OK.
I had this whole long substack newsletter written. But then I read it. Too long, too wordy and not enough sarcasm. So it remains in my draft pile and perhaps I will resurrect it at some point.
Instead, today I will try to write something shorter, at least shorter than the draft I didn’t publish, and hopefully more to the point.
Here are 15 “things” about how I think about food, diet and nutrition to encourage a more optimal health.
I eat for protein first. My definition of protein is anything that can run, swim or fly away from me. Protein is the building block of bones, muscles, organs, connective tissue and the immune system. You can’t build a brick house without bricks. You can’t build and maintain the human body without protein. Muscles that enable us to move are mostly protein. In my diet, animal protein is preferred. Plant protein can be used, but is different from animal protein, not as easily assimilated into the human body, and it costs some energy to be able to be utilized efficiently. Animal protein much more closely mimics what we need to maintain our body.
I eat for natural fats second. Natural fats, whether they are saturated, mono-unsaturated or Omega 3 fish oil fats are my preference. Where do I find these fats? They are found in anything that can run, swim or fly away from me. Oops, you probably heard that already. But it is true. Fats serve as my preferred fuel source, especially for your organs and muscles. Burning fat provides twice as much energy as burning carbs. Fats are also very important in our organs and cell walls. The war on fat by the traditional medical system is very misguided, but they will never admit that for many reasons, none of which is for your better health. BTW- If you want a good test for the types of fats you are eating and assimilating, we do offer the OmegaQuant test at the IMW. Do your best to avoid as much as possible all fake fats, otherwise known as man made highly processed fats, otherwise known as vegetable oils and seed oils. If you use added fats to prepare your meals, stick to olive oil, butter, ghee, coconut oil and animal fats.
I eat for enjoyment. I like eating. I enjoy my food. I enjoy preparing and cooking my food. I enjoy being creative when I cook. I enjoy eating food that I know is healthy for me, which means look closely again at numbers 1 and 2 above.
I eat some carbs. Carbs are primarily fruits and vegetables, you know, those things that can NOT run, swim nor fly away from me. Have you ever seen a stalk of broccoli run away from a predator? I haven’t, except perhaps in a cartoon. Although some days it seems like it, we are not living in a cartoon world. When I eat carbohydrates I try and keep them to no more than 1/4 of my food, by looking at my plate, not by measuring calories or weighing the food. I like to keep it simple.
I prefer to eat 1-2 meals a day, without snacking. This keeps my metabolism working well and my weight in check. This goes by names such as Time Restricted Feeding and Intermittent Fasting. Whatever name you want to call it, once I got into to this timed style of eating, my metabolism and health improved and my hunger decreased.
I try not to eat after dinner. I believe meals are best eaten during daylight hours, when the body is best able to absorb and utilize the nutrients.
I do not drink my calories, meaning all liquids I drink are zero calories. Water and unsweetened iced tea are my favs.
I do not use artificial sweeteners. First they are “artificial”. Second I do not want to maintain a sweet tooth or sweet cravings, so I am better off getting used to the natural sweetness of foods. This usually does not take too long. In fact after avoiding sweet tasting food for so long, if I take a sip of a sweetened drink, it is not pleasurable.
I would prefer to eat my first meal in the morning and my main meal mid-afternoon and then go 6+ hours before bed without eating. If I can figure out how to do that while working normal hours, I will let you know. But if you are able to eat your second/main meal mid-afternoon, go for it. Then your Intermittent Fast could be from say 4PM to 10AM, which would be a good 18 hours.
There is no such thing as breakfast food, lunch food or dinner food. There is just food. If you want an omelet for dinner, go for it. If you want steak and veggies in the morning, also go for it. Don’t let American traditions sway your eating habits.
You can eat out and still be healthy. Just order first for protein, then for fat, and ask if you can substitute out the starch for something better, like more protein source or at least a non-starch veggie. As mentioned above, try and avoid the fake fats most restaurants use. You can ask what oils they use. Sometimes they may even know and answer you.
Don’t let striving for perfection in your diet allow you to fail. I always say, “If you want to fail at something, just try and be perfect- that equals almost guaranteed failure.” If you go off your diet for a meal or a day, shrug it off and start again tomorrow. Don’t look backwards, you are not going that way!
Ignore food commercials, especially those from Big Food corporations.
Ignore the media when it comes to healthy food choices. The media is just putting out stories, mostly fiction, about food by virtue of who is paying them for advertising. Media at this point is just propaganda.
The war on dietary salt, saturated fat and cholesterol is wrong. If you have been programmed to believe those substances are harmful, you need to rethink and reprogram your brain and way of thinking.
I think 15 bullet points is enough. I probably could have written many more.
Please tell me what I have left out in the comments.
Is it intentional that you don’t mention supplements? Do you take any?
It's crazy how much people think that this is crazy talk!