Nope. All we need is to take one small step. Then another, and another. When we choose more whole foods, where the nutrients are, we feel better. It shows up in our energy, sleep, digestion, skin health, brain function, and mood. We start to feel nourished.

Making small, sustainable changes reassures us of what we’re capable of and inspires us to take the next step. Here are a few ideas to help you ease into whole, real food.

Up your water game. Water is important for your brain, digestion, joint health and many other functions. But it’s easy to forget, until a headache sets in or our energy crashes.

A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half your body weight in ounces each day Exercise, hot weather, caffeine, alcohol, illness, and anything else that causes you to lose fluids further increase your water needs.

You may wonder if you need to add in electrolytes. This depends. Minerals from our food, such as potassium, sodium and chloride, become electrolytes in our bodies and support fluid balance and other functions. Eating nutritious, balanced meals often provides us with enough of these minerals. But it’s helpful, and sometimes critical, to add electrolytes back when we’ve lost a lot of fluids. Avoid those with lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Plan ahead, even just a little. Menu planning may sound difficult or boring. I don’t love it either. But it saves so much time, stress and money that I just do it. When we plan ahead, we tend to waste less food.

Start easy, with three days. It’s natural to focus on dinners, then spin leftovers into lunches. For recipe ideas, search the terms Mediterranean and Paleo for whole-food based meals rich in protein, vegetables and healthy fats.

Lastly, make a big one-pot meal once or twice a month, then freeze leftovers in freezer-safe mason jars. You’re treating your future self to a home-cooked meal with no effort.

Makeover one meal at a time. Perhaps you’re time crunched, so you grab fast food for breakfast or skip lunch. Here are a few quick and nutrient-dense ways to switch up your routines:

Bulk prep several days of breakfasts, such as egg & veggie cups or chia seed pudding, and you have a balanced nutritious breakfast for days.

Take a grab-and-go approach. Stock your fridge with portable proteins, veggies and healthy fats. Then get creative with combos you can assemble in a few minutes. Grab-and-go foods may include boiled eggs, shrimp, nuts & seeds, cheese, grape tomatoes, mini peppers, pre-chopped broccoli, snap peas, avocado, berries, olives, and seedy crackers.

Mix it up. Many of us eat the same foods week to week. Even if they’re nutritious, such as roasted chicken and asparagus, we miss out on certain minerals, vitamins and other nutrients when we limit variety. So, get a little curious and adventurous when you shop:

Try a protein you don’t generally prepare. Maybe you substitute ground pork for ground chicken when making meatballs, or you whip up a lentil soup for the first time.

If you always buy apples, try a pear. If you love raspberries, try blackberries.

Add leafy greens to anything and everything. Arugula pairs well with scrambled eggs, kale is delicious in soups, and red leaf lettuce adds great texture to a sandwich.

Slow your roll. Many of us eat quickly, often without realizing it. By slowing down and chewing our food well, digestion goes more smoothly and your body is better able to absorb nutrients. Slowing down also means you’re less likely to overeat.

Upgrade where it counts most. Seasonal produce is often local, and local produce makes a shorter trip from the farm to the grocery store. As a result, local broccoli is more nutritious than broccoli shipped 1,000 miles, as some nutrients degrade over time.

Buy organic when possible to avoid pesticides. For an easy guide, check the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15” lists. As well, note that small farms are more likely to maintain soil health and use farming methods that produce more nutrient-dense plants than large-scale farms.

When it comes to animal proteins, such as eggs, meats, poultry, fish and dairy foods, choose the highest quality in your budget for those you eat most often. They’re more likely to come from healthy animals and contain fewer additives and inflammatory compounds.

Ready, set, go. Let’s take your next step toward eating more whole, real foods.

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Unsurprisingly, diets based on eating for your genes looked promising. Put to the test, however, they didn’t measure up. While genes influence how your body utilizes food, research shows that genes explain only 5 to 10 percent of your risk for developing any chronic illness, including obesity. Other factors are more significant, including a part of your body known as the epigenome.

Genes are the starting point

Your epigenome and its related phenomenon gene expression are central to personalized nutrition. Researchers have long tracked biomarkers like blood pressure and blood glucose to predict disease development. Now, genetic variations (SNPs) can be added to the mix.

Here’s how it works: Your genes are not static. They react to impacts like nutrition and lifestyle by changing their expression. These deviations affect various bodily processes, including how you utilize calories.

Nip Potential Problems in the Bud

Your genes are ground zero for gene expression and knowing your DNA can help to prevent conditions before they develop. For instance, studies show that if you are genetically predisposed to developing obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and high intake of ultra-processed foods are more likely to tip you over the edge.

Restore Healthy Gene Expression

Nutri-epigenomics, the study of how nutrients affect gene expression, is an emerging science. Researchers are actively investigating “epiregulators”, components of food that promote healthy patterns of gene expression.

Aberrant patterns of gene expression are linked with numerous chronic diseases. You can inherit them from your parents and grandparents or they can develop over time in response to an unhealthy lifestyle. The good news is these “epigenetic modifications” can be revamped by positive improvements like exercise and a nutritious diet.

Nutrients Support Gene Expression

Thanks to epidemiological studies we’ve known for decades that nutritious foods help to prevent disease. One example is the connection between high intakes of cruciferous vegetables and lower rates of certain types of cancer. Now scientists are identifying biological mechanisms responsible for these results. For instance, sulforaphane, a component of cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to support healthy epigenetic patterns in certain genes linked with cancer development.

Sulforaphane is just one of many health-promoting chemicals found in foods. Numerous nutrients also interact with genes to support positive patterns of gene expression. Knowing your genetic variants can help you to choose foods that will benefit you most.

One Size Doesn’t Fit Everyone

As noted, high blood sugar is a long-standing biomarker linked with a multitude of diseases. One reason is its potential to disrupt the expression of numerous genes.

For many years, we’ve been using a tool known as the glycemic index ((GI) to measure the impact of food on blood glucose levels. Certain foods apparently cause them to rapidly spike, increasing the risk for diseases like diabetes. Traditional wisdom suggests that avoiding these foods is a good strategy for maintaining metabolic health.

However, scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science found that the GI may be a poor predictor of whether a food will jump-start blood sugar. Their research showed that even when people ate identical foods their blood sugar rose at very different rates. They also found that some low GI foods — for instance tomatoes —could spark a blood sugar surge in some, while high GI foods like sugary treats didn’t stimulate a similar response in others. 

Gut Bacteria Pull Metabolic Strings

While these scientists linked some of these differences to lifestyle, their research also suggested that the subjects’ gut bacteria (microbiome) played a role.

Environmental factors like diet and lifestyle are major factors in shaping your microbiome. (Research shows that people who eat more than 30 different plant foods a week have healthier microbiomes than those who consume 10 or less.) However, genes seed the microbial landscape and genetic variants can influence which bacteria will flourish. Among their many functions, gut bacteria interact with each other, your genes, your diet and your lifestyle to shape your metabolism.

Your Microbiome Influences Your Response to Food

The microbiome is the focus of the PREDICT study, an international research project investigating how food affects disease development.  More than half of the participants were identical twins. While they share the same genes, the twins had less than half (37%) of the same microbes. When their glucose, insulin and blood fat responses were measured, the subjects demonstrated very different responses to eating identical foods. Their levels of inflammation also differed dramatically. 

Healthy Diet, Healthy Gut, Positive Gene Expression

Inflammation is a key marker for disease development and a healthy gut helps to tamp it down. Diets high in ultra-processed foods promote inflammation in part by killing off beneficial gut bacteria. On the other hand, plant-forward dietary approaches like the Mediterranean Diet (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, plus healthy fats obtained mainly from fish and olive oil) support favorable ratios of beneficial bacteria, helping to keep inflammation low. Some friendly bacteria also produce anti-inflammatory substances like short chain fatty acids, which work their magic, in part, by improving gene expression.

Track Your Data to Maximize Your Health

DNA tracking is still an emerging science and genes are not a silver bullet. However, if you’re serious about being proactive about your health, knowing your genetic blueprint is a helpful tool. Along with other biosensors like regular blood work it provides body-specific data, which can help with customizing your diet. Lower-carb may work best for you and higher-fat may be just the ticket for me, but existing knowledge is very clear: We can both benefit from ditching ultra-processed foods and consuming more nutrient-dense plant foods.

Selected Resources

Patron, J. Assessing the performance of genome-wide association studies for predicting disease risk. PlosOne 2019

Tobi, Elmar W. et a. DNA Methylation Signatures Link Prenatal Famine Exposure to Growth and Metabolism Nature Communications 2015.

Li, Y. et al. Temporal Efficacy of a Sulforaphane-Based Broccoli Sprout Diet in Prevention of Breast Cancer through Modulation of Epigenetic Mechanisms. Cancer Prevention Research 2018.

Franzago, M. Genes and Diet in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases in Future Generations. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020.

Helanza, Y. Gene-Diet Interaction and Precision Nutrition in Obesity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2017.

Zeevi, D. et al. Personalized Nutrition by Prediction of Glycemic Response. Cell 2015

Grieneisen, L et al. Gut microbiome heritability is nearly universal but environmentally contingent. Science, 2021

Wu, J. et al. Dietary nutrients shape gut microbes and intestinal mucosa via epigenetic modifications. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2020.

Berry, S. et al. Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition. Nature Medicine 2020.

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As a group our young people are in poor physical health. One study identified an increased incidence of chronic inflammation and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of markers including hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance.) These conditions are precursors to more serious diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, which are categorized as diseases of aging. Apparently, today’s young people are growing old before their time. Research into the biological aspects of aging hints at why this may be the case.

Aging is a cellular process

Aging is complex. It begins in your cells, which are constantly dividing and reproducing. This process slows down naturally with age but how quickly cells age and the damage they accumulate differs among people.

Consequently, there may be a gap between the age of your cells (your biological age) and how old you are in years. No single theory of aging has all the answers but useful strategies for slowing down the process of aging are emerging from research into cellular health.

Free Radicals and Aging

You’ve probably heard of free radicals. These unstable molecules, which are a normal by-product of your cells, have attracted the interest of aging researchers for well over fifty years. Lifestyle factors like a poor diet and exposure to toxins accelerate their creation.

One type of free radical is reactive oxygen species (ROS.) High concentrations of ROS spark a chain reaction known as oxidative stress, which has been linked with numerous chronic diseases, as well as accelerated aging.

Westernized Diets and Oxidative Stress

One stimulus for oxidative stress is the “westernized” diet. This dietary pattern is low in plant foods and high in “hyperpalatable” manufactured foods that provide copious quantities of salt, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats. Recent research has shown that children and teen-agers obtain two-thirds of their calories from ultra-processed foods. The consumption of these foods has been linked with negative health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and even cancer. It’s also likely these unhealthy diets factor into the unnerving statistics on shortening lifespans.

Consider recent research which connects the intake of ultra-processed foods with increased oxidative stress in healthy adolescents. Oxidative stress is linked with chronic inflammation and metabolic diseases — the same conditions that are on the rise in today’s young people.

Maintain Your Cellular Power Plant

The connections between oxidative stress and accelerated aging is currently a hot topic for research. One focus is the energy-producing structures in your cells. Known as mitochondria, these little workhorses are easily damaged by environmental impacts like poor nutrition and exposure to toxins. Damaged mitochondria are prolific producers of free radicals, contributing to oxidative stress. 

Reduce Calories and Tidy Up Your Cells

Damaged mitochondria can undermine your health and you don’t want too many hanging around like dead skin clogging your pores. Your body understand this, and it helps to keep you healthy by regularly tackling the job of cellular housekeeping.  Periodically it sweeps up and discards injured cells, a process known as autophagy.

Autophagy is a complex process. To oversimplify, by getting rid of damaged mitochondria it seems to ward off disease. Research shows you can propel autography into overdrive by limiting your consumption of calories. This approach, which is known as calorie restriction (or intermittent fasting) involves reducing your daily intake of calories by about one third while maintaining the level of nutrients you consume.

Scientists don’t fully understand how it works but a growing body of research suggests that regulating autophagy with periods of calorie restriction can slow down the onset of disability and disease and extend longevity. Restricting calories appears to stress your cells, forcing them to work more efficiently. It also activates certain biological pathways, triggering resistance to oxidative stress.

Plant Foods Are the Best Source of Antioxidants

Scientists are taking a hard look at foods that can be used to harness the power of autophagy and unsurprisingly those with antioxidant capacity are on the inside track. Beneficial compounds in certain plant foods, including resveratrol (grapes and berries), curcumin (turmeric) and EGCJ (green tea) have been shown to encourage autophagy.

However, you don’t need to focus on eating specialized foods to support these processes. Plant foods are the best source of antioxidants, including vitamins E and C and phytonutrients like beta carotene and lycopene. Antioxidants wipe up free radicals, helping to keep oxidative stress at bay.

A balanced diet of nutritious whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes also supports mitochondrial health. By helping to prevent cell damage, it tones down free radical production. On the other hand, a diet heavily weighted toward ultra-processed foods, which are high in calories and low in nutrients has the opposite effect. Our young people are eating too many of these unhealthy foods, which generate oxidative stress, increasing their vulnerability to chronic conditions that age them well before their time. And at least one study has shown that if a young adult switched their eating pattern away from the typical Westernized diet to a more balanced one focused on whole foods, they could add more than a decade to their life expectancy.

Selected Resources

Zheng, H. et al. Are Recent Cohorts Getting Worse? Trends in U.S. Adult Physiological Status, Mental Health, and Health behaviors across a Century of Birth Cohorts. American Journal of Epidemiology 2021.

Wang, L et al. Trends in Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2 – 19 years, 1999-2018. JAMA 2021.

Edalati, S et al. Higher ultra-processed food intake is associated with higher DNA damage in healthy adolescents. British Journal of Nutrition. 2021.

Madeo, F et al. Essential role for autophagy in life span extension. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 2015.

Bakula, D. et al. Mitophaging: Mitophagy in Aging and Disease. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 2020.

Hall, KD et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain. Cell Metabolism 2019

Xie, J. et al. Autopgraphy-associated signal pathways of functional foods for chronic diseases. Food Science and Human Wellness 2019.

Flanagan, E. et al. Calorie Restriction and Aging in Humans. Annual Review of Nutrition 2020.

Fadnes, l. et al. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLOS Medicine 2022.

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My mother wasn’t an expert on nutrition, but she was often spot-on. For instance, her commitment to eating salad. As she saw it, raw vegetables provide “roughage,” which helps to keep you regular. Today, this component of plant foods is commonly called insoluble fiber and my mother was right: It bulks up stools, preventing constipation and other digestive problems.

While on the mark for her time, my mother’s wisdom has been left behind by current research which shows that the advantages of consuming fiber spiral far beyond your digestive tract. Plant foods provide various types of fiber, which contribute to benefits like keeping blood sugar or cholesterol under control. Scientists now understand that the body functions as a complex ecosystem. That means the food you eat can activate biological pathways in every part of your body.

Fiber Helps to Build the Foundation for Health

Consider that a thriving universe of bacteria lives on and inside your body. Those residing in your gut constitute the gut microbiome. These invisible settlers impact your health and fiber pulls many of their strings.

Humans don’t digest fiber. It reaches our large intestine intact where it provides a nourishing meal for our microbial friends. Well-fed microbes flourish, helping to keep you in tip-top form. Studies show that the more fiber you consume, the more robust your microbiome and ultimately the better your health.

Fiber Supports Microbial Diversity

In general terms the more species of bacteria you harbour, the healthier you are likely to be. Although studies differ in their conclusions, most research shows that a high-fiber diet contributes to bacterial diversity, possibly in next-to-no time. One study showed that eating a high-fiber diet for as little as 2 weeks significantly jacked up the subjects’ microbial mix.

Diversity Pays Dividends

In your microbial universe, the more the merrier because bacteria have different skill sets depending on their type. They also tend to work as a team. Bacteria produce compounds known as metabolites. Not only are these substances very beneficial for you they also nourish your “good guy” bacteria.

Numerous studies show that bacteria amplify their production of metabolites in response to the fiber you consume. This sets off a complex chain reaction known as cross-feeding, stimulating the growth of various types of bacteria and further boosting diversity.

Fiber Strengthens Your Immune System

Seventy percent of your immune system is in your gut. Your microbiome and your immune system work side by side calibrating how each performs. For instance, one laboratory study showed that eating a high-fiber diet may help you to fight the flu. These researchers found that consuming fiber altered gut bacteria and increased the production of beneficial metabolites, activating a type of white blood cell that helps to protect the body from infections.

The relationship between gut bacteria and the immune system is complex. Moreover, it appears to differ among individuals. One recent study showed that a high-fiber diet increased the production of certain enzymes that help with digesting carbohydrates, while triggering different immune system responses among individuals. Researchers believe these distinct reactions open the door to further research into precision nutrition, using diet to treat specific conditions in individuals.

Fiber Keeps Chronic Illness at Bay

in general terms, dietary patterns that are low in fiber, like the Western-style diet, have been linked with systemic inflammation, a driver of chronic disease. A substantial body of research shows that eating a high-fiber diet lowers the risk of developing numerous conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and even certain types of cancer. Fiber works its magic in part by stimulating changes in the gut microbiome that reduce inflammation.

Fiber Helps to Keep You Thin

You may have heard that fiber helps you to maintain a healthy weight because it fills you up. But fiber also helps to keep you thin by supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria that battle inflammation, which – you guessed it – is associated with obesity. Being overweight has been linked with chronic low-grade inflammation, which is why it’s a precursor for more serious conditions.

Scientists have long known that certain strains of beneficial bacteria (for instance, Lactobacillus reuteri  are powerful anti-inflammatories. Now they are zeroing in on the relationship between gut bacteria and the metabolism. Research shows that most people suffering from metabolic disorders, including obesity, have lower levels of a specific bacterium: Akkermansia muciniphila. Levels of this microbe can be boosted by eating a high-fiber diet, rich in plant foods.

Sadly, very few Americans consume enough fiber. A typical “western” diet provides about 15 g of fiber daily – far less than the recommended amount, which ranges between 25 to 38 grams. The good news is, it’s not hard to boost your intake of this valuable nutrient. A helpful rule of thumb is to ditch the junk food and eat whole foods instead.

Plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dried beans and lentils are fiber rich. They also contain a kaleidoscope of other nutrients that often work together synergistically, boosting their individual benefits. And they are the favorite meal for your microbial friends, helping to build a robust microbiome that will work to keep you well.

Selected References

Oliver, A. et al. High-Fiber, Whole-food Dietary Intervention Alters the Human Gut Microbiome but not Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids. ASM Journals 2021.

Holscher, H. Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota. Gut Microbes 2017

Reynolds, A. et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet 2019.

Ma, W. et al Dietary fiber intake, the gut microbiome, and chronic systemic inflammation in a cohort of adult men. Genome Medicine, 2021.

Verhoog, S. Dietary Factors and Modulation of Bacteria Strains of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium pausnitzli: A Systemic Review. Nutrients 2019

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Maybe you feel like a failure because baking cookies with the kids is annoying, shopping leads to debt guilt, and shame from that work party due to things said after one too many mimosas. The things that break up our day to day life that are meant to bring us fun, often bring their share of downsides with them.

Many of us turn to stuffing ourselves with “sweet things” and too much alcohol to numb out when life is not offering us the “sweet things” we really want – meaningful connection.

If this sounds like you, you are not alone. In my office I see many people trying to “fill up” using food and drink. Here are five ways that I help clients learn to fill their heart rather than stuff their belly.

1. Focus On What Matters: 

What most of us want is to feel special. However, many of us can get caught up in materialism, commercialism, and routine activities that make life feel anything but special.

We feel the pressure of cultural performance, unnecessary purchases, unhealthy food, or people who don’t help us feel cherished and valued. Your job is to figure out what matters to you and focus on that first.

2. Make A Plan:

If you really want to be successful having a plan is helpful¹.

As we move further into the new year, set some time aside and make yourself a plan. Look at your focus from #1, determine people you want to spend time with and which activities matter most to you. Make a plan regarding food and beverages you’ll partake in on a daily basis, and which you’ll indulge in for parties or social gatherings.

Having a plan goes a long way toward getting that life you want. This process will help you have an accurate idea of what is really possible during your moments of fun, still letting you indulge and keeping you sane.

3. Determine Who You Want to Hang Out With:

For many this is a hard one.

If you have people in your life you know you will “need” to see but are not excited about, decide ahead of time how much time you want to spend with them. Create an exit plan and follow it. This is not limited to the holidays, this is true year-round!

Focus on people who uplift, support, and help you be a better version of yourself.

For those who don’t meet that criteria visit only as long as you want, have another activity to do during visits (like knitting) and exit when you are ready.

4. Make Gifts Meaningful:

Gifts and gathering are found throughout ancient texts as a way to celebrate festivities throughout the year from Christmas to Birthdays. However, many of us get caught up in the commercialism and competition of today’s idea of gift giving.

If you are not one who loves spending time picking out unique gifts for people, consider other ways you can give. Make a donation to charity in the person’s name, give gift cards, or book time together.

Remember gifts can show others you care, but so can your attention, time, and effort.

5. Give Yourself A Break:

This is a big one. Remember you cannot keep going without recharging your batteries.

You need to take some breaks. This could be a day off, a nap, or early night to bed.

In the middle of group action? Excuse yourself for a solo walk or workout during family festivities to regroup and restore your energy for the long haul.

While the holiday season only comes once a year, any social gathering throughout the year can feel like an endurance event. You need to fuel appropriately for the race, if not you’ll find yourself turning to unhealthy snacks and beverages to keep going. Rest is an important part of the equation.

Often we can feel trapped in frenzied obligations. If you find yourself feeling empty, try the tips above to help make your special occasions meaningful this year, instead of depleting. Even with the excitement of getting together with people you love most, you can feel empty and alone. However, we control our time, energy, and where we put our focus. Make yours count. Fill up from the inside out.

Reference:

1. Epton, T., Currie, S., & Armitage, C. J. (2017). Unique effects of setting goals on behavior change: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(12), 1182–1198. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000260

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A great go-to menu is enjoyable for the mind and satisfying for the body. The idea of creating a go-to menu stems from research that says we make over 200 food-related choices per day, yet the average person estimates this number to be just 15. This huge disparity suggests there’s a lot of unconscious choices interfering with our weight loss efforts.

This is especially true when we’re stressed, tired, bored, or lonely – the most common states when we’re particularly vulnerable to poor eating or overeating. With written or visual lists of compelling options, we can learn to navigate even our most challenging moments.

Here’s What You Need to Know

Think of your go-to menus as a pre-emptive eating style. You embark on your weight loss efforts with the best of intentions but when the choice points arrive, those intentions are often blindsided or sidelined.

You simply cannot rely on your rational, executive function in the beginning. When unconscious habits or emotionally-driven patterns are at work, your prefrontal cortex is offline. You won’t be as resourceful or be able to remember your meal or snack options. And in those addictive moments when your brain is completely hijacked, it won’t even occur to you that you have other options. So, get your go-to menus in place to support you.

1. They can’t help you unless they’re listed and available:
You already have a collection of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that you assemble or cook. But if your favourites are not listed and handy, with staples in your fridge or cupboard, the energy required to recall and prepare one of these options will be greater than the energy required to turn to junk food or fast food.

2. List at least 7 options per meal or snack:
That’s potentially one week before you have to cycle back through any of your options, which will keep them varied and fresh. Even long-held favourites can lose their lustre if you rely on them too often, leaving you to seek indulgences elsewhere. Consider building each meal or snack menu to at least 14 options over time.

3. Forget calories and portions – just focus on quality food: A balance of protein, fibre and fat per meal or snack is ideal to help you naturally eat less but any quality food will help to satiate you. Some processed food is okay when the situation and selection are limited but consuming something from a package with a long list of chemicals will ultimately leave you wanting for more.

4. Forget meal planning – just focus on your next meal:
Having an idea of what meals you intend over the coming week is certainly helpful. Planning these down to the day and to the meal, however, can be too restrictive and interfere with your natural style and rhythm. A menu is exactly that, an opportunity to delight in your choices, where you need only anticipate one meal ahead.
Here’s What You Can Practice
Your go-to menus will guide and support you through many of those 200+ food-related choices per day but they’re really useful at two crucial times: when you’re ‘out and about’ and when you’re ‘in and within’.

Maybe you’re out running a bunch of energy-taxing errands or heading home after a particularly long and stressful day. Either way, that donut you just stumbled upon or that fast food place you’re about to drive by has just hijacked your thinking. A quick glance at your snack time or dinnertime go-to menus can be an effective reminder that you have an energy-boosting snack option in the glove compartment to get you through the next hour or an intriguing meal option waiting for you at home.

At other times maybe you find yourself at home, dwelling on thoughts of those treats in the cupboard. Without taking away your choice to have these, give first consideration to your go-to menus so you can address any hunger cues. You can then revisit the treats to see if the view has changed. Even if you still choose to have some, the amount will be tempered by the fact that you fueled your body first.

Here’s What You Can Expect

Go-to menus are designed to initially interrupt and eventually break your unwanted eating habits and patterns. For this reason, you want to be sure that any options that land on these lists are truly enjoyable for the mind and satisfying for the body, not just familiar or convenient.

Otherwise, you may need to cull your repertoire down to only those options that stimulate your anticipation and savouring of them. Only then can these become more compelling than your previous habits and patterns.

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Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions, including obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance. This constellation is highly problematic because it foreshadows the development of potentially life-threatening diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Chronic inflammation is linked with many conditions that intersect with metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of which appears to be shortening the lifespans of younger Americans.

Rx: A Healthy Lifestyle

If you’ve been diagnosed with any of the disorders involved in metabolic syndrome before prescribing medication your doctor will probably suggest lifestyle changes like daily exercise and eating a healthy diet. These modifications also help to keep inflammation under control. When it comes diet, the tried and true game plans are the DASH (Diet to Stop Hypertension) and Mediterranean diets. Both emphasize plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Gut Health Plays a Major Role

Most people know that eating a nutritious diet benefits their health but they may not understand the biological mechanisms underlying these outcomes. One thing we’ve learned is that many of the physical improvements associated with healthy eating originate in the gut. Friendly microbes residing in your gut microbiome (the collection of bacteria populating your gut) support numerous aspects of health, from better cognitive health and a strong immune system to emotional well-being.

Take obesity, for instance. Most people suffering from metabolic syndrome are overweight or obese. The microbiomes of obese people vary from those of leaner individuals. They have different ratios of certain types of bacteria, some of which influence how the body utilizes calories. Whether microbial imbalance sets the stage for obesity or vice-versa isn’t clear. However, it now seems evident that gut bacteria pull many metabolic strings.

Obesity Sets the Stage for Serious Illness

Obesity is much more problematic than being overweight. It’s a ticking time bomb for more serious problems. Obesity is closely associated with chronic inflammation, which sets the stage for conditions like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and even heart disease. Inflammation is also linked with an unhealthy gut.

Obesity, inflammation and a sickly gut make a grim triad. But here’s some good news. Having the right combinations of friendly microbes can take them on. For many years we’ve known that certain strains of bacteria, are potent anti-inflammatories. (Lactobacillus reuteri is a well-known one.) Now researchers are exploring the relationship between gut bacteria and the metabolism. For instance, most people suffering from metabolic disorders, including obesity, have lower levels of a specific bacterium, Akkermansia muciniphila (A. municiphila.)

Healthy Diet, Healthy Gut

While factors like your genome and lifestyle influence the species of bacteria that settle in your gut, eating a nutritious diet is far and away the best strategy for ramping up your microbial troops. We’ve long known that diets rich in prebiotic fiber — provided by whole foods like nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes — encourages the growth of friendly microbes, including leanness-boosting A. muciniphila.

But fiber isn’t the only fertilizer for your gut. Polyphenols, naturally occurring chemicals in plant foods, are one of the new kids on the block. They are prevalent in colorful fruits and vegetables, tea and chocolate, among other foods. Like dietary fiber they evade digestion until they reach your intestines. Upon arrival  they provide a nutritious meal for your microbial buddies. In return these friendly critters generate substances like short-chain fatty acids, which help to regulate certain metabolic functions and tame inflammation, among other benefits.

Recent research shows that some polyphenol-rich foods are especially good at cultivating the growth of A. muciniphila. These include cranberry  and pomegranate extract, capsaicin (which gives chile peppers their heat), curcumin (the bioactive component of turmeric) and epigallocatchin gallate (provided by various types of tea and some fruits and nuts.)

A. muciniphila wasn’t identified until 2004 but scientists are now studying the bacterium as a weapon in the war against metabolic disease, especially obesity. Numerous studies have linked its’ presence not only with leanness but also with better metabolic health in general, including lower levels of inflammation. Some are exploring the possibility of developing targeted interventions that use the bacterium to treat, as well as prevent, metabolic disorders.

In the meantime, it makes sense to strengthen your microbial army. The best strategy is  a nutritious diet built around a variety of plant foods, which should lower levels of inflammation and improve metabolic markers. Over time and across a wide population, these improvements should shift lifespan projections upward. And younger people should, once again, expect to live longer lives than their parents.

Selected Resources

Hui Zheng and Paola Echave. Are Recent Cohorts Getting Worse? Trends in U.S. Adult Physiological Status, Mental Health, and Health behaviors across a Century of Birth Cohorts. American Journal of Epidemiology 2021.

Diaz, J. et al. Evidence of the Anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics and synbiotics in Intestinal Chronic Diseases. Nutrients 2017

Raluca, AC et al. Recognizing the Benefits of Pre-/Probiotics in Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Considering the Influence of Akkermansia muciniphila as a Key Gut Bacterium. Microorganisms 2021

Rasnick K. et al. Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health. Journal of Translational Medicine 2017

Verhoog, S. Dietary Factors and Modulation of Bacteria Strains of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium pausnitzli: A Systemic Review. Nutrients 2019

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You are not alone. It’s so easy to become locked into nutritional habits that are not only getting you nowhere but that are also unhealthy for your body, mind, and spirit.

It’s time to feel challenged to make an exodus from your old routine and to become inspired by starting new, exhilarating habits that will revolutionize your mundane diet.

1. Dare Yourself to Eat and Enjoy Carbs Again

That’s right, you can free yourself from the diet myth that carbs are “bad” and make you fat. This is simply not true and here are the reasons why.

• Your body runs on carbs. Glucose is a carb and glucose is your body’s preferred fuel.
• Carbs can cause you to gain weight if you eat more than your body needs, but this is true of protein and fat as well. It’s about balance not elimination.
• People lose weight eating low carb because they are restricting calories in the process. Therefore, it isn’t the carbs that’s doing it, it’s eating less than your body needs to maintain itself.
• Some of the healthiest, longest living people on the planet eat diets rich in carbs.

So, be bold and step outside of your dietary comfort zone and eat some carbs without guilt. The only rule I ask people to follow is to make sure the majority of the carbs they’re eating come from whole food sources not refined and processed food choices.

2. Recognize That You Are Unique and Have Personal Nutritional Needs

We all may be human but none of us are exactly alike. So why should your diet be just like Susan’s or Malick’s? Your personal nutrition should be as unique as you are.

Your diet should take into consideration all the factors that determine your nutritional needs, like your stats, your job, your exercise level, your current health, your family life, and ultimately your goals.

You are worthy and deserving of a plan that fits you and not some cookie cutter diet published in Glamour magazine. Your diet should be dynamic and change as you change or as your goals change.

3. Fuel Your Exercise, Feel Energized

Many people believe the notion that to lose weight you have to eat less and exercise more. This leads people to eating very little while exercising a lot, which isn’t a healthy approach.  After a few weeks of this, most people feel fatigued, famished, and frustrated.

Your body needs energy even when it’s at rest to fuel the vital processes that keep you alive. It needs even more energy when you are using your muscles to perform a task and while consuming less energy than your body requires does cause your body to tap into its fat reserves, there has to be balance.

Most people should never be in an energy deficit less than 20% from the energy it takes to maintain their current weight. And exercise needs to be factored into this equation.

By eating in a way that fuels your workouts, you’ll feel energized, renewed, and motivated to push your fitness to new levels.

4. Feel Invigorated by Eating More Plants

While the macronutrients protein, carbs, and fat build and fuel your body, it’s the micronutrients that determine how efficiently and optimally it all works.

Micronutrients are simply all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other compounds that your body needs to function. Where are most of these found? Plants!

The more plants and variety of plants you eat, the greater the amount of micronutrients your body will have at its disposal. Since these are so vital for immunity, hormone production, neurotransmitter regulation, and even minute processes on the cellular level, they greatly determine our positive health outcomes.

The more nutritious your diet, the more invigorated you’ll feel because your body is getting everything that it needs for a healthy body and a sound mind.

When you visit the grocery store, always go to the produce section first and load up your cart.

5. Be Inspired by Trying New Foods and Recipes

The last key to feeling exhilarated about your diet is to always keep it creative by trying new foods and recipes.

This world is a big place and so full of great foods, recipes, and flavors. Furthermore, it has never been easier to try spices and recipes from many other cultures and countries. There are literally millions of recipes online and even the most exotic spices can be found on websites like Amazon.

Who knows? Chimichurri sauce could be life altering or perhaps kimchi could awaken taste buds you never knew you had. While it’s easy for such creatures of habit to get stuck in eating the same things day in and day out, challenge yourself try bold new foods and recipes.

By escaping the old and mundane and being willing to embrace new ways of approaching your unique nutrition, you’ll be exhilarated by an enlightened way to reach your goals.

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This raises the question: is taking nutritional supplements worthwhile? The answer is, it can be. For instance, most North Americans are magnesium deficient. Studies show that taking magnesium supplements can lower blood pressure or help to keep blood sugar under control. Supplements may also support healthy aging. Because our immune systems head downhill as we age, researchers provided a group of older people with nutrients known to boost immunity. When sickness struck, those taking the daily supplement had less severe and more transient symptoms than the group that didn’t get the supplement.

Even so, research shows that consuming nutrients as part of a healthy diet is preferable to taking them as supplements. Food contains many different nutrients that work together synergistically to promote health and prevent disease in all systems of your body.

Take whole grains, for instance. Recently, two large “meta-analyses” (review studies that compile the results of other studies) confirmed their wide-ranging benefits by, for instance, protecting against inflammation, a condition that underlies most chronic illnesses. Eating whole grains was also shown to lessen the likelihood that you will develop specific diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and various types of cancer.

The health benefits of whole grains can be attributed to their impressive array of nutrients. Most provide at least small amounts of B vitamins, vitamin E  and the minerals manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper and selenium. They also contain fiber and beneficial fatty acids. Recently, scientists have become particularly interested in another component of these nutritious plant foods — their phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are among the chemicals produced by plants. They include carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids and lignans, among others. These compounds are “bioactive”, which means they function like chemical messengers roaming throughout your body and activating various pathways as they travel. Consider the following.

Whole Grains Deliver Antioxidant Punch

Many of the nutrients in whole grains function as antioxidants. That means they stimulate your body’s cells to neutralize free radicals, which can damage your DNA. Free radicals have been linked with a wide range of diseases, from cancer and stroke to heart disease and premature aging. Each antioxidant works differently to protect your cells from free-radical damage. Research shows that eating plenty of antioxidant-rich plant foods lowers the risk of several diseases, whereas taking antioxidant supplements does not have a similar effect.

Whole Grains Boost Your Microbiome

Whole grains support a healthy gut, rich in bacterial diversity. Among its benefits, a thriving gut keeps your metabolism and your immune system humming. It also helps to stabilize your emotions.

Initially, scientists thought the fiber in whole grains was responsible for their health- promoting capacities and to some extent that’s true. But whole grains provide other substances, like polyphenols. When “good-guy” bacteria digest food components like fiber and polyphenols, they produce chemical substances known as metabolites. These include short-chain fatty acids, which actively work to promote health and fight disease. 

Whole Grains Improve Gene Expression

Epigenetics is a relatively new science that  tells us while your genes may be fixed, they change their behavior in response to environmental influences. Diet is a key player in gene expression and its effects on epigenetic pathways, which run throughout the body, have a major impact on health.

When researchers studied diets rich in whole grains (as well as in fruits and vegetables) alongside those high in processed foods, they found that people who conformed to healthy eating patterns had positive epigenetic patterns across many body systems. For instance, people who consumed 4 servings of whole grains a day were shown to have gene expression patterns linked with a reduced risk of chronic disease. Those whose diets were nutritionally deficient had negative gene expression patterns in pathways associated with inflammation, cancer and  immunity.

While we don’t fully understand how all this works, we do know that certain compounds in foods can punch above their weight in delivering health benefits. Nature doesn’t provide nutrients in isolated form as they appear in supplements. Whole foods provide many different nutrients and they work together in ways that nutrients in supplements simply can’t do.

Selected Resources

Gombart, AF et al. The Effects of a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement on Immune Function in Healthy Older Adults: A double-Bind, Randomised, Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2020.

Lium RH. Dietary Bioactive Compounds and Their Health Implications. Journal of Food Science 2013.

McRae, Marc. Health Benefits of Dietary Whole Grains: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2017.

Xu Y. et al. Whole grain diet reduces system inflammation. A meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials. Medicine (Baltimore) 2018.

Liu, R. H. hole Grain Phytochemicals and Health. Journal of Cereal Science 2007

Martinez, I. et al. Gut microbiome composition is linked to whole grain-induced immunological improvements. ISME journal 2013.

Bouchard-Mercier, A. et al. Associations between dietary patterns and gene expression profiles of healthy men and women: a cross-sectional study. Nutrition Journal 2013.

Pham-Huy, et al. Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health. International Journal of Biomedical Science 2008.

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It’s easy to say people should get their weight under control but that can be a challenge. An extensive body of research known as The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease shows that many people are programmed for obesity even before they are born.

A key focus is the impact of poor nutrition on a developing fetus. When a pregnant woman is malnourished, it compromises her baby’s development. One glitch may be malfunctions in body systems that regulate energy balance, which calibrate a baby for obesity later in life.

Some of the most compelling research originated in a period of the second world war known as the Dutch Hunger Winter. The Germans cut off food supplies to northern Holland and the people starved. One study found that offspring of the pregnant women were more likely to have “an unfavorable metabolic profile” as adults, including a relatively high BMI.

These findings bring the science of epigenetics into play. While obesity has some genetic links, genes themselves are not to blame. Genes are not static. They react to their environment, which changes how they are expressed.

In the study mentioned above, malnutrition was shown to impact an epigenetic process known as DNA methylation. The famine sparked changes in genes expression that set the stage for obesity and other types of chronic illness later in life.

Famine is an extreme circumstance but malnutrition is not — even in prosperous countries. Three generations of Americans have been raised on the so-called Standard American Diet which is loaded with nutrient-deficient, processed food. As a result, many Americans, including pregnant women, suffer from a condition known as “high calorie malnutrition,”  which paved the way for the “obesity epidemic” we’re seeing today.

Obesity is a serious condition that requires professional advice. But you can take steps to improve gene expression, which may help you with managing your weight.

Focus on fighting inflammation.  Inflammation is a major driver of  obesity and other chronic conditions. A healthy diet and regular exercise are powerful anti-inflammatories and both have been shown to work their magic by improving gene expression. The Mediterranean Diet which is high in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, has been well studied in this regard. On the other hand, a diet high in processed foods has been shown to be highly inflammatory.

Eat More Fiber. You’ve probably heard that fiber keeps you thin because it fills you up. But fiber also helps you to maintain a healthy weight by supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Among their benefits, good bacteria produce substances that battle inflammation and communicate with cells throughout your body that support positive gene expression.

Obese people have fewer types of bacteria in their guts compared to leaner individuals who have richer, more diverse microbiomes. People who are obese also have a higher ratio of bacteria associated with inefficient energy use, which predisposes the body to store excess calories as fat. Emerging research suggests that fine tuning gut microbes might be an effective weight loss tool.

Kick Your Sweet Tooth. The fructose found in whole foods like fruit provides a healthy source of energy, but the opposite is true when fructose is selectively enriched in processed foods like sugar-sweetened beverages. There it alters the expression of  genes in ways that affect how your liver metabolizes fats, ultimately encouraging obesity. Worse still, research has also shown that high-fructose corn syrup (the sweetener of choice in most soft drinks) stimulates your appetite, encouraging you to consume more to feel satisfied.

Avoid Certain Toxins. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) turn up in in many products from pharmaceutical drugs, to household cleaners and plastic water bottles. EDC’s have been identified as “obesogens,” chemicals that make you fat. In general terms, EDCs collect in fat where they negatively affect epigenetic mechanisms throughout the body. These changes disrupt metabolism, promoting inflammation and obesity. You can minimize your exposure to these chemicals by avoiding plastic containers and chemical-free household and personal care products.

Managing your weight involves more than counting calories. Maintaining a healthy weight includes a systemic approach to improving your health, supporting positive gene expression and efficient energy use.

References

Tobi, Elmar W. et a. DNA Methylation Signatures Link Prenatal Famine Exposure to Growth and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6592

Montserrat, F. Nutritional Genomics and the Mediterranean Diet’s Effects on Human Cardiovascular Health.  doi: 10.3390/nu8040218

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