What is considered a healthy diet?

Most of you may consider diets to be unhealthy. When most of us think of the word "diet" we automatically think caloric or food group restriction. However, the word diet should simply mean your way of eating. Have you ever sat down and thought about how your diet is affecting your health? It really does make a difference and that's why there are dietitians to provide nutrition therapy to those suffering from cancer, ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, AIDS, diabetes or alcoholism. The list goes on.

Anyway, back on topic...

Mary Flynn is an RD who works at Miriam and co-authored the book Low Fat Lies. I think she has some great insight on what a healthy diet is.

Portion control
Although Mary says portion control is important, especially for those restaurant goers, I think that eating smaller more frequent meals is better because it keeps metabolism active instead of slowing down. Also, those that drink a lot of water also exhibit better appetite control.

Dietary Fat in the form of extra virgin olive oil
Mary states that a meal containing fat will keep you from becoming hungry sooner after the meal and this is called satiety. Mary says that extra virgin olive oil is a fat that has been shown to decrease blood pressure, fasting insulin and glucose, oxidation and inflammation, which are all risk factors for heart disease and some cancers. 2 tablespoons a day is where the health benefits start.

Although I agree with Mary on this one, I prefer canola oil because although it contains more saturated fat than olive oil, it has more equal parts of both polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and monounsaturated fat (MUFA). So I think that is actually better and it is way more versatile for cooking because who wants to fry their chicken in olive oil? Yuck!

Also, dietary fat helps absorb carotenoids, because it is the fat soluble Vit A and it can be found in dark vegetables. Carotenoids have been shown to help decrease the risk of some cancers. Mary is saying that steaming veggies with a little olive oil is going to have double the benefits, and add a taste factor. This I agree with. Steam your vegetables with a little olive oil and cook your meats with canola oil and you are already on your way to a healthier diet.

At least 2 servings of a healthy vegetable
Notice she said "healthy" vegetable...so no...white potatoes are NOT considered a healthy vegetable. "Vegetables, like all plant products, contain phytonutrients. Phyotnutrients protect the plant from its surroundings. In humans, phytonutrients have been shown to have properties that could explain why diets high in plant products have been related to better health. Phytonutrients have been shown to decrease oxidation and inflammation, and help to stop cancers from starting or spreading and many other health promoting properties."- Mary Flynn.

Mary is HUGE on vegetables. She again goes into carotenoids and how the darker the veggie, the more of it there is. So couple those dark greens with olive oil and you will be all set. A serving of veggies is a 1/2 cup, but she wants us to eat 4 servngs a day! I don't know about you, but I don't think I have room for 4 servings a day. I will stick to 2.

Only 2-3 servings of starch
This is good advice because Americans naturally overeat on carbs, so for those of you who believe in the Atkins diet, I'm sorry, but it is actually proven to be unhealthy! Carbs are good in moderation! Just like anything else! Can you tell I'm very against the Atkins diet? My own Nutrition professors say there is research to back up its uneffectiveness.

Whole grains
I believe this is something I myself keep a close eye on in my diet and am doing very well with. Mary states that whole grains are not refined, so they don't contain unnecessary sugars. These include brown rice and foods made with whole wheat flour. Whole grains are associated with lower body weight with less weight gain over time. "Whole grains can slow absorption of carbohydrate, so blood glucose levels rise slower." So that is good for the prevention and control of diabetes. However, have you ever had cookies made with whole wheat flour or whole wheat pasta? Siigh, it's just not the same! So that is going to need a serious marketing change to convince America that health outweighs taste. Good luck!!

Legumes (beans)
"Legumes include black, cannelloni, garbanzo (ceci) and kidney beans and lentils. Legumes are a very healthy vegetable protein and are high in fiber. Legumes contain fiber and phytonutrients that help to decrease heart disease and certain cancers." Great for vegetarians and meat lovers a like. We all need protein and beans are definitely healthy, but the catch is...don't buy them canned!! That defeats the purpose!

Well I hope that was helpful for those of you that care. I think Mary left out fruits, but those should definitely be eaten daily and I think most people would agree, but not follow, which is ok. Baby steps...