Eat real food. That is all.
Just kidding, there is a little more to it than that...
Since high school I have researched and discovered more about nutrition and the "right" way to eat, for that was always my goal: to find the right way of eating and then help people find health again because clearly (as the rates of modern disease have continued to increase) we are doing something wrong. So, what is IT? What should we be doing?
I think the problem, unfortunately, is that "IT" is different for everyone.
We learn that no two people have exactly the same genes, so why would two people be able to eat exactly the same way? Our preferences, tolerances, allergies, and metabolization of food are different from everyone else's. Our bodies all respond to food differently depending on our gut microbiome, genes, hormones, environment, what our mother's ate while pregnant with us, what we were fed as infants (breast milk, cow's milk formula, soy milk formula, casein hydrolysate formulas, etc.), and much, much more. So, it is nearly impossible in today's society to prescribe a single eating pattern/food selection that works for everyone (notice I didn't use the word "diet").
I have, however, through my research discovered two things, which have formed into a kind of philosophy:
1) I have never believed that we need to count calories. That has always seemed like a ridiculous idea to me, as well as unnatural. If you eat when you are hungry (steering clear of mindless eating) and you choose real, whole, nutrient dense foods, then you should be the healthiest you that you can be, right? Right. I also despise the idea of deprivation. Food is nourishing. It is also delicious. I love food. And I am so thankful that acquiring it has never been problematic for me.
2) I hope that the majority of people begin, for the most part, to put only whole, natural, REAL foods/drinks into our bodies. And those foods/drinks will hopefully be as best they can be (i.e. local, seasonal, organic, grass-fed) because the nutrients that come from those foods/drinks we put in out bodies are fueling all our bodies' processes.
That being said, however, it is perfectly possible to have days where you eat less healthy than normally and indulge in something you wouldn't normally eat, everyone is different and everyone has a personalized optimal way of eating that is designed by his/her body, it is just a matter of figuring out what that is.
The title of this blog (Roots & Rinds) encompasses my current philosophy about food and nutrition.
"Roots" comes from the fact that I LOVE root vegetables, but also the fact that I believe we should be eating as close to our roots (nature/ancestors) as possible. And by that I mean eating lots of vegetables, some fruit, grass-fed meat, pastured poultry/eggs, dairy/butter from grass-fed sources if your body allows it, etc. Basically, real food.
As Michael Pollan says: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."
And "food" in this case is REAL food, not processed, edible chemicals that come in packages with nutrition labels.
I believe more in growing/foraging/raising my own food, or purchasing from farmer's markets, or other local sources. Not only is it better for my health, but it's also better for the environment as it produces less waste, harmful chemicals, and is more sustainable...I apologize, I could go on for hours about how the environment and what we eat are interconnected in so many ways, but I will spare you, unless of course you would like to discuss these topics, then by all means contact me and we can have a nice, long chat. :)
"Rinds" means I believe that when eating food, it is important to consume the whole food because it will contain all the nutrients (unless the food has anti-nutrients). For example the skin (or the "rind") of fruit is often where most of the nutrients are. Plus, "Rinds" made it alliteration. :)
This blog is designed to be informative as well as provide healthy recipes. It is a way for me to combine my love of food/cooking/baking and nutrition.
I think it is also important to keep in mind three things in life:
Just kidding, there is a little more to it than that...
Since high school I have researched and discovered more about nutrition and the "right" way to eat, for that was always my goal: to find the right way of eating and then help people find health again because clearly (as the rates of modern disease have continued to increase) we are doing something wrong. So, what is IT? What should we be doing?
I think the problem, unfortunately, is that "IT" is different for everyone.
We learn that no two people have exactly the same genes, so why would two people be able to eat exactly the same way? Our preferences, tolerances, allergies, and metabolization of food are different from everyone else's. Our bodies all respond to food differently depending on our gut microbiome, genes, hormones, environment, what our mother's ate while pregnant with us, what we were fed as infants (breast milk, cow's milk formula, soy milk formula, casein hydrolysate formulas, etc.), and much, much more. So, it is nearly impossible in today's society to prescribe a single eating pattern/food selection that works for everyone (notice I didn't use the word "diet").
I have, however, through my research discovered two things, which have formed into a kind of philosophy:
1) I have never believed that we need to count calories. That has always seemed like a ridiculous idea to me, as well as unnatural. If you eat when you are hungry (steering clear of mindless eating) and you choose real, whole, nutrient dense foods, then you should be the healthiest you that you can be, right? Right. I also despise the idea of deprivation. Food is nourishing. It is also delicious. I love food. And I am so thankful that acquiring it has never been problematic for me.
2) I hope that the majority of people begin, for the most part, to put only whole, natural, REAL foods/drinks into our bodies. And those foods/drinks will hopefully be as best they can be (i.e. local, seasonal, organic, grass-fed) because the nutrients that come from those foods/drinks we put in out bodies are fueling all our bodies' processes.
That being said, however, it is perfectly possible to have days where you eat less healthy than normally and indulge in something you wouldn't normally eat, everyone is different and everyone has a personalized optimal way of eating that is designed by his/her body, it is just a matter of figuring out what that is.
The title of this blog (Roots & Rinds) encompasses my current philosophy about food and nutrition.
"Roots" comes from the fact that I LOVE root vegetables, but also the fact that I believe we should be eating as close to our roots (nature/ancestors) as possible. And by that I mean eating lots of vegetables, some fruit, grass-fed meat, pastured poultry/eggs, dairy/butter from grass-fed sources if your body allows it, etc. Basically, real food.
As Michael Pollan says: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."
And "food" in this case is REAL food, not processed, edible chemicals that come in packages with nutrition labels.
I believe more in growing/foraging/raising my own food, or purchasing from farmer's markets, or other local sources. Not only is it better for my health, but it's also better for the environment as it produces less waste, harmful chemicals, and is more sustainable...I apologize, I could go on for hours about how the environment and what we eat are interconnected in so many ways, but I will spare you, unless of course you would like to discuss these topics, then by all means contact me and we can have a nice, long chat. :)
"Rinds" means I believe that when eating food, it is important to consume the whole food because it will contain all the nutrients (unless the food has anti-nutrients). For example the skin (or the "rind") of fruit is often where most of the nutrients are. Plus, "Rinds" made it alliteration. :)
This blog is designed to be informative as well as provide healthy recipes. It is a way for me to combine my love of food/cooking/baking and nutrition.
I think it is also important to keep in mind three things in life:
Eat Well, Play Often, Smile Much :)
Eat Well:
Try as best you can to make the healthiest food choices as possible. Basically, if you simply eat real and local food you will eat your way to a healthier life.
Play Often:
Partake in fun activities that you enjoy such as hiking, skiing, scrapbooking, cooking, baking, walking, bike-riding, pinicing, painting, reading, writing, (these are all the things I love to do :) ) etc. Don't kill yourself at the gym if that is not what you enjoy, instead find other ways to get active by incorporating activities you love. You should enjoy life, not waste it worrying about spending too few hours at the gym or counting calories. Instead eat healthy, exercise safely, do what you enjoy, and stay happy.
Smile Much:
No one should feel as if he/she is suffering under the burden of trying to maintain a certain type of diet. It is possible to eat healthy AND enjoy food! AND enjoy life! Additionally, just the simple act of smiling makes you feel better and people around you feel better. :)
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