What should we eat??

I recieved an interesting query from Ryan the other day. He was a 25 year old healthy person who sent me a query asking what he should eat for leading a healthy life. I was thoroughly intrigued by the level of confusion this young chap had. Then it struck me, that if we open any magazine or visit the web, we are bombarded with the latest Fad diet in town excluding a certain group of foods to look like a greek god or the famous heroine. Looks have taken  precedence over the  health of the body.

There are proclamations of body transformations by following diets like Ketogenic OR Low Carb High Fat OR  Paleo OR High carbohydrate OR High protein plans. Every follower feels his dietary method is supreme to the other and the rest is all nonsense. There are self proclaimed diet gurus who have transformed their bodies using a particular regimen and they juxtapose the same principle on the general population. People are seen jumping from one fad to the other and still remaining the same way as they started. These have also given birth to parallel industries, providing the so called” good foods”. Every day, I come across weird phobias like fear of Rotis, Fruits, Rice, Beans, Carbs(people do not even know what they structurally mean). When I recommend a normal plan to people, they are skeptical whether it would work for them or was I from a different planet.

Rewind two decades ago, there were hardly any diet clinics and slimming centres. People were more content with what they ate and had less chronic ailments. We  nutritionists, had jobs only at hospitals or colleges. I had never thought about personal one on one counselling for losing weight, when I started my career. But now I have a 10 year old with type 2 diabetes taking plans from me.

What should we eat??

Given the  above  confusing scenario what should be our food choices. Base your choices on  good eating principles.

Eat Whole:

Whole foods like whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds good quality meat and dairy  provide us with all the nutrients for survival.

Eat local:

Eat locally available whole foods. Food which travels long distances generally is devoid off nutrients.

Eat Sustainably: 

Each person has a unique physiological requirement for nutrients. Foods should reflect the  Geographical availability, Economic feasibility and long term sustainability. If the diet you chose to follow is very restrictive, it will not be sustainable on the long run. This is the main reason 90% dieters gain back all the weight they lose.

Epidemiological Evidence:

We should always examine if the current diet trend was followed by populations(our ancestors) residing in that particular geographical area. Every region has a unique nutrient set in the foods available.

Foods we grew up on:

Our body’s inner wisdom recognises the first food we were intoduced to. We thrive best on the whole foods which were introduced when we grew up.

What not to eat??

This is very clear. Say no to processed foods. Eat mainly home cooked whole foods with emphasis on Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts and Seeds, Beans and Unprocessed grains.

Conclusion:

We must always remember that, we are consumers. If everything about nutrition becomes clear then there is no need for diet books, diet foods and allied industries feeding the fad. The players in this multi crore Diet Industry will always want us to remain CONFUSED. So as Discerning consumers we should take the right call and not get into quick fixes and stick to good old Science(which can also be twisted to suit the individual beliefs). The ball is in our court.