Hey guys! I took Dr. Maya Adam's nutrition course, and it won't be my last one! I'm sharing five tips that have reinforced my existing knowledge and given me even more nutritional knowledge! I can't wait to learn more, so I can share more. Here are the gems:
First Things First: Vegetables
Focus on Food, not Nutrients
First Things First: Vegetables
Half your plate should be vegetables. My personal favorite is broccoli, because it’s the veggie that keeps on giving. It’s versatile, filling, easy to cook (put it in your lunch bowl raw and microwave when at work), tasty, GREEN, packed with vitamins etc. Focusing on vegetables is particularly important because if you use the “half my plate is veggies” method, you’ll end up with less grains and starches and also, with time, for my meat eaters out there, less animal flesh. I know that eating less chicken, beef, pork, lamb, etc. can be challenging for a lot of us, but believe me when I tell you that eating is learnt behavior. You can learn and unlearn food habits. You can also develop a taste for food you never liked, and wean yourself off unhealthy foods and unhealthy eating habits. Focus on your vegetables, friends. You’ll be healthier for it.
Focus on Food, not Nutrients
With the craze over macronutrients and micronutrients, we tend to focus on nutrients, and not food. But this is not a sustainable way of eating. Focus on food. Food is not one-dimensional – even foods in the carbohydrate family contain protein, such as rice. Beans contains both carbohydrate and protein. Broccoli contains protein, and so on. Focus on eating right, and the rest will follow. Think big picture here.
You Need a Meatless Day
You Need a Meatless Day
Research shows that people who eat lots of plants tend to live longer and are healthier than people who eat a heavy meat diet. I didn’t say it – research did. I have always hounded measuringcuppers to practice “MeatlessMondays.” Turns out I’m not crazy! Haha. The course actually recommended more than one day without meat, but recognized that it’s a process. Therefore, one day without any animal flesh at all should be part of your lifestyle. No excuses.
You Need a Healthy “Go-To” Meal
You Need a Healthy “Go-To” Meal
We all do. Otherwise, you fall for quick, (probably unhealthy) foods for dinner. I have a few go-to meals (although I hardly use them because my partner and I are staunch meal-preppers). My first is a basic stir-fry with whatever vegetables I have. I simply drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and char the vegetables. I eat the delicious veggies with fish or eggs, and a small serving of any grain or potato I have. Another go-to meal is a store-bought soup (e.g. Trader Joe’s Tomato Feta Soup) that’s low in calories and vegetable based. I eat this with a grilled cheese sandwich (low calorie bread, of course) and fresh greens that require no prepping, such as pre-washed arugula or baby kale. Because I know dinnertime is my comfort time, I keep the actual meal lean and healthy. That way, if I have dessert, I don’t feel terrible. You don’t want to know the details of my dried mango addiction.
“Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.”
“Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.”
And finally, probably the most important takeaway from the course. I believe that this tip is self-explanatory.
Happy eating, all!
Till next time,
anu
