Three Essential Keys To a Healthy DietJeff Novick, MS, RDN
These days, it seems like almost every week we hear breaking health in regard to diet and health. Seems like we, even those in the WFPB world, have become a nation obsessed with the latest super food, super nutrient or super diet.
Here are three key principles that will help you put all this breaking health information into proper perspective and help you make better choices on your WFPB journey to health.
1) Foods Over Nutrients We often hear of a certain nutrient, like Vitamin C, and how important and beneficial it is for us. While this is true and these nutrients are important, what is more important is the package they come in and their best package is whole foods. Nutrients work together with each other and by choosing nutrient rich foods, we are getting much more then the benefit of any 1 or 2 nutrients but the benefit of the whole package and of all the different nutrients in the package working together.
A recent study compared the Vitamin C activity of an apple extract, which was the equivalent of a small apple containing less than 10 mg of Vitamin C to a Vitamin C supplement containing 1500 mg. The antioxidant activity of the apple extract was much higher than the supplement and even more so when the apple skin was included.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v4 ... 903b0.html2) Variety Within A Food GroupWhile apples are good and better than a Vitamin C pill, eating a variety of apples and a variety of fruits over time, is even better. The reason is, all the varieties of apples have varying levels of their many nutrients (even if picked at the same time from the same tree) as do all the varieties of fruits. So, the best way to ensure that we are really getting in all the nutrients in all the right amounts and combinations is to consume a variety of foods within each of the recommended food groups over time.
3) Dietary PatternsEating an apple is better than taking a Vitamin C pill and and eating a variety of apples and fruits is better than eating just one variety and kind of fruit, but by themselves, they will not constitute a healthy diet. Consuming a variety of foods within each food group is even better, but it is our overall dietary pattern that will matter most. When we look at long-lived healthy populations, even though there may be some differences, we do see a consistent overall dietary pattern. I have described this pattern here as "The Five Pillars of Healthy Eating- A Common Sense Approach To Nutrition."
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=374501) Plant-Centered - Center your plate and your diet around minimally processed plant foods (fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, roots/tubers, intact whole grains, and legumes (beans, peas & lentils).
2) Minimally Processed - Enjoy foods as close to "as grown in nature" with minimal processing that does not detract from the nutritional value &/or add in any harmful components.
3) Calorie Dilute - Follow the principles of calorie density choosing foods that are calorie adequate, satiating and nutrient sufficient.
4) Low S-O-S - Avoid/minimize the use of added Salts/sodium, Oils/Fats and Sugars/sweeteners
5) Variety - Consume a variety of foods in each of the recommended food groups.
So, the next time you hear of the latest super nutrient, super food or diet, remember, these three essential keys;
1) Foods Over Nutrients, 2) Variety Within A Food Group3) Dietary Patterns. Understanding the importance of these three key issues and the importance of our overall dietary patterns, especially as I have described it above, allows us to pick from a variety of minimally processed, nutrient rich foods within that overall dietary pattern.
In Health
Jeff