I wanted to pivot this week from spirituality to physical health and talk about nutrition. Today, there’s so much focus on diets and things to cut out that we forget that eating is an enjoyable activity not a chore. There’s countless diets and many are backed by scientific evidence but some are just anecdotal. I won’t go into the specifics of any of these as that isn’t the topic. What I do want to touch on is that while a diet may work for some, it’s less about the diet and more about finding out what works for you and making sure you get the right nutrients while striking a balance so you can stick to your plan.
There are of course, the main macronutrients of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. There is and probably forever will be debate about what is the right ratio but this is something that each person has to find out for themselves through a little experimentation. A good place is start is what you like. Some people crave more fats, preferring savory over sweet or salty, which is usually more associated with carbs. Generally, proteins are wrapped up into either of the above, through meats, seafood, or beans/legumes. There’s endless combinations of foods, which is part of what makes it fun! Next however, comes the more difficult part; eating the things we don’t like. For many, that’s fruits and vegetables, but may also be beans or seafood, which can have an off texture. The thing to remember here is balance. Lets face it, if you just ate saltines all day, you would appreciate the salty flavor but likely feel pretty run down. Or if you only ate salads for every meal with little carbohydrates, you may not have much energy.
The balance is in what we like and what we don’t while also finding something that is sustainable. One way to do this is to think about colors. Many times, when we are focusing on consuming an array of colors for each meal, your nutrition bases will probably be covered. And then further making each meal have different colors enhances that balance. One of my favorites, a new take on the old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” (for consuming fruit and vegetables) is “A salad a day keeps the doctor away”. If you think about different salads you have many colors like purple cabbage or yellow heirloom tomatoes with options of fried tofu, medium seasoned steak or toasted chickpeas. While salads may not be the most appetizing (insert rabbit jokes), you can dress them up with different things you do like, thereby getting that balance of things you like with things you don’t but maybe need. Think of the micronutrients and antioxidants that come from those fruits and vegetables.
This makes your plan more sustainable. Many people can’t stick to a “diet” for several reasons but one common one is it is too restrictive. You become your own tyrant and the more you restrict, the more powerful your cravings become until you break. Then you add in the emotions of guilt and self pity and it’s no wonder people bounce from diet to diet and ultimately remain dissatisfied. So you can have the cheat day or cheat meal. You can have the guilty pleasure to remind yourself balance involves a reward so long as it has a counterpart. It will likely be a lifelong journey of finding new foods you like or dislike, things you like but maybe don’t agree with your DNA (think chronic low grade inflammation), identifying new cooking methods and communities of friends and like minded people, and above all, bettering yourself through improved nutrition. As one of the key pillars of health, eating habits will fuel the other areas of your life to make you a more ready servant of God.
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