Why It’s Essential to Diversify Your Diet

So many people I work with are looking for quick wins when it comes to their health and eating habits. One of the biggest opportunities I see is for people to stop eating the same way 365 days a year. Quite simply, we are not wired to eat the same way all the time. Ancient healing sciences like Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine have taught this for thousands of years, but in the West, we have long forgotten this simple truth.

The seasonal food movement is too often seen as some kind of fringe alternative diet, but anyone who has studied even just the basics of the energetics of food knows that nature provides us foods in each season that specifically balance the predominant energies of that time of year. Melons and cucumbers are cooling and abundant in summer. The root vegetables and heavy squashes that make their way into markets in the fall are grounding and help us navigate fall’s airy tendencies. In the spring, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower reach their peak and counteract sluggishness that tends to accompany the onset of spring.

All of this is important not only because growing cycles fluctuate, but modern science is now catching up and finding that our healthy gut bacteria change throughout the course of the year. Our bodies are not designed nor equipped to digest the same foods optimally year-round.

A ground-breaking book published earlier this year, The Plant Paradox, also reveals a well-researched case for how foods eaten out of season contain high levels of lectins, which are naturally occurring compounds that are intended to protect plants from human predators. Excess lectin consumption is associated with destroying gut flora and increasing risk for a range of digestive issues, including leaky gut syndrome.

Finally, consider that the amount of food our ancient ancestors would find on their plates would wildly vary from season to season. Winter meals were often lighter in nature, while meals in the summer and fall harvest season would be more abundant in preparation for the scarcity ahead. In a time when food is hardly scarce for so many of us, we have a tendency to overeat all the time, or to not be mindful of the natural hunger patterns that arise within us.

Many of the clients I work with will find an eating routine that seems to work for them, and then are mystified when several months down the road, that diet no longer seems to serve them. This is evidence of how our digestion is not a static system, but rather an ever-changing complex microbiome. By the same token, the way we eat at age 30 will often look very different from how we ate at 20, and so on throughout our lives. The most important key to maintain healthy digestion for life is to pay attention and seek help and try new things when things seem to go off course.

Here are a few tips to start incorporating the principles of variety into your meals:

·      Shop at your local farmers market. Choose organic producers or farms that sell different things throughout the year, as they tend to be more in sync with what’s in season.

·      Get to know seasonal growing cycles. If you don’t have a year-round farmers market or prefer shopping at conventional markets, research what crops are in season during each part of the year. The L.A. Times has a fabulous online resource for Southern California here (it also loosely correlates to growing seasons nationally, with some crops coming into season later in colder locales). Choose fruits and vegetables grown in the U.S. as much as possible, with Mexico as a secondary source. Avoid fruits shipped in from South America and New Zealand.

·      Vary the quantity of food you eat throughout the day. Tailor the size of your breakfast to your morning hunger levels. Lunch should be your largest meal of the day, as it is consumed at the time when your digestive fire is burning its brightest. Keep your dinners on the lighter side and don’t eat too late into the night, especially in the winter.

If you need support adding variety to your diet, I can help. I offer individual consultations, menu planning assistance and personal chef services that can help you diversify your diet. Use the contact button below to reach out.

New Years Series (5/5): Choose Smarter Sweeteners

There’s a saying that you can pour the purest golden nectar into a chalice, but if the cup is dirty on the inside, then the quality of the nectar is irrelevant.

When it comes to food and your body, the same is true. You can eat the freshet, high-quality whole foods but if your digestive system is not in good shape, then your ability to process and assimilate the nutrients from your food is severely compromised. This is a key reason why Ayurveda and most other healing systems place such a strong focus on creating and maintaining a healthy gut.

This week, as many people focus on making changes to what they are eating, I am offering a five-part series on simple ways to boost your digestive capacity so that you can more optimally process the healthy foods you are consuming.

Part 5: Choose Smarter Sweeteners

Most of us know there are plenty of reasons to stay away from refined sugars, yet their addictive nature keep many people hooked. If you’re hoping to have a healthier gut, kicking the sugar habit is essential because “bad bacteria” in your gut (e.g., candida) thrive on sugar. When you consume a lot of sugar regularly, these bacteria can begin to swell to a point where they outnumber “good” gut flora that assist in the digestive process.

If you’re a fan of diet sodas or artificial sweeteners, you’re still at risk. Numerous studies in recent years have found that Splenda and other sweeteners still cause an upset in the balance of delicate gut bacteria. Over time, both refined sugars and artificial sweeteners can diminish healthy bacteria to a point where the body becomes glucose intolerant, increasing the risk of diabetes.

When you decide to eliminate refined sugars, you automatically say good-bye to the majority of processed foods, and in doing so also give up a host of other ingredients that can cause havoc in the gut.

If you do consume light to moderate amounts of refined sugars, there is some evidence that probiotic supplements can help mitigate the effects of sugar on the gut. But, given the host of other health threats refined sugars pose, I suggest steering clear of them as much as possible.

If you are heavily reliant on sugar in your diet, know that it can be difficult to quit sugar completely overnight. Go slow, making incremental changes. Familiarize yourself with unrefined sweeteners, and use them in moderation. My personal favorite sweeteners are maple syrup and honey, and I enjoy using coconut sugar in baking in place of white sugar.

New Years Series (4/5): Stress Less

There’s a saying that you can pour the purest golden nectar into a chalice, but if the cup is dirty on the inside, then the quality of the nectar is irrelevant.

When it comes to food and your body, the same is true. You can eat the freshet, high-quality whole foods but if your digestive system is not in good shape, then your ability to process and assimilate the nutrients from your food is severely compromised. This is a key reason why Ayurveda and most other healing systems place such a strong focus on creating and maintaining a healthy gut.

This week, as many people focus on making changes to what they are eating, I am offering a five-part series on simple ways to boost your digestive capacity so that you can more optimally process the healthy foods you are consuming.

Part 4: Stress Less

Adding healthy foods into your diet is only one part of the equation when it comes to achieving good gut health. There’s also some subtraction to be done: namely, reducing the amount of stress you experience on a daily basis.

Remember that despite all its complexities, the body is in many ways a very simple machine. Think back to the caveman days: if a pack of saber-toothed tigers interrupted your lunch, your body would go into self-preservation mode and direct its energy to helping you to flee. It would not be in your best interest for the body to divert energy to digest whatever you had just eaten, as digestion is a very energy-intense process.

Although large furry predators are no longer a daily threat for most of us, the functioning of our nervous system hasn’t changed much. Anytime we experience any form of stress, our body shifts into this same fight-or-flight mode, regulated by the autonomic nervous system. On the flip-side, when we are relatively relaxed and out of a survival state of mind, our body can shift control over to the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the “rest and digest” system.

When I used to work in a corporate setting, I was very aware that my digestion suffered when I was working on stressful projects. I would experience a lot of bloating, stomachaches and other issues that weren’t normal for me. Things would inevitably improve once a deadline passed or a project ended. And like most people under stress, I tended to make poorer food choices when I was stressed, which likely fueled the symptoms I was experiencing. 

Unfortunately, our society has normalized indigestion and other gut issues, and given us a host of over-the-counter “solutions” for them, leading many people to not even think twice about how stress may be affecting their gut. Rather than getting to the root cause of things, we can pop a pill and plow on at the same stressful pace.

Whether or not you actively suffer from gut issues, I encourage you to be mindful of how you take on stress in your own life.  Meditation, yoga and other mind-body modalities can help us to shed the unnecessary we may carry. Making choices to leave our work at the office, turn off our screens by a certain time each evening and other proactive steps can help us find greater work-life balance.

Consciously scheduling in some resting time after meals can be a beneficial step if you’re someone who tends to always be on the go. Spend 15-20 minutes enjoying a book, walking leisurely or enjoying another restful activity. If you do decide to take a nap after a meal, be sure to lay on your left size (this puts the digestive organs in optimal position to keep working while you rest).

New Years Series (3/5): Stop Eating Bland Food

There’s a saying that you can pour the purest golden nectar into a chalice, but if the cup is dirty on the inside, then the quality of the nectar is irrelevant.

When it comes to food and your body, the same is true. You can eat the freshest, high-quality whole foods but if your digestive system is not in good shape, then your ability to process and assimilate the nutrients from your food is severely compromised. This is a key reason why Ayurveda and most other healing systems place such a strong focus on creating and maintaining a healthy gut.

This week, as many people focus on making changes to what they are eating, I am offering a five-part series on simple ways to boost your digestive capacity so that you can more optimally process the healthy foods you are consuming.

Part 3: Stop Eating Bland Food

In a pinch, roasting or sautéing your food in some olive oil with a little salt in pepper can make for a quick and easy meal, but over time you’re missing out on many opportunities to build your digestive fire (see part 1 for more on this concept).

Spices – particularly those that are slightly warming/heating – are a key ingredient to Ayurvedic cooking. When we spice our food, we are adding bits of kindling to our digestive fire, increasing its potency. And, as an added bonus, our food tastes more delicious! When we include varied tastes in our meals, the brain is stimulated and sends signals to the gut to prepare for the digestive work ahead. The more flavorful our food is, the stronger these signals are.

If you feel unsure of how to combine spices as you cook, consider using pre-mixed blends (like garam masala, curry powders and pastes, etc.) as you become more skilled in making up your own combinations. One of my favorite spice blends is the Moroccan staple ras-el-hanout, which pairs well with just about anything.

If you are hesitant to spice your food while cooking it, or are cooking for children or others who may be spice-averse, consider adding spice as a garnish to your food. In Ayurveda, medicinal spice blends called churnas are used to aid digestion and to help treat other conditions as well. Here is a recipe for an easy digestive churna, which can be made using all ground spices, no grinding needed:

Mix together the following in a small bowl, then keep in a clean, sealed jar:

1 t. ground coriander
1 t. ground fennel
½ t. ground cumin
½ t. turmeric powder

Add a pinch or two of churna to anything and everything – even things like salads, eggs, etc.

Lastly, if you don’t have spices with your food, you can always have them immediately following. Spices teas with cinnamon, clove, ginger and other warming ingredients are good post-meal beverages to keep on hand.

Alternatively, popping some spices directly into your mouth is a great option too! Have you ever noticed that Indian restaurants often have a small bowl of fennel seeds (sometimes candy-coated) available as you exit? This practice stems from Ayurveda. You can keep fennel seeds on hand and chew a few after eating for a digestive boost (added benefit: it freshens your breath too!) Feel free to mix the seed with a small amount of honey if the taste of the fennel alone is overpowering for you.