Nutrition is easily the most perplexing and misunderstood of our “Big Four” lifestyle factors (diet, sleep, stress management, and exercise).
There is no topic that you can look up online that has as much confusion around it as there is surrounding nutrition. Paleo diet, Keto diet, Carnivore diet, low carb, high protein, low fat, high carb, the results of a search for “nutrition” seeks never-ending. There are countless and frequently contradictory articles, studies, diets, and so on claiming to be the optimal or best way to eat. Much of this advice is devoid of context (what is your situation and goals?) and is rife with bias toward a specific viewpoint or clear economic interest.
Our nutrition strategies should aim to improve our appearance, feeling, and performance. This includes having low(er) bodyfat and more muscle mass, improving our bloodwork and biomarkers of health, and generally feeling good and having enough energy to enjoy our lives.
Proper nutrition is essential for keeping individuals healthy throughout their lives, whether they are newborns, toddlers, children, adults, or elderly. It can help people live longer lives and reduce their risk of health issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and others.
Healthy Eating
Healthy eating is the foundation of good nutrition. This entails selecting nutritious foods and beverages on a regular basis. A healthy eating plan should give your body the energy and nutrition that you need every day. Nutrients include proteins, carbs, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and water. Your tastes, cultural customs, and finances should all be included in the plan.
Healthy eating does not imply that you must adhere to a rigorous diet or consume only a few specific types of food. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite cuisine. You can eat a wide range of foods, including less healthful options. Nonetheless, it is critical not to consume these meals in excess or on a regular basis. You can counteract these foods with healthy alternatives and regular physical activity.
The DigEnet Approach to Proper Nutrition
How should we eat and improve our diets with the goal of looking good, feeling good, and performing well in mind? DigEnet has adopted this approach: eat high-quality meat and fresh vegetables, healthy nuts and seeds, moderate amounts of fruit, limited starch, and no sugar. Limit consumption to levels that support exercise but not body fat. Read it again, and then memorize it. That prescription is both simple and effective. Our primary dietary intervention should always be quality centric. Before you inquire about quantity, meal timing, macronutrient ratios, and so on, consider what you are eating.
Adapted to the Individual’s Lifestyle and Means
Within this framework, you are free to eat whatever meat/seafood, vegetables, fruits, and so on you prefer, have access to, and can afford. If you dislike broccoli, avoid it. However, try to eat a diverse range of foods from each of these categories, keeping in mind your denser carbohydrate sources (fruits, starches, etc.).
Take note of what is missing, such as sugar, processed foods, cereal grains, legumes, and dairy. Dairy and legumes are more of a gray area – eat what you can tolerate while keeping in mind that some people do well with these foods while others do not. It’s perfectly fine if you prefer to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer animal products.
Again, our primary focus is qualitative – first, eliminate or at least reduce your consumption of all crappy, processed, fake foods. Once we’ve done that, we can consider next steps.
You Need to Learn to Walk Before You Can Run
We can talk about macronutrient ratios (protein/fat/carbs) and meal timing after we’ve successfully implemented these dietary changes on a consistent basis (intermittent fasting, for example). Most people want to move on to more advanced strategies, such as weighing and measuring their food or fasting, before they’ve dealt with the low-hanging fruit. To be clear, you do not need to limit your eating window, count your almonds, or weigh your chicken breast to be healthy, lean, and fit.
What You Eat Matters Above All Else
In general, if we want to lose body fat, we should prioritize protein and fat while keeping carbohydrates at levels that correspond to our activity level. If you are already lean and tolerate carbs well, you can consume more of them if you wish. When it comes to quantity, eating 3-4 satiating meals per day works well. This means eating until you’re satisfied, then stopping. Similarly, we can use body fat as an indicator – am I getting more, less, or the same amount of leanness as before? Based on your observations, modify your approach.
Consider Fasting Strategies as a Next Step
Finally, fasting can be an effective strategy for helping to normalize blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, hormonal appetite signaling, and limiting our window of time for food consumption in general. Simply put, it’s more difficult to overeat when you can’t eat mindlessly all day. Intermittent fasting entails establishing a window of time when you can eat (typically 8 hours) and when you cannot (typically 16 hours). You are still attempting to meet your 3 meal and nutritional requirements within your feeding window. Many people find this structure useful and the parameters to be minimally restrictive.
A Final Thought From DigEnet
Change can be difficult when it comes to developing new nutrition habits. If you want the best chance of success, the order in which you make changes is important. Focus first and foremost on what you eat; we need to eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. If we can do that, we can shift our attention to when and in what quantities we consume these foods. Few decisions have a greater impact on our health, mood, appearance, and overall well-being than the foods we choose to eat; prioritize accordingly!
If you want more details you can CLICK HERE to check out the DigENet A Beginner’s Guide to Nutrition.