The Power of Food
Photo by Ella Olsson - from Pexels
Food can have an absolutely massive impact on your life. Some foods can fill your body with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds allowing your body to keep itself healthy and functioning optimally - others can contribute to inflammation and the progression of chronic diseases like heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
Part of what can make learning about your health scary is the lack of control you feel. Learning about how food impacts your health can help you to reclaim some of that control. For instance - I had a patient who was newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he told me his father had diabetes, and he was worried that his son would also have diabetes since it was in the family.
Though genetics do impact the risk of developing diabetes, food choices can greatly reduce that risk, and they can also help a person with diabetes to improve their condition even without medication (or it will at least help them need less medication). I explained this to this patient, and it gave him back a sense of autonomy - he now felt that diabetes wasn’t something that was happening to him, instead it was something he felt he could learn how to better manage with diet and lifestyle choices that he makes every day.
Basic REcommendations for Healthy EAting
Foods to eat multiple times daily include fruits (especially berries), vegetables (especially leafy greens), whole grains, herbs/spices, and foods with omega-3 fats like chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts. Foods you want to eat at least 3 times per week (or daily) include starchy beans/peas, nuts and seeds.
Foods to eat less often include saturated fats (butter, bacon, coconut milk/oil, dairy products with full fat content, fat/skin on meats, etc.), refined carbohydrates (white bread, white flour pasta, white rice, etc.), and refined/added sugars (the sugar in whole fruits is not a concern!).
Focusing on these basic diet recommendations can give you a great foundation to support your health and may be all that many people need. If you have a specific condition that you are hoping to improve or manage with diet, book a free consult using the button at the top of the page and we can talk about your specific needs and goals.