Basics for Better Eating for the New Year and Beyond

Prelude. When I sign my name, because my handwriting is illegible, a question I am asked often is this: Are you a doctor? I am not a medical doctor. Worse, my understanding of the workings of the human body is poor. So, while it makes no sense for me to write on good eating habits, it makes perfect sense for you to read it. Better eating has many benefits, including lowering the risks of diabetes and heart disease, two common causes of poor health.

Lasting habits. Our genes — over which we have little control — affect our health, so it is best to treat them as the hand we are dealt in a game of cards. Just as we can control how we play those cards, we can also control our living habits. For good or bad, long-term habits impact our health more than a sudden and short burst of enthusiasm to do something such as what we do with a new year’s resolution. An occasional impressive feat of athleticism, e.g., running a marathon, is no substitute for routine run-of-the-mill runs or walks. Alternatively, occasional splurging will not set your health back nor will an occasional dose of healthy eating or fasting make everything alright. It is better to set realistic and achievable goals that we can meet daily than outlandish resolutions that come and go and make us miserable.

Eating and Exercising. We get our energy from the food we eat: a combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrates (carbs for short). Consuming one gram of fat gives us nine calories of energy, whereas one gram of either protein or carbohydrates gives us four calories. A nutty nutrition bar with 6 grams each of fat and protein (e.g, from nuts and oil), and 20 grams of carbs (e.g., honey, sugar, or wheat) has 6*9 + 6*4 + 20*4 = 158 calories. We expend energy when we exercise. If we intake more calories regularly than we expend, we gain weight. Thankfully, even when we are sitting idle, we expend calories. The better our metabolism and muscle tone are (from exercises and strength training), the more we expend. A companion writing on exercising regularly, specifically walking or running, is here.

Fats and Protein. There’s good and bad fat and protein, and good and bad carbs in the food we eat. Unfortunately, it is not possible to eat only healthy food, so it is a matter of degree. As a rule, food that comes with saturated fat and protein from animal sources (e.g., meat and whole milk) is less desirable than food with unsaturated fat, nutrients, and protein (e.g., nuts and seeds). Trans fats are terrible. Getting protein without bad fat is a challenge. Excellent sources of protein for vegetarians with minimal or no fat include low-fat or skim milk, soy milk, yoghurt, hummus, and legumes, such as beans and lentils. Starting the day with some protein is ideal.

Good and bad carbs. Whereas a variety of vegetables and fruits — more of the former and less of the latter — offer desirable carbs that come with fiber and other useful nutrients, sugar is entirely undesirable. These good carbs offer few calories. Grains that have more calories have undesirable carbs, but some are better than others. Processed grains (e.g., white bread) that convert to sugar in our body quickly are worse than whole grains which also have more minerals and nutrients. Some grains, such as couscous, millet, oats, quinoa, and wheat come with protein. Some varieties of rice, such as brown rice and parboiled rice offer more benefits than white rice.

In a nutshell. To the extent our digestive systems and our taste buds allow, we prefer getting our calories through protein, unsaturated fats, and good carbs over bad fats and carbs. When we get them from a variety of sources, we also get useful daily minerals and nutrients. Objectively analyzing where we get our calories in our daily diet and improving that diet require effort, but it’s worth it in the long run. Moderation is key as is change that is gradual.

Eat well and drink plenty. Water has zero calories, and it’s usually free. Nothing wrong with a cup or two of coffee or tea either if you watch that sugar. Wish you a happy and healthy new year!

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

If you wish to be included in the mailing list to receive VijayViolet writings as they are published, please email vijayviolet2020@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line. To unsubscribe, write mail with Unsubscribe in the subject line. There will be no unwanted mails. Your email will not be distributed.