Nutrition 101
All the nutrition posts on my blog aim to help you achieve one thing: eating healthy and feeling better. As I’ve shared in previous posts, these are written with a personal journey in mind, as I used to be unwell, struggling with mysterious health issues that kept me bedridden for six long months. My doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong after even taking countless blood tests, a few ultrasounds, and one CT Scan. He even told me it could be cancer from my swollen lymph nodes. The worst part about that was, I wasn’t surprised to hear it. Other symptoms I experienced were stomach pain, itchiness, brain fog, fatigue, body rashes, and mental hell. Luckily, the CT scan eventually came back negative, and we attributed this experience to ‘long COVID,’ although we weren’t 100% sure about what I had. During that time, the one thing I could kind of do, to give me some hope for the future, was reading. As I researched ways to get better, I delved into books on nutrition. I quickly realized we can drastically improve our lives just by controlling what we eat. Through learning and implementation, I developed valuable skills in nutrition that gradually transformed my life. Now, I am healthier than ever, all by making simple changes to what I put into my body. I want to share the foundational skills that empowered my journey, and I believe they can help you too.
Before I get into the specifics of what I want to share with you, I would not call myself an expert, and I did not go through any formal education on nutrition. Everything I learned that I’m sharing in this blog post is something I learned out of curiosity to implement in my own life. Additionally, it is worth mentioning diet and nutrition is like politics. Everyone thinks they are an expert and what they’re specifically eating is the only correct way to go. Their identity is wrapped up in it, which can make it a difficult subject to talk about. So if you are one of those people, realize what works for some people might not work for others. These foundations I will talk about are what worked best for me. In the end, decide for yourself, and do what works best for you!
Listen to your genes
To understand how to improve our nutrition, we must journey back through time. For the majority of human history, our diet centered around foraging and hunting, consuming foods directly from the land - hunted animals, fruits, tubers, seeds, nuts, and plants. If we were to represent the entire timeline of human existence within a 24-hour day, the introduction of processed foods, modern agriculture, added sugars and other industrialized elements occurred in the last 12 minutes. This rapid shift poses a challenge for our genes, which are still deeply rooted in the dietary practices of our early hunter-gatherer ancestors. The solution, as I found through personal experience, is to return to a diet that echoes the simplicity of our early existence.
Alarming Trends
Fast forward to the present, and It’s obvious that our bodies have not adapted to the rapid change in our diets. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost three in four men are considered to be overweight or obese, 40% of women are now considered obese, and about a third of children and adolescents aged six to nineteen are considered to be overweight or obese. Additionally, other ailments like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune issues, and cancer are on the steady rise, negatively impacting our quality of life. So what is the culprit behind this escalating health crisis? Processed foods, which now contribute to a staggering 50% of Americans’ daily calorie intake.
So why are processed foods bad for you?
Added Sugar - One of the biggest crimes to its original food source is adding large amounts of sugar to it, which can wreak unnecessary havoc on our bodies. Nature intended us to consume sugar in small amounts through whole fruit. However, the added sugar in processed foods is too much for our bodies to handle. Once you eat the sugar, the hormone insulin goes to shuttle it out of your blood and into your fat and muscle tissue. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance, which is when your body becomes less responsive to the effects of insulin. This results in increased blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, increased blood pressure, weight gain, and much more. Another problem with sugar is it’s sticky when it’s in your body, and it can’t be washed off. This is called glycation, which leads to inflammation, restricted blood flow, tissue damage, and increased risks of several types of diseases.
Trans Fats and Vegetable Oils - These are oils such as canola, corn, soybean, vegetable, peanut, and sunflower which are used in packaged foods like cookies, cakes, granola bars, pizza, bread, pasta dishes, breakfast cereals, “roasted nuts” and much more. These oils are cheap to produce and are used to enhance flavor and texture. They are industrially extracted from their original food sources and heated to high temperatures. This process generates free radicals - highly reactive molecules that can inflict cellular and DNA damage, contributing to oxidative stress in the body. This is represented by brain fog, memory loss, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, and more.
Similarly, the bulk of trans fats consumed by humans are the result of industrial manufacturing. They are used for two reasons: to extend the shelf life of foods and to add a buttery-rich texture to them. These man-made fats begin as polyunsaturated oils and then are pumped with hydrogen. This is represented by hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. These fats can freely pass through the blood-brain barrier which can lead to cognitive decline because the fats stiffen your neuronal membranes, which makes it more difficult for neurotransmitters to do their jobs. A study from 2015 found those who ate the most trans fats recalled twelve fewer words than those who consumed no trans fats at all.
Stripping of Fiber and Nutrients - The nutrient and fiber-stripping nature of processed foods further compounds the problem of deviating from its original food source. For instance, the process of making fruit juice involves extracting liquid content and leaving behind the essential insoluble fiber. Fiber, crucial for digestion, blood sugar control, and gut microbiome health, becomes absent in diets dominated by processed foods. The missing fiber and other nutrients as a result of processing will undoubtedly add up over time and take a toll on your overall health if you consume these foods.
Artificial additives and preservatives - These are extra chemicals tossed into processed foods to make them look better, taste good, and last longer. These weren’t in our ancestor’s diets, which is why our bodies aren’t well adapted to them. Some of these chemicals have been linked to diseases like cancer. Red dye 3 for instance, has been found to cause cancer in animals, and California just banned it (unsurprisingly). It also has been banned from cosmetics for 30 years. if we can’t put it on our faces why would we eat it? Other common additives and preservatives you should avoid are high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (MSG), all artificial colors and flavors, nitrates/nitrites, and BHT. A good rule of thumb here is if you have trouble pronouncing an ingredient or don’t know what it is, just avoid it.
Refined Carbohydrates - Lastly, let’s talk about how most processed foods are loaded with refined carbohydrates. While we can argue about the right amount of carbs we are supposed to eat, we can all agree that they are better consumed from their whole food sources. When we consume carbohydrates, our digestion works its magic, turning them into glucose that becomes our go-to fuel source. But the problem with refined carbohydrates is they’ve stripped the bran and the germ, leaving us with less fiber and fewer nutrients. This combo messes with our blood sugar and insulin levels, throwing us a curveball we're not evolutionarily equipped to handle, given our history of chowing down on whole foods. And to top it off, these refined carb-loaded foods don't keep us full, so we end up overeating for no good reason. Think white bread, white pasta, pastries, sugary breakfast cereals, and potato chips—those are the troublemakers.
In a nutshell, processed foods aren’t just a convenience thing. They cause all sorts of trouble for us. Understanding these issues lets us make better choices for our health - ones that stick to our roots and set the stage for a healthier future.
The Golden Rule in Action
How can we get back to eating like our early ancestors to improve our health? We must follow the golden rule of nutrition: the closer to the source, the better it is for your health. Let’s use this as a mental guide to steer ourselves into making better decisions. All we have to do is peel away the layers of processing and get down to the whole source. Here are some examples of how we can apply this rule to our daily food choices and make better ones.
Take french fries, for instance. Instead of munching on ones cooked in refined oils (like canola oil, which can cause oxidative damage and lead to inflammation and other health issues), opt for a baked potato with grass-fed butter. Additionally, the skin on the baked potato packs an extra punch. It contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which are necessary for our bodies to thrive.
When it comes to dairy, opt for the whole deal. Low-fat milk doesn't do our bodies any favors. Cows, goats, sheep, and humans don't produce low-fat milk naturally. Milk fats are good for us, containing essential saturated fats that support our cell membranes and serve as precursors to various hormones. Plus, removing fat from dairy products jacks up their sugar content. So, when approaching dairy products, stick to the rule: the closer to the source, the better. Choose whole milk plain yogurt with blueberries for sweetness, add whole milk to your coffee instead of 2%, and go for grass-fed/organic options if possible—that's what cows are meant to eat too.
Even so-called "health foods" like smoothies need a rethink. Instead of downing a smoothie loaded with countless fruits that jack up its sugar content (excess sugar linked to issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and adverse effects on metabolic health), opt for whole fruit. After all, our ancestors weren't chugging fruit smoothies in minutes, so why should we? Also whenever I eat an apple, I never want to eat another one. But it’s easy to consume multiple apples in a smoothie.
Salad dressings, those supposed healthy additions, can be a trap. Store-bought ones often pack in ingredients like canola oil, sugar, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, and a bunch of other confusing substances. Let's stick to our rule for salad dressings too. Make a great homemade dressing using olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. And a pro tip: ditch store-bought dressings completely.
Now, about egg whites—let's not skip the best part. Recent studies have shown that a high intake of eggs doesn't increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (contrary to popular belief). Egg yolks are a powerhouse of vitamins essential for the human body. In a Tufts University study, eating 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin (which protects the brain and improves neural processing speed) by 114 to 142%.
And what about bread? Well, you might want to rethink that daily habit. Bread, even whole wheat, can be a bit of a troublemaker. It's made from processed wheat, and gluten, the protein that gives it that sticky texture, can cause inflammation in the gut, leading to gut permeability and a host of immune reactions. With its link to psychiatric and neurological diseases, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, migraines, epilepsy, and neuropathy, maybe it's time to break up with bread. Plus, eating two pieces of whole wheat bread is equivalent to scarfing down 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bread converts to sugar in our bodies quickly, leading to fat storage and weight gain. Choosing whole food alternatives like rice, oats, quinoa, and potatoes offers a broader spectrum of nutrients and supports better overall well-being.
Here's a little experiment: stop eating it for a week and see how you feel. Then, dive back into your bread routine for a week and compare. You might be surprised at the difference!
So, apply this style of thinking throughout your day with every food you encounter. It's probably the most crucial and simplest takeaway from this post. Remember, the closer the food is to its source, the better it is for your health. Consistently consuming more nutritionally dense whole foods and eliminating processing levels will help your body achieve a good baseline level of health, setting you up to lose weight, reduce the risk of prevalent diseases, and give you more energy—just like it did for me.
Other Tips That Helped Me
Create a Healthy Environment
The best way to eliminate unhealthy eating habits is to remove temptations from your kitchen. If your surroundings are filled with healthy foods, that's what you're likely to consume. Two effective rules to follow when purging your pantry:
Avoid store-bought packaged foods with more than five ingredients.
If you can't pronounce it or don't know what it is, get rid of it.
Start viewing your kitchen as your home pharmacy or as the place to create the energy and fuel you need to be your best self. The journey to health begins here. Never underestimate the power of what you surround yourself with, not just in terms of people but also the food you choose.
Quality Over Quantity
From personal experience, strict calorie tracking or meticulous food measuring only lasted about a week for me. You're more likely to sustain healthier eating habits if you allow yourself some flexibility without the burden of constant tracking. When focusing on eating healthily, your body naturally signals when it's full, thanks to the extra fiber and nutrients compared to processed foods. Think about the example of being satisfied with one whole potato versus many potato chips. If you're already consuming a healthy diet, your body will metabolize these foods more efficiently. Improving nutrition should be a lifestyle change, not a calorie-counting diet.
Not all calories are equal; a calorie from an avocado offers more fulfillment and nutrients than one from a cookie, leaving you hungry. Eating less of only bad foods rarely benefits your health, so if you're reducing intake, ensure the quality of your calories is high. When choosing to consistently eat healthy, high-quality foods is likely a better long-term strategy. Don't burn out counting calories too early.
Think Long Term
Deciding to eat fewer processed foods and more whole foods could be one of the best long-term investments for yourself. Making the simple change of incorporating more whole foods yielded improved physical health – it helped me recover from the mysterious sickness I mentioned earlier. Once your body becomes healthier, you'll experience consistent energy levels, maintain a healthy weight, enjoy stable mood and mental health, improve your sleep, and enhance your overall appearance. Establishing these baselines improves your chances of achieving your life goals. Remember to stay consistent and always keep in mind the kind of life you want for the future when making food decisions. When I was sick, it took about two months of eating well before I started feeling better. The initial improvement I noticed was in energy levels, which motivated me to continue. So, even if you don't notice significant changes right away, consistency over time will eventually provide the physical health baseline you deserve to achieve your goals with. Use the 10:10:10 strategy when deciding what to eat. How will choosing a chocolate muffin for breakfast benefit you in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 years? Perhaps opting for eggs is the better choice!
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
“Everything in excess is opposed to nature”
“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity”
- Hippocrates
