health And wellness in 52 letters

Food Choices

Hello Reader,

It is confusing which food item is Healthy.

Have you, like me, wondered how we get along with the different food options, yet we know little about them?

Getting into health coaching, one of the questions I needed answers to was what constitutes a healthy diet.

We mostly do not think about the content of the food we eat any better than we pay attention to what is available, our taste and appetite and what we desire to eat at a particular time.

No one asks what the body needs.

It's usually about what we want to eat.

But then they are different things, and the difference is crucial to maintaining our wellbeing.

Imagine if there is a parameter for checking which nutrients are in short supply like we do with insulin, cholesterol and other disease-signalling hormones.

That would help us to focus on making them up rather than just eating to satisfy hunger and taste.

We are more accustomed, perhaps not interested in monitoring the parameters that haven't become a problem.

There is good news.

In the Alive & Well coaching Newsletter, we will be taking steps to figure things out week by week. I send out health letters every Monday to educate busy people on health and wellness in a series of 52 letters, and currently, we are in the third edition.

This week, we will be talking about healthy dieting. As a glimpse into what is coming, let's touch a little on nutrition.

What is a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet includes macronutrients in appropriate proportions to support energy and physiological needs while providing sufficient micronutrients and hydration to meet physiological needs.

Macronutrients

carbohydrates
proteins
fats

They provide the energy necessary for the cellular processes required for daily functioning.

Micronutrients

vitamins
minerals

Comparatively, they are in small amounts for growth, development, metabolism, and physiologic functioning.

In my primary and secondary education, understanding these macro and micronutrients and how they balance out in proportion to give the best results in taste and nutrients has been confusing. To make matters worse, we tend to go monotonic when associating nutrients with a particular food item.

Things like saying

An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Banana is all about potassium
sardines for omega-3
Orange for vitamin C
fruits and vegetables as laxatives
Almonds for their perceived benefits for brain health
Omega-3-rich salmon for its potential cardiovascular advantages
Kale into your diet for its association with bone health and calcium content
Carrots with high beta-carotene content and eye health
Greek yoghurt for its high protein content and probiotic benefits
blueberries for their antioxidant properties and potential benefits for cognitive function
green tea into your routine for its reputed metabolism-boosting properties
garlic for its potential antimicrobial properties
avocados for their healthy fats and vitamin E content
whole grains for their fibre content and potential digestive benefits
dark chocolate for its antioxidant content and potential mood-boosting effects

That's not wrong, but the problem with having such a mindset when it comes to nutrient sources is that we tend to ignore the other components of that particular food item, and the effect is that we either take them in excess or not enough.

Aside from that, when ill, it is required that we seek medical treatments and corrections rather than just depending on nutrition. That is why much of our discussion is for us to learn and incorporate the nutrients in a balanced fashion earlier in a healthy state rather than wait until we fall sick.

It's the saying that no two apples are the same. Just like humans have varying nutritional requirements.

Many factors contribute to this, which include energy requirements, health conditions, age, lifestyle, nutrient requirements and underlying deficiencies.

There has to be an understanding of what we require individually, what food substance has them in the correct proportion and how to prepare them to become part of our diet.

You see, it's not that easy. But trust me, it doesn't have to be that hard. We need to demystify these food tricks. We eat three to four times a day, so we should know what is healthy and what isn't.

You might say it doesn't matter. There are rarely those old nutritional diseases, but forgetting that they play a role in longevity and in chances of developing and maintaining health in people with chronic disease.

The key takeaway is that food has six nutrient classes, which include the big and the little ones. I have not mentioned water, but know that the dud is an unnegotiable part of our dieting. It's like driving a car without water.

Finally, my apologies for sending this week's letter late. I have been unwell with flu, that nasty illness my GP would refuse to waste antibiotics for. Hopefully, I will be in the recovery stage.

I thank those who responded to last week's letter. I have read and replied to all the emails. It's my pleasure to read your thoughts and learn about what you are doing to keep healthy. We are all a work in progress, and it's inspiring to see that you are following along with the 52 health letters.