You’ve probably heard the expression, “You are what you eat.” And that’s all too true. What we put on our plates either nourishes our bodies or feeds disease. For many Americans, it wrecking havoc with their health, causing an epidemic of diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions and much more.
But we can prevent disease and even thrive when we eat a whole plant food diet. When our meals are rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, we will have all the nutrients we need in order to live much healthier lives.
For many years, I seemed to be a magnet for picking up every bug or virus that came along. And once it grabbed a hold of me, it didn’t want to let go. Others might have a cold for 1 or 2 days, but not me! I would often be sick for 2-3 weeks. I was eating a vegetarian diet, exercising sporadically and not sleeping very well. But when I discovered a whole plant food diet, my life was turned around.
This past winter, the flu had many of my friends and family in their grip for several weeks. It was everywhere. Eventually, it reached our home. But instead of being sick for weeks, I was only “under the weather” for about a couple of days! It was a radical turn around. And it has been the case ever since I started this way of eating. My immune system has gotten stronger and I have so much more energy than I ever had before.
I have learned to thrive. And you can too by following these 5 simple steps.
1. EAT MORE FIBER
Fiber is found in plant foods–fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds. It’s part of the plant that passes through our body undigested, acting like a scrub brush to clean our digestive system and flushing toxins and carcinogens out of the body.
Plant foods provide 2 types of fiber–soluble fiber and insoluble fiber–each of them yielding different health benefits.
- Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. This slows digestion. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in psyllium, a common fiber supplement.
- Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. It adds bulk to the stool and appears to help food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines.
If you want your health to thrive, aim to get 25-40 grams of fiber a day. But this depends on your age and sex. Men need more fiber. They should aim for 38 grams until they reach the age of 50-51, when they should only need 30 grams. Women need 25 grams, but after 50, 21 grams will be enough to enjoy vibrant health.
Fiber and Weight Loss However, if you want to lose weight, try to get a little more. Dietician Evelyn Kissinger of Lifestyle Matters recommends 40 grams. She says that you won’t have to worry about your weight if you get sufficient fiber. Fiber stays in your stomach longer, so you will feel full for a long period of time. You won’t feel like nibbling or grabbing a snack to get you through the morning or afternoon.
More Fiber Benefits Fiber is also a part of a heart-healthy diet. Eating more fiber will lead to lower cholesterol. Studies have shown that it can lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve your good cholesterol levels (HDL). A diet high in fiber–especially insoluble fiber from whole grains–can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes. And if you already have diabetes, it can slow down the absorption of sugar and improve your blood sugar levels.
2. EAT COLORFUL FRUIT AND VEGGIES
The standard American diet has red and processed meat on the menu, along with many fried foods. Add to this combo some hearty helpings of cheese, sugary drinks and refined grains–and you’ve got all the markers for inflammation in the blood. But here’s the good news–a whole plant food diet can greatly reduce inflammation.
Fruits are loaded with anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. Bright blueberries protect our blood vessels from inflammatory attack by increasing antioxidant activity in our brains. Northern fruits like apples and pears help our bodies recover from inflammation because of their high amounts of fiber. Using whole fruits in salads is the safest and quickest way to reduce weight and high blood sugar levels.
Another great way to battle inflammation is to eat a liberal amount of greens every day. Include kale, spinach, and other greens in your soups and stir-fries. Enjoy many kinds of cabbage; the cabbage family is a great fighter in the battle against inflammation. And use brightly colored fruits and vegetables for more antioxidant power. Look for the most colorful ingredients when eating a healthy plant based diet.
- Eat Red – red foods contain antioxidants to reduce your risk of cancer and protect your heart. Enjoy foods like tomatoes, red bell peppers, radishes, red grapes, strawberries, red cabbage, cranberries, red onions, strawberries and many red lettuces.
- Eat Green – green foods contain many phytonutrients , offering cancer protection, increased energy and a stronger immune system. Enjoy foods like broccoli, kale, spinach, mixed greens, avocado, kiwi fruit, brussel sprouts, green apples and peas.
- Eat Orange and Yellow – these brightly colored foods strengthen your immune system and offer protection abainst heart disease and many cancers. Enjoy foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, corn, pumpkin, oranges, lemons, cantaloupe, peaches and mangoes.
- Eat Purple and Blue – the bright colors of these foods promote brain health, especially the memory. They also reduce inflammation throughout the body. Enjoy many berries such as blackberries and blueberries, plums, black beans, raisins, purple grapes, eggplant, purple cabbage, prunes and black olives.
3. EAT MORE BEANS
A big question when people are making the switch from the standard American diet to a whole plant food one is, “Where will I get my protein?” Now, it’s important to get adequate protein – it is the building block of every cell along with our bones, muscles, skin and blood. But as long as we’re getting enough calories and eating a wide variety of healthy food, there’s no way we won’t be getting enough protein.
Plus, there are many high protein plant foods you can choose from. At the top of the list is fiber-rich legumes (beans and peas). Beans are a powerhouse of protein. The average amount in 1 cup of beans is about 15 grams of protein! Soybeans lead the way–1 cup of cooked soybeans gives you 29 grams of protein! Compare that with a double patty hamburger which only has 20 grams.
And beans are so very versatile. You’re not stuck with just having a bowl of chili. Beans can be made into soups, added to stews, sprinkled in salads, made into burgers and loaves. Enjoy them in a taco, in a creamy enchilada or in a dip like hummus. Beans can also be used to make salad dressings!
Your health will thrive when you include beans every day. Eating beans regularly can lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, and help you shed a pound or two.
4. EAT LESS FAT
There’s no doubt about it. Your body needs some fat. Dietary fats give your body energy and are necessary to support cell growth. They help protect your organs and keep your body warm. They also help you absorb the nutrients found in the foods you eat.
Fats can be found in literally every food. Even plant foods have fat in them. Yes, even lettuce! So there’s no such thing as a fat-free diet. As long as you’re eating sufficient calories, you will also be getting some fat. But the problem with fat is not the minute amounts found in plant foods. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise because of our high intake of saturated fat. The majority of this fat (80%) comes from meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, oils and shortening.
Then there are the processed foods we love so well–such as those gooey doughnuts and many rich desserts. These contain another type of fat known as trans fat. While saturated fats in meat and cheese will elevate the LDL in your bloodstream (increasing your risk of heart attacks and strokes), trans fats will increase this risk in 2 ways. For not only do they elevate the LDL (bad cholesterol) in your body, they also lower the HDL (good cholesterol) in your body. So, if we compare these fats to a war zone, trans fats would be sending more enemy soldiers to the frontline (increasing the LDL) and destroying more of your defense (decreasing the HDL). And this is the battle going on with the standard American diet.
These fats are creating an epidemic of disease across this country–heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, Alzheimer’s disease–every one of them can be traced to the high fat diet that is so common across America.
What about using olive oil or coconut oil? No matter what kind of oil we are talking about, all oil is 100% fat. One tablespoon contains about 120 calories (15 grams by weight). And because oil has absolutely no fiber, it can easily promote weight gain and lead to poor heart health.
How does this happen? As oil enters our bloodstream, it comes in contact with the body’s blood vessels. A recent study was conducted to determine how well a person’s arteries could expand after eating several kinds of meals. A meal that was rich in olive oil significantly impaired the function of the arteries. In the article, “Olive Oil Nutrition: What’s Wrong with Olive Oil?” the authors reported, “the olive oil elevated the blood fats and damaged the endothelium (i.e. cells lining the arteries), resulting in a reduction of blood flow. Research has shown that things that impair endothelial function in the short term contribute to clogged arteries in the long run.”
But your health will thrive when you eat more healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, coconut, and olives. Eating the fat that’s naturally found in these foods is a safe and healthy way to add some fat without sabotaging your health goals. A good first step I have discovered is to saute’ your vegetables in a little vegetable broth or a broth made from tasty herbs. It will give your food plenty of flavor without the added calories and fat.
My cooking club features whole plant food recipes without any refined oils. We use some nuts, seeds, nut butters, tahini, and avocado. And all our club members enjoy eating this way. They are sharing the recipes with their families and friends and are finding it is making a healthy difference in their lives.
5. EAT MORE FRUIT
Do you have a sweet tooth? Most of us do. Cookies, cakes, and other sweet desserts find their way into our meals just about every day. In fact, the average American is eating 22 teaspoons of sugar daily–much more than what the American Heart Association recommends (which is 6 teaspoons for adult women, 9 for adult men, 5-6 for children, and 4 for preschoolers). Many of these teaspoons are hidden in cereals and soft drinks, not merely in our treats and sugary desserts.
Too much sugar will impair our body’s ability to thrive. It will weaken our immune system, spike our stress, raise our blood pressure, increase our waistlines, and create inflammation in our arteries. Does that mean no more sweets? Absolutely not! Healthy does not mean desserts are out the window. But it may mean learning some new recipes–desserts that are low in fat and sweetened more with fruit.
The sugars in bananas and apples are packed with natural sugars along with fiber and vitamins and minerals. This kind of packaging enables the sugars to be absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream so we won’t tend to overeat. Instead of refined sugars, I like to use applesauce, dates, bananas, and raisins in many of my desserts. And I still enjoy puddings, fruit cobblers, cookies, and sweet bread. I have learned to enjoy a fruit-sweetened way of life that doesn’t spike my blood sugars and increase my inflammation. I have been amazed at the difference it has made in the health of my teeth and gums. And I feel much calmer because my nerves aren’t being overstimulated with high amounts of sugar.
But sugar is often hidden. When you’re shopping at the store, be on the lookout for hidden sugars. Sugar goes by many names. Some of them end with the suffix -ose such as in fructose or glucose. Others are not so easily detected. One website I looked at listed 56 different names for sugar! Here are some that I see quite frequently:
- Barley malt
- Corn Syrup
- Maltodextrin
- Rice Syrup
- Dehydrated cane juice
But there’s no reason to avoid the naturally occurring sugars found in whole plant foods. I have found by eating more fruit, it is much easier to control my sweet tooth and enjoy the natural sweetness found in fresh, frozen and sometimes dried fruits. It’s much easier for my health to thrive this way.
These five simple steps will give you a “plant edge” that will cause your body to heal and grow in vibrant health. You will thrive as you fill your plate with more fruit, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These are the foods that will “love you back” and that’s what HealthBites cooking is all about. I hope you’ll discover what a healthy difference it can make in your life!
