By Samantha Zylstra, LMFT, CEDS-S
Every day I am asked one of the following questions: What diet should I be on? What should I eat and not eat? What are the good foods and bad foods? What magic is in eating a particular thing over another thing? Over the past twenty years of treating people with food related issues my answer is, “eat a variety of food and move your body.” But, what do I really mean by that?
Eating a variety of food.
When my daughter was four years old, she told me that peppers, “are too disgusting for a little child to have to eat them.” Clearly, yellow peppers were not the variety of food she was hoping for. But, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, celery, sugar snap peas, from her garden, she eats those without blinking an eye. Variety includes vegetables. Which ones do you like? How do you like them prepared? Would you want to plant a garden and grow your own vegetables? The answer to these questions will help inform your food variety.
Eating a variety of food allows the food to do its job as medicine in our bodies that maintains, prevents and treats disease.
Is variety, McDonald’s fries and Burger King Hamburger and a Wendy’s frosty? Well, yes, by definition, that is variety. Those foods may taste great and eating them as a piece of your variety makes it your specific variety, just remember to include other food as well. Adding additional protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit will give the food the elements it needs to help it maintain, prevent and treat disease in your body. Ultimately, this is what I am after. Find the foods you like in all the categories and enjoy eating them in moderation. Your variety should include some fat, but remember it is just some, not all.
When adding fat (character) to your daily intake of food, what do you enjoy? Fat helps the structure of brain cells called neurons. You need it. Do you prefer salad dressing on your vegetables or cheese and crackers as an afternoon snack. Not all fats are created equal, but finding the fats you like in your daily intake will help your brain as well as you manage eating that variety.
Have you noticed someone’s shiny hair, or strong nails? Protein in their food variety has made it possible for their hair and nails to grow. Protein helps repair tissue in your body. It also is a primary building block for your bones, muscles cartilage, skin and blood. Important. What protein do you prefer? Peanut Butter is a huge stable in my house along with salmon. These proteins are wildly different from one another but they both taste delicious. And both are protein as well as necessary fat. The peanut butter has unsaturated fats that help reduce LDL cholesterol and that lowers the risk of heart disease. The salmon provides omega 3 fatty acids for our brains.
Food is also fuel for our bodies. Ever feel extremely exhausted, you just can’t take one more step. And at the same time you are crazing a chocolate chip cookie. Of course, because that cookie has carbohydrates that will give your body energy. Carbohydrates come in all shapes and sizes. From simple sugars to more complex starch options. Bread, grain, pasta, nuts, milk, yogurt, fruit are examples of carbohydrates. What are your favorites? Do you have a variety in your daily options?
Eat. Eat a variety of protein, carbohydrates, fat and vegetables. Eat that variety in moderation. And perhaps most importantly, enjoy that variety! Remember that food variety is medicine and fuel for your body.
Move.
Movement does wonders for your mental wellbeing. It improves how you feel about yourself, helps you sleep, reduces stress, anxiety and exhaustion. What kind of movement do you enjoy? Do you enjoy movement with other people or alone?
Recently my son bought a movement video game. He knew that I’d be more inclined to say yes to a new video game because it included movement. He was correct. He fights bad guys wieth his body movements. I have noticed when he is done playing this game, he wants to spend time with his siblings, he is more talkative to everyone in the house, and more willing to focus on homework. This is movement in action.
Video game movement is pretty creative and enjoyable for my son. Moving your body should be enjoyable. It can be a fast run or a walk with a friend. Both are movement. We move our bodies when we dance, swim, cycle, garden. Do what makes you happy because you will continue to do it.
Just like with food, moving your body does more than we think. Movement increases our brain size because it provides extra oxygen to our brains. Movement prevents memory loss. As I mentioned earlier, it helps us sleep, reduces anxiety and depression and improves our mood. Finding the way you love to move your body has amazing benefits.
So what do I mean by eat a variety of food and move your body? I hope the above sheds some light on the answer. In synopsis, eat all kinds of food from protein to dessert and eat them in moderation. Move your body in a way that you enjoy! And if you need to ask some questions of yourself to find out what this means for you, start asking. Ask yourself questions to learn what variety of food suits you and what movement you enjoy enough to do again and again.
May you go and eat a variety of food and move your body today!
Here are a few links if you’d like to read more.
https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk › get-walking › why-walk › healthy-mi…