Lifestyle Medicine – Nutrition

One of the main pillars of lifestyle medicine looks at our nutrition. This is not surprising as much of our lifestyle is spent eating. What we eat can have a significant impact on our health and our well-being.  Nutrition can be very contentious; many people have different opinions and approaches on what we should and should not eat.  Big food companies are massive corporations, and the food industry can heavily influence policy production and guidance on how and what we should be eating.

Many people find food and what is ‘healthy’ a minefield, especially when the marketing of foods can be cleverly designed to entice us to buy certain products which may not be as healthy as we initially think. And it is very easy to fall into that trap. Education around nutrition, what is in our foods, and how this can impact our health is crucial for our empowerment. Hopefully, this article will shed some light on the myths and misconceptions.

“Processed carbohydrates can also cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, resulting in food cravings, overeating and obesity.”

Let’s start with the basics and go over how food is composed. Food is made up of three main macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat. You may have heard people say, ‘Do you track your macros?’, this refers to tracking how many calories are consumed in each food group.  Carbohydrates are sugar molecules found in fruit, vegetables, peas, beans and grains. Carbohydrates can be single sugars or joined up to make bigger chains of sugar. Fibre, a long chain of sugars, ONLY found in plant foods, is a carbohydrate that benefits our gut health (our gut is like our second mind). Healthy gut health has been shown in studies to reduce our chances of colon cancer and the risk of diabetes.  Processed carbohydrates typically involve removing the fibre. Processed carbohydrates can also cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, resulting in food cravings, overeating and obesity.

Protein, another macronutrient, is made of amino acid building blocks and is found in meat, eggs, fish, cheese and plant sources such as lentils, soy and seeds. Protein is essential in hormone production and maintaining our muscle bulk, which is important for setting our body’s metabolic rate. As we age, a process called sarcopenia occurs where we naturally lose our muscle mass. We know muscle is important not only for our metabolic rate but for our brain health, longevity and metabolic health (such as our sugar levels). Maintaining our muscles through adequate protein intake is necessary to support our well-being.  It is important when choosing protein to ensure it is not processed; processed meats can contain nitrates. Nitrites are used to preserve meats and prevent botulism, but at high temperatures can cause cell damage. Hence, processed meats have been classed as a group 1 carcinogen for certain types of cancer by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Fats are also essential to our nutrition and are important for cell function, energy production and hormone manufacturing. There are many different types of fat. Examples include monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, a staple part of a Mediterranean diet, and polyunsaturated fats such as omega 3 found in oily fish, which is anti-inflammatory. Trans fats, used to turn liquid oils into a more solid structure, are banned in many countries, and their use is very limited in the UK. The hope was that trans fats would be fully banned in this country by 2023.

Studies have shown that food sequencing, i.e., eating protein and/or fat before carbohydrates, can be beneficial in reducing our sugar levels after our meal which can help reduce cravings and improve satiety (fullness).

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals within our food. Examples of vitamins include vitamins A, B, D, E, and K. Examples of minerals include magnesium, zinc and selenium, which are all important factors in cell, enzyme and hormone production. In nutrient-dense food will contain non-nutrients such as antioxidants; think bright, colourful fruits and vegetables. Orange foods contain carotenoids which are immune boosting; dark berries contain polyphenols which can be anti-inflammatory; and dark cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain sulforaphane, important for cellular health. We should eat lots of colourful foods in our diet to try to achieve an intake of an array of different beneficial antioxidants. Due to intensive farming and industrial food production, many people lack minerals and vitamins. Eating organic where possible is important.

Since the introduction of lower-fat foods in the 1970s, adding sugar, sweeteners, thickeners, and emulsifiers occurred to ensure the food tasted palatable. Some evidence suggests that sweeteners, thickeners, and emulsifiers do not support a healthy gut. This, in addition to the copious amounts of overconsumed processed foods we face today, has resulted in an increase in chronic long-term health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Some people are vegetarian, vegan or carnivores for personal preference or other reasons, e.g., religion. We all have different goals and react differently to food, so when we approach nutrition, we should take a personalised approach. Someone training for a marathon will have very different requirements and nutrient goals to someone who has type 2 diabetes or someone who is obese and trying to lose weight.

TOP TIPS

1. Eat nutrient-dense foods, e.g., fruit, vegetables, good quality protein and fats.
2. Eat whole foods in their natural state, e.g., an apple rather than apple juice. Whole foods are rarely labelled, as they are 100% pure.
3. Eat unprocessed foods, e.g., avoid ready meals.
4. Minimise intake of highly sweetened and calorific foods such as doughnuts, cakes and sweets, which are high in free sugars.
5. Eat the rainbow! Eating as many colourful foods as possible will provide us with beneficial antioxidants.
6. Eat plenty of fibre in our diet by eating varied plant foods (note there is no fibre in animal food).
7. Aim for 30 different fruits and vegetables a week to help support a diverse gut microbiome (the bugs in our gut that support our physical and mental health).
8. Always read the label if you buy foods with labels as many processed sugars are labelled under different guises, e.g., fruit juice concentrate, and high fructose corn syrup. Awareness of this can help you make more informed choices about your dietary intake.
9. Try to avoid low-fat foods, which are usually filled with free sugars and artificial sweeteners.

And I will leave you with a final quote.

“If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”

― Michael Pollan

 

Fruit, nut and seed summer yoghurt

This recipe is straightforward to combine and quick! Please note that some yoghurts are laden with added sugars and sweeteners, especially high protein ones, so always check the labels before purchase.

Full-fat Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese provide satiety and fullness with the fat in this recipe. The nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein, whilst the chia seeds are high in fibre. Dark berries are high in antioxidants and are an excellent choice for carbohydrates and add a natural sweetness. As the recipe has a good balance of all three macronutrients, it helps stabilise our blood sugars after eating. Studies also show cinnamon can help regulate our blood sugars too.

Ingredients

• 180g full-fat plain Greek yoghurt
• 30g full-fat cottage cheese
• 15g chia seeds
• 40g raspberries
• 40g blueberries
• 12g almonds (roughly crushed)
• 10 g pumpkin seeds
• ½ tablespoon of cinnamon

Method

1. Mix the yoghurt and cottage cheese with the fruit
2. Top with the berries, seeds and nuts
3. Enjoy!

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NorthernLife Sep/Oct 23