Client Question: I am working with my health coach to improve my diet but there is just so much to nutrition that it can be overwhelming trying to eat the right things. Can you tell me in just a few words what a healthy diet really is?

 

Dr. Catlett’s Answer: The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has done it for me. They say “a healthy diet is one that provides enough of each essential nutrient, contains a variety of foods from all of the basic food groups, provides adequate energy to maintain a healthy weight, and does not contain excess fat, sugar, salt or alcohol”.

 

Here are a few more specifics:

 

What is a "Healthy Diet"?
The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars

This second definition outlines the general categories of the “essential nutrients”. It emphasizes what to eat and what to avoid. To find out more about which and how much of the essential nutrients you need, go to www.mypyramid.gov.   

Nutrition is a huge subject, but it all boils down to a couple of basic facts:

• “Garbage in, garbage out” – you really are what you eat. An unhealthy diet, perhaps more than anything but lack of exercise, predicts your future health.
• If our diet is rich in saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, salt and alcohol, and weak in essential foods like fruits and vegetables and healthy fats (which essentially describes the typical American diet), we are more likely to get sick and stay that way.

A smart and simple way to improve your nutrition is to eat like the people who live the longest and have the fewest illnesses in their lives. The regimen is simple: Eat fruits or vegetables with every meal. Eat fish twice a week. Make all your grains whole grains. Eat a serving of nuts everyday, especially walnuts or almonds. Use canola or olive oil for cooking and dressings on salads. Don’t eat red meat very often. Stay away from high fat dairy products. If you drink alcohol, be sure it is in moderation. Stay away from “dessert” foods, like bearclaws and jelly donuts for breakfast (or any other time). Make sure you don’t overeat – even good, healthy food – and follow the rules 80% of the time.

Good luck and stay well.