05/10/2023
This is what I still believe in whole heartedly. A Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet. I am talking about an eating pattern, not an actual diet. It is about diversity on your plate. How many different plant foods do you eat during a week? This is NOT a vegan diet. Are you eating at least one serving of fruit a day? How many vegetables are you eating daily? Aim for 2 to 2.5 cups per day. Are you snacking on almonds, cashews, peanuts or pistachios instead of potato/nacho chips? How many days of the week are you adding beans or legumes as part of your meals? Are you eating whole grains or processed refined grains? The biggest single factor determining your state of health is the food you put on your plate. Almost half the US population has prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes and may not even know it. Most of the chronic disease in the US is caused by your food choices and what you choose to put in your body every single day. Our healthcare system is based on the sick care system. We develop high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, gain weight, prediabetes & Type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We go to the doctor, and he/she prescribes medications to help with the symptoms and to control fluctuating blood glucose levels, lower your blood pressure, help alleviate the symptoms that brought you into their office. If you were to stop taking those medications (and you shouldn't without the doctor's consent), your symptoms would return. Why not get to the root of your health problem by changing what you eat? Easy to say, much harder to do.
Because changing what you eat is not just about eating what is healthier for you. It is about tradition, peer pressure, the social aspect of eating, self-esteem and addiction. And that scares people and they resist making changes in their diet. They don't want to upset their family dynamic (if I change what I eat, my family will be affected, or I do not want to make different meals for myself and for them). So, I would suggest starting with 1 meal at a time. Add in a fresh fruit option: a banana, some berries, and put over either a low sugar yogurt or a bowl of plain oatmeal. Add in some chopped nuts for crunch and added protein. If you tend to choose either regular or diet soft drinks or other sugary bottled drinks as your choice of beverage, either STOP cold turkey or downsize to 1 a day and drink infused water instead.
Add in some beans, chickpeas, lentils to your meals and eat a minimum of 1/2 cup every day. Start shifting over to more plant-based foods.
Goal is to eat at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. We typically consume 15 grams of fiber or less per day (due to all the processed foods we consume). Start slowly by adding in 5 extra grams of fiber daily per week (that is equivalent to eating an apple & a banana or a cup of oatmeal, or a handful of nuts, or a half cup of beans). Drink plenty of unsweetened fluids to help the fiber move through your gut. Keep track of the number of grams of fiber you consume each day. When you reach your goal of consuming 25-30 grams per day, that means you are eating more whole food plant-based foods. Try it for a month and see how you feel.
