Respectful Vigilance HC

This is kind of a trick question. You will hear different viewpoints on this, and some will claim that they have found an answer. Let me share how I view this topic.

The short answer is that there is no one food group that is inherently better than the rest. A better question might be “What is the healthiest food you are not eating?” Some people may eat a lot of fruit, but not many vegetables. Some may eat beans but not nuts or meat. It really just depends on what your body needs. Here are some quick tips on eating and a few observations I have made over the years.

1. The best foods are whole foods that are properly grown without being altered or processed much. So, your basic food groups like fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, proteins, etc. If you want to eat healthy, you got to get the junk out first step.

2. After you are eating cleaner, the next step is a mix of intuition and being smart. Different people have different requirements and macronutrient needs. Some people should be eating more protein than they do. Others fat. Others carbs. This is a fundamental thing that is helpful to learn. How does it feel when you need more protein? How does it feel when you need more carbs? How does your digestion do with these things? This step takes a lot of practice, experimentation and experience.

3. Be honest with yourself about the healthy foods you are not eating. A lot of people can easily avoid things that they do not find appetizing. One thing I have seen a lot is that many people do not get enough raw leafy greens. These truly are some of the best stuff that many people skip over because they do not like them.

Realize that these will change. This is why many “diet plans” do not really work long-term. They do not account for changes in people. Activity levels change. Weather changes. Stress levels change. There are many factors that matter when it comes to eating.

To summarize, eating healthy is actually much less complicated than some people make it. There is no magic formula. There is no end. It can be easy to get sucked into reading articles or listening to “experts” that have varying opinions, but something I have learned is that there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. You have to develop a relationship with food. Become your own expert. Having said this, it still would appear that a variety based, well-balanced diet is usually best. The more extreme plans out there do not seem to work long-term for most people. Things like only eating meat, veganism, keto, etc. Stock up on a wide variety of things. I do find that plant-based first is usually best. So, think of stocking up on the produce before you get to the meat.

Lastly, do not forget to have fun and enjoy eating. Even people that strive to eat healthy can have the enjoyment sucked out if they are trying too hard to be perfect. There is no perfect. Things always change. Some days you will be stressed or tired. Make the best of it. Enjoy the colors. Enjoy the tastes. Practice gratitude. Enjoy.

-JOE