Transitioning to Real Food…How many of us have tried all the diet fads and are just plain tired of it all, not even sure WHAT we’re supposed to be eating anymore?? We’re lethargic, prone to colds and flus, we get headaches and backaches and figure it’s just a part of life, right? Well, what if I told you it’s not? What if I told you that our bodies are actually designed to feel great, all of the time? If you don’t believe this is true (or even if you do), read on…
As some of you may know, I spent a good many years not feeling great. I’ve had weight issues, migraines, felt tired all the time but didn’t sleep well, had that foggy-head feeling and just plain didn’t feel my best. I figured this was normal: I’d had a couple of kids, had a stressful job, and was not in my twenties anymore. People get old, haggard and tired, I reasoned! It wasn’t until I reached a breaking point that I realized something had to change.
The Migraines Had to Stop!
My breaking point was the last migraine I had (in 2013): all day on a Saturday, not being able to keep anything down but water. My 2-year-old wanted to play since he didn’t see me much during the week at that time (I worked from 7am-7pm most days and his bedtime was 7:30pm) but I couldn’t stand, let alone play. My body was shaking from the convulsions of dry heaving and I was an absolute wreck. I knew I couldn’t keep going through this (it happened with surprising regularity) so I promised myself I would find a way to stop it.
Incidentally, I “accidentally” went gluten-free at that time, thanks to my husband’s conversion to a Paleo-eating plan. Because he wasn’t going to be eating any of my usual baked goods, I stopped making them. And because I stopped making them, I stopped eating them. And because I stopped eating them, I was no longer getting migraines… Of course, I didn’t make the connection until I went BACK to gluten and started feeling awful again. I like to say that he “ruined gluten for me” and it’s true. At the same time, however, he totally saved me from myself! From that point on, I set about trying to figure out how to live a “normal” life without bread, muffins, pastries, and all the other glutaneous-filled foods I’d built my life around.
Thankfully, we live in the digital age and, although Pinterest wasn’t around yet nor was gluten-free as prevalent as it is today, I muddled through and found my way to food bliss. Why? Because I LOVE FOOD and I wasn’t going to let this going to stop me from enjoying it! Eventually, I realized my body was much better off without dairy and sugar, too. I will say that sugar was probably the hardest thing to cut out of my diet but that’s another story for another day because what I really want to talk about is how to Transition to Real Food.
What is Real Food?
I’m condensing my life story here because we only have so much time and I want to get to the crux of the issue. What I finally discovered after years of calorie-counting, fad diets, and getting my annual cold-flu, was that I needed to focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods, with as few ingredients as possible. I’m talking old-school healthy eating with a plant-based focus, including a range of proteins and vegetables. It sounds too simple, right? Well, let’s look at some examples:
Which is healthier: a Snickers Bar or an Avocado? A Snickers Bar has 215 calories and the average avocado has about 234. So, a Snickers bar wins, right (it’s the one that “satisfies”!)? Now, I know that seems like an extreme example but that is how we think about eating: calories in, calories out. What doesn’t get taken into consideration most of the time is how nutrient-dense the food is. Avocados are a “super-food,” with 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (according to www.californiaavocado.com). How many nutrients do you think a Snickers bar has?? I’m gonna say it has negative nutrients because it takes them away from your body to process all of that saturated fat and sugar.
Another factor that often gets left out of the calorie and carb debates is fiber. Yes, we all know we need fiber but how many of us understand how our body uses that fiber and the overall effect it has on our ability to digest food and absorb the good parts? When I was doing my daily calorie and macro count, I was obsessed with choosing foods that were lower in carbs and high in protein. I drastically reduced the amount of fruit I was eating because it was high in carbs and calories. What I didn’t take into consideration, though, was the fact that it was also high in fiber. When transitioning to real food, you have to think about the NET carbs: total carbs less fiber. This number gives you the amount of carbs that are actually being absorbed by your body. So, if you eat 100 grams of Raspberries, for example, you’d see on your food-tracking app that they have 11.94 grams of carbs but 6.5g of that is fiber, netting only 5.44 grams of carbs that you keep in your body (for fuel). In addition, the lovely fiber you are getting is helping your digestive tract by keeping things moving along. High fiber foods also take longer to digest, meaning that you stay full longer than you would if you ate a simple carb, like bread, for example.
Another fun-fact that scientists are just now starting to discover: the closer to nature your food is, the fewer calories. I read in a New York Times article recently that our bodies absorb fewer calories from raw almonds than they do from almonds that have been ground and cooked. For REALS. The story goes on to say that we get more nutrients and fewer calories from raw spinach than cooked, as well as other examples. The reason for this is that it takes our bodies more energy to break down foods that have not already been mashed, ground, or cooked, using up more calories and, thus, netting us fewer stomach rolls. #mindblown So, basically, your mother was right (I know mine was): whole foods are better for us than processed and refined ones. It’s science.
The Takeaways
The last thing I’d like to mention is that sourcing matters. I know #local is the thing now and there are all sorts of reasons for it but here’s mine: fresh food tastes better. I lived in France for a year in college and my taste buds came alive when sampling the local produce. It was so much more flavorful than anything I’d gotten from supermarkets in the US. The reason: the farmers picked it that morning and brought it to market where I then bought and ate it immediately. It was picked when it was ripe, you see, rather than how most of our produce is picked these days (i.e. green and then artificially ripened under special lamps or with “de-greening” chemicals). Oh, and it was organic. And sustainable. #realfood!
As an aside, I could each cheese when I lived in France, though I can’t here. Why? Well, it could be that they use traditional methods to age the cheeses, which involve allowing certain bacteria to thrive. These bacteria actually help our bodies digest the cheese. Another reason could be that their cows are grass-fed, rather than grain-fed. And since I’m pretty sensitive to wheat…well, you get the gist.
So, here are some thoughts I’d like to leave you with:
The brightest, richest colors are the most nutrient-rich. I love going to the market and choosing from the season’s bounty! It’s fun to cook with the “flavors of the month” and they will be more flavorful if you are getting them soon after they were picked.
Get your kids involved! Kids love the different colors and textures a well-stocked selection can offer. Make if fun by having them help prepare the meals and ask their opinions on how they’d like certain foods prepared. My little guy will often come up with some interesting and delicious ideas!
Natural, unprocessed foods do double-duty: they give you more nutrients AND they use up more calories to process. If you’re grocery shopping, stay to the outer edges of the store and avoid the highly-processed interior aisles. If you don’t bring it home, you can’t eat it. Having seasonal fruits on hand for dessert and snacks as well as some quality proteins (nuts and seeds, hummus, fresh veggies, eggs from pasture-raised chickens) will keep you full longer and your body will thank you.
Transitioning to Real Food doesn’t need to be complicated and it can actually be fun! Follow your senses: real foods look appealing, smell fresh and exciting, and feel fantastic in your body!
Happy eating!
In Good Clean Taste,
Claudine