A BALANCED DIET
Generally, when one says diet, you think of restricting foods so you can lose weight. In this case however, we are not strictly talking about a diet to lose weight but rather eating the correct amount of nutrients to support your body and your health. If you were to do this, then it is likely that you could affect your weight.
But what is this balanced diet we need?
There are a many places to find the answer but I will offer 2. First, you can check the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans (https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf) put together by RFK Jr and his staff. Second, there is a web site
from which I have extracted some data from their Tables 10, Essential nutrients for a healthy balanced diet & Table 11 Eat more, eat less. I have added some comments in bold font that you may find helpful. I would remind you that you evolved through periods of feast and famine so this is not intended as a do or die daily list of foods you must consume but more of a general map you should try to follow.
Diet: a balanced diet and your health
Table 10 Essential nutrients for a healthy balanced diet
Nutrient % of daily calories Grams/day Function Source
CARBOHYDRATES. 310 gr/day SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR THE BODY
These are simple sugars, such as, glucose, fructose, sucrose (table sugar) & lactose (sugar in milk) or complex sugars, such as starch & fibers.
Grains, like wheat, maize, corn, millet, oats, rice, flour, pasta, noodles, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams tend to supply complex carbohydrates like starch and fibers. They can be whole grains containing all the nutrient rich parts of the plant or refined which are processed grains lacking many of the nutrients of the plant.
Fruits tend to supply the simple sugars like glucose & fructose. You should keep in mind however that whole fruits contain complex carbohydrates such as fiber that helps in the absorption of the sugars. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/blood-sugarfriendly-fruits-if-you-have-diabetes
PROTEIN 50 gr/day SOURCE OF ESSENTIAL & NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
Meat (focus on pasture raised animals), fish, nuts, eggs (pasture raised chickens) , soya, beans and pulses. While Whole Foods are your first choice, you may also get the protein from supplements. If you do use supplements vary the source to make sure you get a variety of amino acids.
FAT. ~70g/day SOURCE OF ENERGY, ENERGY STORAGE & HORMONE PRODUCTION.
Nuts (focus on raw not salted), seeds, plant oils, dairy products (milk, cheese). I would avoid fat free foods and use dairy products from grain fed animals.
FIBER. At least 25g/day REGULATES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, SUPPORTS THE GUT AND BOWEL HEALTH
Peas, beans, vegetables, fruit, oats, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, seeds. Try a variety of colors and kinds,
VITAMINS & MINERALS AMOUNT DEPENDENT ON SPECIFIC VITAMIN & MINERAL. Metabolism regulation, aiding cell growth, other biochemical functions
A range of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, nuts and seeds will cover most people’s needs. (Vitamin supplements are generally not needed but if you use them, it is not necessary to take every day. The same is likely true for minerals like magnesium and calcium).
WATER. MAINTAIN HYDRATION. Essential for proper cellular functioning
Drinking water (this is very important especially as we age; see article on Hydration), other beverages. About 20% of water intake comes from food.
In an ideal world, we would eat foods that provide for the essential nutrients we need in a balanced ratio to allow our body to endure through the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ that is our life. In an ideal world our diet would consist of a supply of fiber, healthy fats, proteins, healthy carbs and associated vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. It is difficult to maintain a fresh food supply, let alone make food every day especially for just 1 or 2 people. On top of this, you experience the agony of shopping for such foods. It can be a such a hassle to read the ingredient labels some of which contain names that one needs a degree in chemistry to understand. Preparing to eat and eating should be a pleasure and not a job!
So, given these conditions, how can we help our body? Let’s start with the positive. Mother Nature evolved us as a species that could survive periods of feast or famine. In my view, that translates into not having to eat ‘ideally’ every day.
When you do prepare meal, I suggest meat and dairy from pasture raised animals for your proteins, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals. You can get local farm raised animal products from Pasture to Fork (https://pasturetofork.com/), Dutch Meadows Farm https://dutchmeadowsfarm.com/about-the-farm , both of which provide raw milk products, Seven Stars Dairy (pasteurized products https://sevenstarsfarm.com/our-farm/). There are national distributors of grass fed meats and eggs such as Butcher Box (https://subscribe.butcherbox.com/home-11-ps-bps?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=search_brand_core_exact_tcpa_aimax_retest&adgroupid=196586398000&adtype=&utm_term=&utm_content=&keyword=butcher%20box&matchtype=e&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23637091677&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5YedsPepkwMVN0b_AR2sfjVEEAAYASAAEgLXtvD_BwE), and Wild Pastures (https://wildpastures.com/promos/save-20-for-life/bonus15?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=WP_SearchNonBrand_MP_1TOFU_Purchase&utm_term=TOFU&utm_content=buy%20pasture%20raised%20meat&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20670149255&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhIjigfWpkwMVfTIIBR3OCi4XEAAYAiAAEgK6n_D_BwE).
For fiber, anti-inflammatories, and vitamins and minerals head to the veggies and fruits, remembering that variety is the spice of life. It can be a challenge to keep all these foods fresh and in stock although this is by far the best option. When it is not possible to have these fresh whole foods available you should consider frozen or powdered versions.
As I have mentioned before, frozen berries (nwwildfoods.com) come in an array of colors from the dark blues and purples (black currant, purple aronia, boysenberries, blackberries, elderberries, huckleberries, black raspberries, bilberries, honeyberries, marion berries) to the greens and reds (goldenberries, red huckleberries, sea buckthorn, gooseberries, red currants, cranberries, tart cherries, lingonberries, sweet cherries, pomegranate arils, raspberries) each of which bring a unique set of key nutrients. For example, lingonberries have one of the highest phenolic contents whereas Marion berries are rich in anthocyanin.
I would suggest the same approach to buying powdered veggies (znaturalfoods.com). Look for variety and try to focus on the whole food and not a juice or extract. By making a juice, for instance, the fibers typically present in the plant are lost whereas the whole food powder contains the entirety of the plant. Try wheatgrass, barley grass, alfalfa, moringa leaf powder, bacopa powder as well as the more traditional spinach, broccoli, kale, beet, tomato powders. This company also has some interesting combinations such as organic green power which is a combination of about 13 different ingredients.
Having these frozen berries and veggie powders on hand provide an easy way to support your body with key nutrients for those days when you simply can’t make a wholesome dinner.