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Episode 2807:
Joshua Becker shares an insightful guide to simplify nutrition with minimal effort and maximize health. This practical approach emphasizes intuitive strategies to declutter your eating habits, helping you focus on wholesome choices that enrich your well-being without overcomplication.
Quotes to ponder:
"Simplifying nutrition isn’t about strict rules or deprivation it’s about creating space for the foods that truly nourish you."
"Sometimes, the simplest changes in our diet can have the biggest impact on our health and happiness."
"Focus on what to include in your meals, rather than obsessing over what to remove."
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[00:01:30] is typically narrated on my brother's podcast, Optimal Living Daily, because Joshua usually writes about minimalism and personal development.
[00:01:37] But, he's mixing nutrition and simplicity in today's article, so it's a good fit for this show. So for now, let's get right to it and continue optimizing your life.
[00:01:50] Seven Steps to Simpler Nutrition by Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com
[00:01:57] Quote, A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner. Samuel Johnson
[00:02:05] Keto, Paleo, Raw Vegan, Intermittent Fasting
[00:02:09] With ever-changing diet fads and quote-unquote superfoods, it can be tough to keep straight on what's best to be putting into our bodies.
[00:02:17] Plus, there are countless other questions that might swirl in our minds.
[00:02:20] What's affordable? What's tasty? What's healthy? What are my values? What are the unique needs of my body?
[00:02:27] And what impact does what I'm eating have on the world?
[00:02:31] There is a special passion reserved for food shared by all people.
[00:02:34] Our circumstances, preferences, and morals are as vibrant and diverse as we are.
[00:02:39] As such, there's no universal approach that works for everybody.
[00:02:43] Well, other than we all know not to eat junk.
[00:02:46] And yet, how we define what junk is even varies radically from person to person.
[00:02:51] Is there a way to approach this entire conversation in simpler terms?
[00:02:55] I think so.
[00:02:57] A good starting point, I suppose, is to avoid heavily processed foods.
[00:03:01] Many foods are processed and come in packages.
[00:03:04] But processed generally refers to foods which have been processed with artificial ingredients and chemical preservatives.
[00:03:11] Processed foods tend to be high in sugar and sodium, both of which can be fine in small quantities,
[00:03:16] but can lead to a host of problems when eaten excessively.
[00:03:19] Moving beyond that starting point, I've found that with just a few tools in our arsenal,
[00:03:24] we can all be better equipped to make simpler, more nutritious selections at the grocery store.
[00:03:29] Here are 7 steps to simpler nutrition.
[00:03:32] 1. Spend more time shopping in the perimeter of the grocery store.
[00:03:36] Most of the fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, dairy, and seafood are found near the edges of the store,
[00:03:43] with packaged items tucked into the aisles.
[00:03:45] 2. Get into the habit of reading ingredients.
[00:03:49] Generally, the less ingredients a product has, the better.
[00:03:53] Here are some of the ingredients to avoid eating often.
[00:03:55] 3. Cut the sugary drinks.
[00:04:11] Risk of childhood obesity increases 60% with each sugary beverage consumed daily.
[00:04:16] They are also highly correlated with adult obesity and type 2 diabetes.
[00:04:21] Sugary drinks include sodas, sweetened coffee drinks, and even fruit juice.
[00:04:26] 4. Balance protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
[00:04:30] This one means something different to everyone, but bodies rely on the nutrients of all of these categories,
[00:04:36] so it's important not to eat too much or too little of any of these.
[00:04:40] Fiber is also essential for good health.
[00:04:42] 5. Plan occasional treats.
[00:04:45] Just like cutting back on spending, the surest way to end up hating your food routine is to forego having any fun.
[00:04:52] Instead, make treats intentional and special.
[00:04:56] Instead of having desserts every day, have one once or twice a week.
[00:04:59] And if you're celebrating, live in the moment without guilt.
[00:05:03] 6. Practice meal planning.
[00:05:06] Marching to the grocery store with a list in hand and tasty meals in mind will make grocery trips efficient.
[00:05:11] Making large dishes can cut down on cooking time during the week, conserving energy.
[00:05:17] Planning meals with similar ingredients will prevent food waste and extra spending.
[00:05:21] Avoid shopping when hungry, as you're much more likely to make unhealthy impulse decisions.
[00:05:27] And 7. Don't fear leftovers.
[00:05:31] Leftovers are great, especially for busy families that don't have time to cook every weeknight.
[00:05:35] If you tend to get bored with eating the same thing, try freezing extra portions in individual containers for quick meals in the future.
[00:05:43] Another tip for quicker cooking is prepping ingredients, like washing and chopping vegetables when you bring them home from the grocery store.
[00:05:50] It's okay to grab something convenient or enjoy a night out from time to time.
[00:05:54] But if you find yourself leaning on these on a regular basis, it might be a good time to re-evaluate your food lifestyle.
[00:06:01] Preparing and eating food mindfully with your family and friends helps forge deeper social bonds too.
[00:06:07] So, fire up the stove, break out an interesting recipe, and let the magic happen.
[00:06:12] It feels so good to put together healthy fare that is nourishing, delicious, and homemade.
[00:06:21] You just listened to the post titled, 7 Steps to Simpler Nutrition, by Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com.
[00:06:29] And I'll be right back with my commentary.
[00:06:31] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.
[00:06:34] One of the rules of thumb I use when I talk to patients about reading the ingredients list is go ahead and put down those items that have 5 or more ingredients.
[00:06:44] Why?
[00:06:45] Well, if a product has more than 5 ingredients, we're probably talking about those things like preservatives, trans fats, other added stuff that our bodies probably don't need.
[00:06:56] So, I like tip number 2.
[00:06:58] Get into the habit of reading ingredients because sometimes that actually tells us more about what the product is made of as opposed to reading the nutrition label.
[00:07:07] I also agree with the sugary drinks claim, especially when it comes to fruit juice.
[00:07:11] Why do I hate on fruit juice so much?
[00:07:14] I really don't, but I just say if you enjoy fruit juice, you may want to think about limiting how much you consume.
[00:07:19] One of the reasons is when you purchase store-bought fruit juices, oftentimes they only contain really 10% real fruit juice.
[00:07:28] The rest is added sugar.
[00:07:29] And if we think even about 100% fruit juice, think of orange juice.
[00:07:35] Think about 4 ounces of orange juice.
[00:07:37] That's about half a cup.
[00:07:38] We can agree that it probably took about 2 medium-sized oranges to get that much juice.
[00:07:43] How fast would it take you to drink half a cup of 100% orange juice?
[00:07:47] Usually it's one gulp.
[00:07:49] Maybe 2-3 seconds max.
[00:07:52] So you just got 1.5 to even 2 medium-sized oranges worth of calories and sugar in under 5 seconds.
[00:07:59] Now your body says, what am I supposed to do with all of this?
[00:08:02] I didn't need all of this all at once.
[00:08:04] But if you imagine you had to eat 2 medium oranges, it would take you a lot longer.
[00:08:09] And you probably wouldn't finish it.
[00:08:11] So when we juice fruit especially, we're actually concentrating it for our bodies.
[00:08:16] We're missing out on some of the, potentially, some of the fiber.
[00:08:18] However, we're getting a lot of calories and sugar in a concentrated dose, which we probably don't need.
[00:08:25] And I can't say enough how important it is to practice meal planning.
[00:08:29] This is something that I really like to practice.
[00:08:32] I try and do this every week on Sunday.
[00:08:34] Make sure my grocery shopping is knocked out on Sunday so that I'm ready for the week.
[00:08:39] Alright, that's enough out of me for today.
[00:08:41] I hope you're having a wonderful week.
[00:08:43] Thank you as always for listening.
[00:08:44] And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.