My Philosophy on Food

One big struggle in natural health industry is understanding the different philosophies. Wading through all the fad diet trends and finding a solid source of science based on nutrition facts can be difficult, especially when each person brings their own background and experience to their perspective. I’d like to share with you my view on nutrition and diet so you can better understand where I am coming from when I use a term like ‘diet’ or ‘healthy’. That way you can know the context in which I use these terms.

My first big pet peeve is the term ‘diet’. Diet refer to the food that you take in on a normal basis. It is not meant to refer to a short term change in food for the purpose of losing weight. Media has been a big help changing our definition, if you ask most people what ‘diet’ means to them, many would connect the word with the effort to lose weight. I’d like to change that. Let’s start referring to our food choices as our diet. For example, ‘I have cut out dairy from my diet’, or ‘I am focusing on a more plant based foods in my diet’. If we choose to eat a better balanced diet, most people will notice a positive change in weight, but this will be something slow and sustainable, not quick and fleeting like most fad ‘diets’.

Next, the word ‘healthy’. This can mean so many things these days, depending on the person using it. A great example is that for years we have been told that margarine is ‘heart healthy’, but more and more science is coming to light that this not the case. So, for me, I would not consider it a healthy choice.

I believe in whole food. That means eating most of your food the way it came from the earth. This includes, lots of vegetables, moderate fruit and organic when possible, eating whole grains in moderate amounts and naturally raised meat. Also, enjoying healthy fats, eating fermented dairy products if you can tolerate them, and lentils and legumes. Also using natural sweeteners moderately. For fluids, drinking lots of water and/or herbal tea.

Lots of vegetables, moderate fruit, organic if possible:

Vegetables are a great source of many nutrients we are missing in our over processed diets. They come in a beautiful rainbow of colours for a reason. Each colour gives you a variety of nutrients, including phytonutrients that are specific to each colour family. For example, orange comes from beta-carotene, a rich source of anti-oxidants. Aging occurs from oxidative stress to the body, so anti-oxidants reduces damage and aging of our bodies.

Fruit are another great source of these nutrients in the range of colours, but they carry more sugars with the nutrients. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against sugar found naturally in our food, but I do caution over indulging. Moderate fruit consumption (2-3 servings) alongside an abundant consumption of vegetables (7-10 servings) is a good ideal balance between these food groups.

Fresh vs. frozen fruits and vegetables? Choose what works best for you. Often frozen produce is flash frozen soon after harvesting, so they contain a high concentration of nutrients. Most water soluble nutrients, such as vitamin C, rapidly reduce the longer produce sits between harvest and consumption. So frozen options are a great way to keep high levels of these nutrients. Plus they can be very convenient for busy families.

Why organic? Two reasons: chemicals and soil health. Growing vast fields of one single crop, known as mono cropping, has a huge battle when it comes to weeds and pests. So the solution that has been used most is chemical sprays. This however leads to consumption of trace chemicals every time we eat, which can lead to health problems. Replacing highly sprayed foods with their organic counterpart will drastically reduce the chemical burden on your body. Soil health is the other factor. In order to get great nutrients from our foods, the soil must be rich with these same nutrients. Organic farming focuses on enriching their soil, and practicing crop rotation to allow different nutrients to be added and taken between years to keep a balance going.

Whole grains, not processed heavily into pre-made foods, in moderate amounts.

I believe we can have grains as a healthy addition to our diets. It’s a matter of which grains and the portion they add to our overall diet. I am not partial to wheat products because of the changes the plant has undergone. I prefer to stick to more ancient grains, such as rye, kamut and spelt if there is no issue with gluten. For those sensitive to gluten, I like to focus on rice (brown, basmati or wild), quinoa, millet, sorghum, buckwheat and oats. Grains should be mostly consumed in their natural state. When we process them down, we lose a lot of the fibre and nutrients that come with grains. When it comes to bread, if you are going for a non-wheat bread that is not gluten free, look for sourdough options. The process of creating sourdough helps to break down hard to digest components in your bread and helps release the nutrients.

Eat naturally raised meat

I feel meat is a healthy addition to our diets, but the health of the animal plays a huge role. In the scientific studies on the effect of meat on health they focus on how much meat and from which animal, but don’t often indicate the source of the meat. How an animal is raised has a direct correlation with the nutrients or compounds they pass onto us. Such as treating animals with hormone and anti-biotics is shown to be harmful to our health. Plus, when they are being used on the animals, it’s mostly because those animals are being kept in an unhealthy environment. Feeding animals an unnatural diet, such as feeding cows corn, will cause them to become sick and changes the composition of their body fat. Grass-fed cows produce meat that is higher in omega-3 and lower in omega-6. Corn-fed cows are the opposite, and often need anti-biotic treatments to reduce infections they get from eating a diet that is not healthy for them. So check for meat that’s pasture raised, non-hormone or anti-biotic and grass-fed.

Enjoy healthy fats

Fat, especially saturated fat has been vilified for so long now. It’s time to start taking it back. The movement has been growing as research and health trends continue to disprove the notion that we need to reduce our saturated fats. Saturated fat from healthy sources such as naturally raised animals, eggs, coconut, avocados, fermented dairy products, grass-fed butter, nuts and seeds are an important part of keeping our bodies healthy and our blood sugar even.

Have fermented dairy products if you can tolerate them.

Dairy can be a large source of dietary upset. As we age there tends to be a reduction in the amount of enzymes that can break down lactose, the sugar in diary. For many years before the industrial age, we have been enjoying raw milk and fermented dairy products. Fermentation was the only way to preserve the milk and in the process it helps to eliminate the lactose (which is hard to digest) and makes the other components of the milk easier to digest. If you are not allergic to dairy, I would encourage you to try adding in fermented dairy and see if that makes a difference for you. Fermented cheese is my favourite!

Use lentils and legumes.

Legumes, more commonly known as beans, and lentils are not as widely used in North American dishes. We most commonly see beans used as a side dish for breakfast (baked beans), as a bean salad, hummus, or part of a bowl of chili. Other than that, we don’t seem them used a great deal. I find them a wonderful addition to your whole food diet, especially since sometimes you can add them in and no one would be the wiser. Preparation and portion is important when it comes to lentils and legumes. A simple way to help make these easier to digest is to soak them before cooking. This will require one small step the morning before you want to use them.

Use natural sweeteners moderately.

Sweetness is a wonderful addition to diet, as long as it’s not the main focus. Sugar itself is far too prevalent in our diets today, and can do so much harm to our bodies. I am continuously looking for ways to reduce overall added sugar intake and we have continue to moved away from highly processed sugar. My sweeteners of choice these days are: maple syrup (medium to dark), unpasteurized honey, coconut sugar, dates and sugar alcohols such as xylitol or monk fruit with erythritol. Using these items to sweeten with, I still work to reduce the overall amount that is used. Many times, I will make a recipe, and each time I make it, I will reduce the sugar slightly to find the right level of sweetness along with maintaining structure of what I’m making. The good news about the sweeteners I’ve listed above, is many come with added nutrients such as minerals, enzymes or micro-nutrients. Always an added bonus!

Drink lots of water or herbal tea.

Diet isn’t just about our food, it’s also about our hydration. Many people walk around dehydrated each and every day. This can trick the body into thinking its hungry, and also reduces a vital component our body needs, moisture! On average, we need about 2-3 litres of water a day. Which works out to about 8-12 cups. Keeping in mind, you need to add one extra cup of water for every cup of caffeinated beverage you drink. Herbal teas will count towards your daily water intake, while caffeinated tea will not. Check out this hydration chart so your body can tell you how hydrated you really are!