6 simple steps
to healthy eating


By Lisa Petty, BA, RHN, RNCP

Step 1: A surprising, simple weight loss key
Let’s say that your morning drive to work involves dropping the kids off at school and you’re running late as usual. You turn the key in the ignition. Nothing happens. The only light shining on the instrument panel is the fuel gauge – EMPTY. You aren’t going anywhere.

When it comes to our cars, we get it. Without fuel, the engine can’t run. But when it comes to our bodies, there’s denial. Scientific studies are in and it seems that Mom was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
 
Eating breakfast helps keep weight down by stoking your metabolism by 10% early in the day. A nutritious breakfast also helps you resist the high-fat, high-sugar mid-morning snack that goes straight to your waist. More importantly it’s very difficult to get your daily requirement of nutrients when you skip breakfast.

If you don’t feel hungry in the morning examine your routine. Do you have dinner late, or snack just before bed? If so, reschedule your day to ensure an earlier dinner. Ease into your new breakfast strategy with juice or fruit at home, following up with some nuts or yogurt on your first work break.

Step 2: Improve digestion
If you experience gas, belching, bloating, indigestion or cramping after a meal, you’ll be happy to learn it’s not always what you eat but how you eat it that impacts your digestion. It works like this: different foods digest at different rates. Fruits are ready to move out of the stomach within 20-30 minutes, while meat proteins can linger in the stomach for four hours. If you eat them at the same time, the fruit digests quickly, stewing with the meat for hours and fermenting in your stomach until the entire meal is ready for the next phase of digestion. This fermentation often causes gas, leading to the other side effects of a poorly digested meal. Improved digestion increases the absorption of nutrients from your food.

Food Combining Guidelines:
• Always eat fruit alone, at least half an hour before and two hours after other food. Avoid combining fruit with protein
• Avoid mixing high-starch carbohydrates with protein, instead combine protein with non-starch vegetables. Replace your meat-and-potatoes dinner with a meat and vegetable stir-fry
• Eat high-starch vegetables (potatoes) with non-starch vegetables (broccoli)
• Only drink small sips of water with meals, liquids slow digestion.
Because these guidelines speed up your digestion they may not be beneficial for people with hypoglycemia or adrenal gland issues.

Step 3: The perfect diet plan
Replace fat-free, carb-free diets with a healthy balanced diet by controlling portions and percentages. Build your meal with 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% healthy fats – it’s easy to do with this ‘handy’ scale.

40% carbohydrates A Portion of complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains (open hand, fingers closed) B Portion of complex carbohydrates in the form of vegetables (open hand, fingers spread wide) 30% protein C Piece of meat about the size of your palm 30% fats Include 1-2 ounces of food fats per meal in the form of nuts or seeds; or add 1-2 tablespoons of good fats, including olive oil, walnut oil, coconut oil or blended seed oil. If you don’t eat 2-4 servings of fish per week, consider supplementing with fish oil capsules.

Step 4: Improve your energy
Whether your goal is to improve your energy, lose or maintain your weight or simply enjoy good health – pay attention to your metabolism. Your metabolism needs good fuel – regularly. Eat five to six balanced, nutrient-dense meals a day (every 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours) to keep blood sugar stable. Choose foods that are good sources of vitamins, minerals, EFAs, protein and fibre.

Step 5: Drink Up
Our various body parts consist of between 75% - 85% water, so you want to be sure to get enough. Be sure to drink a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses of pure, filtered water daily, and more when it’s hot outside or when you’re exercising. Remember when you feel thirsty you’re already dehydrated.

Step 6: Know when to stop
Try to stop eating at least three hours before bed-time so your digestive tract isn’t awake all night. It needs rest too. If you’re feeling hungry, have a drink of cool water. Chances are you’re really only thirsty. Failing that, have a small piece of easy-to-digest, low glycemic fruit like a granny smith apple.

H&L

Lisa Petty is a registered nutritionist and author of Living Beauty: Feel Great, Look Fabulous & Live Well (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2005.) Please visit www.livingbeauty.ca