Nutrition Tips: Getting Started
Food is the most important aspect of our health. What we choose to eat absolutely matters. There are so many diets out there at the moment; understanding what to eat can be overwhelming.
In this section I want to provide you with some basics about nutrition to give you clarity on how to find what works best for you.
When beginning any discussion around food and what are the best things to eat it can be helpful to start with the foods that none of us should ever consume:
Anything that comes in a box.
Processed foods (foods that have been so manipulated, mutated, shaped, ground down) that are unrecognizable as anything that has come from mother earth.
Refined Sugar
Seed oils (soybean oil, rapeseed oil, vegetable oil, corn, cottonseed, safflower, etc.)
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
These foods cause the body to produce major inflammatory responses that negatively affect your health in a laundry list of ways.
Now that we have established the foods that we should stay away from, here is a list of the nutrient-dense whole foods we SHOULD make staples of our diets:
Organic vegetables - with few exceptions you can never go wrong with dark leafy greens (of all varieties), broccoli, carrots, peppers (some say to stay away from the ‘nightshades’ but this is not necessary when getting started, we need to establish a foundation of food understanding before diving into the nitty gritty details of health foods.) squash (of all kinds), etc. etc.
Healthy Fats - Avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamias, etc.), Seeds (hemp, chia, pumpkin, and flax), butter (from grass-fed cows), and ghee.
Animal Protein - There is much controversy and nonsense in the media around red meat and animal products in general. The truth is that organic meat, chicken and fish are all packed with vital nutrients to keep human beings in optimal health. I do everything I can to find the highest quality meat available. That means organic, grass-fed, free-range, wild and sustainably raised as much as possible.
Fruit - Fruit is a tricky part of any diet. Learning what to eat is also about learning how to eat. Fruit requires different enzymes to break down in the stomach. Which means that when fruit is combined with other foods in a meal the fruit will not be properly digested and will in fact sit in the stomach to ferment causing all sorts of issues. I eat very little fruit and when I do I eat fruit by itself at least thirty minutes before or after eating whatever else I have chosen to eat that day. Apples, dark berries, exotic fruits (mango, papaya, dragonfruit etc.) are my usual go-to’s.
Other Carbohydrates - In my personal journey with food I have come to understand that most carbohydrates do NOT agree with my system. However, that does not mean that I think they should be excluded from everyone’s diet. They can be very beneficial for many people. The most important thing to consider is what carbs are you eating? I choose to stay away from bread (anything wheat based, I go gluten free all the way), pasta, and potatoes (any starch, this includes beans of all kinds). When I do eat carbs I usually choose sweet potatoes, on occasion rice or quinoa, and sometimes gluten free pasta.
However you choose to eat I encourage you to pay attention to how it makes you feel. I do not advocate for any specific diet, or food dogma. My philosophy centers around eating whole foods dense in nutrients that are easy to digest. We are all different. What works for me might not work for you. Pay attention to what you eat and how that food makes you feel. Does it make you feel sluggish and tired? Or does the food you eat make you feel energized and inspired? As you develop mindfulness and awareness around your eating habits and patterns you will also develop a deeper connection with yourself.
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