Nutrition Note: Do You Have a Good Foundation?

I get lots of questions about special foods and supplements and whether or not a person should add them to his or her diet. Before you start refining your diet, though, the question you need to really ask first is how solid is the diet you’re trying to tweak? Adding special foods and/or supplements can’t make a bad or shaky diet into one that promotes your good health.

My version of the 80:20 rule is that we all need to be striving toward eating well at least 80% of the time. This will give you a solid foundation on which to build your life, wellness, and athletic pursuits (yes, you are ALL athletes!).  What’s involved in eating well?

·       Developing a focus in your diet on plant-based foods. I’m not saying you have to give up things like meat and dairy, but more and more research is coming out showing that for a healthy diet most of our nutrients should be coming from plants instead of animals.

·       Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

·       Making sure you get healthy fats every day. Many of us have worked hard to reduce the amount of fat in our diets, forgetting that, in moderation, they are a key component to keeping us healthy. Olive oil, nuts (including natural peanut butter), flax meal or oil, canola oil, fatty cold water fish (e.g., salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines) are all good choices.

·       If you eat meat and dairy, make low-fat choices. Explore using plant sources of protein like beans and legumes.

·       Putting treats and “special occasion” foods back in their proper dietary place—as the occasional treat or for special occasions. Really savor and enjoy them when you have them rather than mindlessly chewing and swallowing.

Pick one change a month to make in your diet and focus on it every day for that month. Don’t forget that it’s taken your entire life to get your diet where it is today and change doesn’t happen overnight! For February, I’m focusing on healthy fats. What are you going to do?