highlights that a diet low in saturated fat is not a protective factor for heart disease. He even advocates a diet low in carbohydrates (rather than low fat) to fight against obesity.

I think that the big tendency to come after "eating carbohydrates" is eating low carbohydrates and also low glycemic index * (because as fats we will have good carbs and bad). But we are not quite there yet and it is not the general opinion or the recommendations we hear most often.

The next food to ban is sugar, fat is no longer out of favor. We are beginning to realize its misdeeds and it's a safe bet that we will increasingly hear about it. By dint of eating refined sugar and white flours , diabetes, obesity and diseases of civilization are exploding . No consensus yet on the subject, but sugar is a lot of talk about him. If you want to read a book on the subject I advise you: These carbohydrates that threaten our brain Dr. David Perlmutter who is both a neurologist and nutritionist.

So how to eat healthy?

I tested several diets, the gluten-free milk of course that I have done a lot of good already. Here I will give you my personal opinion on the subject and how I see things today.

I have also tested raw food (otherwise known as " live food" ) I think raw food is perfect for resting the body for a while, but not necessarily the panacea for the long term. I do not know anyone who has not reintroduced cooked on his plate after a while. There are even testimonials from people who after years of vintage have begun to have health problems. The benefits of leaving are most likely due to the massive intake of vitamins and minerals. But I think that eating a raw part every day is very interesting, though.

I have not spoken to you yet but I tested the ketogenic diet for about 2 months. It is a very low carbohydrate diet especially hard to follow I found. I'll give you a ticket on that if you're interested. I think we have to be accompanied when we get into it. My body was particularly stressed by this change.

Without gluten or milk of course ... But when the intestines are not good is the ideal but I think we can go further because we do not take into account the sugar in that one. Of course, when we have intolerance eviction diets are the only way to go well.

The vegan diet for me is more based on an ethical problem than health. So I put it aside and it is up to everyone to know what suits him from this point of view. I have been vegetarian and vegan for a while. But I chose an intermediate way of flexitarian. I think it's important not to impose one's choices, not to judge the neighbor's attitude. We all do our best.

At the sight of the latest studies and my trials, the Paleo diet is the one that has been most successful. In this diet we prefer vegetables, the meat of animals fed on grass, wild fish, nuts, fruits especially berries. Basically we are eliminating grains, dairy products and sugar. It also follows the principles we saw in the consensus section. In this diet we also focus on moving your body. This is not the subject here, but I point out that it is an integral part of the Paleo way of life.

Healthy eating every day

To eat like his ancestors is a good practice. Eat only what your ancestors would have eaten (so not industrial or too sweet). We all have a different genetics and our origins necessarily influence what we are able to digest well or not (eg milk). This is a theory that makes sense, it seems to me.

Eating seasonally and locally , considering that nature is well done and that what we need at a given season, nature offers it to us. I admit that it is not easy to follow according to the resources we have nearby. But we can try to do our best.

If you had one thing to do? Eat the maximum amount of vegetables in your meals , and leave less room for less healthy foods.

Eat less in general or try intermittent fasting.

Eat less refined sugar, white flour, foods both high in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.

Eat healthy 90% of the time . Yes, healthy eating is important for one's health, but the social side of food is undeniable. 90% of the time, if you consider 3 meals a day, it leaves you 2 to 3 meals a week to eat what you want. It's important not to be frustrated either and keep your good mood (and friends). It allows to manage the next, outings, birthdays without guilt.

Do not judge , or yourself if you make a difference in your diet, or others elsewhere. There is nothing more painful than "fat police", "sugar police", "anti detox", "those who think you follow a fashion" ... I bet you see who I'm talking about , you probably have some around you;)

And do not forget the science of nutrition is young and evolves very fast . Above all, we must listen to each other and respect that they are not made to the same conclusions as you.

Glossary

Glycemic Index: a criterion for ranking foods containing carbohydrates, based on their effects on blood glucose levels (blood glucose levels) for two hours after ingestion. (Wikipedia source)

Trans fatty acids: Trans fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids (in hydrogen), that is to say comprising at least one carbon-carbon double bond. An unsaturated fatty acid can take two different geometric shapes, called "cis" or "trans", which gives them different properties, and a different metabolism. The expression "trans" does not mean here "transgenic" or "transformed". (Wikipedia source)

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