Conscious eating starts with quality, not quantity. Learn how to achieve it

Conscious eating = quality, not quantity. 

Good nutrition starts with the brain. Hunger is a normal feeling that induces us to eat. The body tells the brain that the stomach is empty and the latter, in turn, reinforces the information by making sounds or cramps due to hunger.

Hunger, on the other hand, is partly controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain, blood sugar levels, how empty the stomach and intestines are, and certain hormone levels in the body.

Thus, the nervous system that is associated with the elemental channel senses the need for food and sets off an alarm to which we respond by snacking on something like packaged food such as peanuts, Maizitos, Doritos, chips, cookies, etc.

According to Dr. Scott Butsch, director of obesity medicine at the metabolic and bariatric institute at the Cleveland Clinic, USA, dieting is as much a mental exercise as eating, and he recommends moving from the habit of eating large quantities of prepared foods to the habit of consuming nutritious, high-quality foods. But this doesn't just happen. Dr. Butsch proposes some essential strategies to make this change successful.

According to Butsch, there are ways to eliminate the self-destructive behaviors we are guilty of when we change what and how we eat, pointing out a clear difference between good quality foods like vegetables, fruits, plant-based foods and lean proteins; and the large quantities of prepared foods that taste good (probably, thanks to the high levels of MSG) but inevitably lead to fat accumulation around the waist.

Good quality foods to include in your daily meals

Vegetables, fruits, some legumes, seeds, nuts

For these foods to fall into the good quality category, they must be practically in their natural form and with as little human intervention as possible.

That is to say, we currently find in supermarkets fruits in syrup or dehydrated and with additives; genetically modified vegetables, in addition to those already prepared with chemical ingredients and frozen so that you can take home to defrost and heat in the microwave.

Likewise, packets of nuts reach our hands seasoned, with large amounts of salt or caramelized.

This is not good quality.

Another sign that nutritionists recommend is that when you enter a supermarket, you will find natural foods not in the central aisles, but in the peripheral ones. This is to keep in mind that frozen and processed foods, canned, packaged, easy-to-prepare or ready-to-eat foods do not fall into the NATURAL category.

How can we become more aware of good quality food?

Food can be reduced to four groups of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water. Water is supposedly a micronutrient, but in reality we need it much more than we think because thanks to it, many organic processes are carried out in the body with the adequate consumption of this precious liquid.

Good quality foods in each macronutrient category :

Fats : Until recently, it was considered that a low-fat diet should be consumed due to the caloric load per gram (9 kcal), while 1 gram of carbohydrates or proteins contains only about 4 kcal. However, a lack of healthy fat does not allow the body to function properly since it is crucial for energy reserves, protection of vital organs, as an insulator and transport of fat-soluble vitamins, joint movements and more.

Recommended consumption:

20-35% of your daily calories should come from fat unless you are following a ketogenic diet to activate metabolic flexibility in your body.

Sources:

Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, fish oil, olives, nuts like macadamia, egg yolk.

Carbohydrates : This macronutrient is used as fuel during high intensity exercise, saves protein breakdown by preserving muscle during exercise, and as fuel for the central nervous system unless you are following a ketogenic diet.

Recommended consumption:

1. Sedentary individuals: 20-30% of your total calories should be carbohydrates.
2. Individuals who exercise regularly: 50% of calories from carbohydrates.
3. Athletes or people who perform high-intensity training: 70% of daily calories should come from carbohydrates (1.2-2.2 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight).

Sources:

1. Green leafy vegetables
2. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds
3. Legumes such as black beans, red beans, lentils, chickpeas
4. Fruits, especially berries, apple, coconut, peach (prefer whole fruit instead of juice).

Protein : It has many important functions in the human body, so it is essential that the protein we consume is of good quality.

Its main functions include the construction of organic tissue, muscle, hair, skin, nails, bones, tendons, ligaments and blood plasma.

Likewise, they form part of the cell plasma membranes and are part of the hormonal, transport and body metabolism systems.

Protein is involved in acid-base balance to maintain a neutral pH in the organic environment.

Recommended consumption:

1. Sedentary people: 20 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (or 60% of caloric consumption)
2. Active people: 0.30- 0.45 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (30-50% of caloric intake)
3. Competitive athlete: 50-0.90 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (varies)
4. Youth athlete: 0.80-1.00 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (varies)
5. Bodybuilder: 0.50-0.70 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (about 65% of caloric intake)
6. When restricting calories: 0.32-0.50 grams of protein per kilogram of weight
7. Maximum amount of protein that the body can use per day: approximately 50 grams per kilogram of weight .

Sources:

• Some legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas ( 15 grams of vegetable protein per cup of cooked legumes).
• Organic and preferably lacto-fermented tofu ( 10-19 grams of complete protein per 100 grams)
• Nuts such as almonds ( 5-7 grams of plant protein per 28 grams of nuts, depending on the variety)
• Nutritional yeast ( 9 grams of complete protein present in 2 tablespoons)
• Hemp seeds ( 11 grams of complete protein per 28 grams or 2-3 tablespoons of seeds)
• Spirulina ( 8 grams of complete protein per 2 tablespoons)
• Moringa ( 1 gram of complete protein per 30 grams or 2-3 tablespoons)
• Chia seeds ( 6 grams of vegetable protein per 35 grams of seeds)
• Protein-rich vegetables and fruits: All vegetables and fruits contain vegetable protein, meaning they may contain some of the essential amino acids, but not all.

However, some of the vegetables with the highest protein content are broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes. ( 4-5 grams of vegetable protein per cup of cooked vegetables)

Dr. Butsch points out that if you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, you need to approach your diet in a different way. He says that humans are excessive consumers and we never take the time to think that the amount of calories we consume will be reflected in our body depending on the energy expenditure or the lifestyle we lead, whether sedentary, active or athletic.

Historically it was all about getting food on the plate, getting it. Today, there is an abundant availability of cheap food like refined grains, fast foods that have been processed, preserved with preservatives and sugars, while we don't even stop to think about how they are prepared. We are scattered and simply looking to satisfy hunger.

10 seemingly healthy foods you should eliminate from your diet

Many people think that if they only eat “healthy foods” they will lose weight, which is not true because healthy or unhealthy foods are high in calories. The advantage of healthy foods is that, when consumed, they provide the body with the nutrients and fuel it needs to function effectively.

The food industry is not helping much. Some companies advertise foods with the label “healthy” that are not really healthy. Let's look at some examples:

1. Agave honey
2. Whole grain breads
3. Dried cranberries
4. Protein bars
5. Frozen yogurt
6. Packaged food with dehydrated fruits
7. Granola
8. Packaged food such as potatoes, plantains, corn
9. Vacuum packed dried meat
10. Diet chocolate

Despite all the marketing they receive as healthy foods, their preparations often contain sugar, refined flour, monosodium glutamate, aspartame or sucralose (the latter in diet sweets).

Smart Eating: 6 Helpful Strategies to Avoid Overeating

1. Select what you are going to eat (the menu) appropriately. Yes, this involves planning meals, but you don't have to prepare them immediately. For example, you can, at some point on Sunday, plan what you are going to eat each day from Monday to Friday and this is very useful because you can prepare at the same time a list of the ingredients you are going to need for the week. This saves you time and also the need to go to the market and buy what you find first instead of what will make you feel good.

2. Choose the healthiest ingredients you can get when preparing your meals. Your body will thank you for it.

3. Eat adequate portions . One plate of food is enough and above I have given you the information, depending on your activities or lifestyle, on how much in grams of each nutrient is good for you daily. Now, if you are still hungry after eating or anxious, prepare a large vegetable salad with lettuce, tomato, avocado and other ingredients that you can have on hand. This is because vegetables have a lot of fiber and can help calm hunger or anxiety that you are not eating enough.

4. Start eating healthy TODAY . If you've just eaten a feast and eaten everything you could think of, it's not worth the trouble, rather accept it and start from scratch with a healthy and controlled diet. Let's be clear that, if you've already overindulged in consumption, there's no point in punishing yourself and restricting yourself completely because such a radical restriction will make you unable to bear it any longer and return to another feast.

5. Exercise . Time in isolation has harmful effects on the body because the lack of physical activity deteriorates the muscles, joints, respiratory system and mobility, among other things. Studies have been done indicating that, while we remain active, the leptin hormone would be activated, sending signals to the brain that do not allow signs of hunger to appear in the body. More experiments are still needed, but you and I know that while you are exercising or doing some demanding physical activity, the body does not feel hungry.

6. Hydration . This tactic is very important because it not only improves your digestive and kidney movements, but it also helps to clear up your skin and allow many other functions to be carried out effectively in your body. In order to help you control your appetite, I suggest drinking one or two glasses of water 15 minutes before meals.

If you are one of those people who get hungry in the afternoon and between meals, try drinking two glasses of water instead of snacking. This is because the body is craving water and we think it is hunger.

7. Try practicing intermittent fasting . Intermittent fasting involves cycles of fasting and eating that can provide you with significant health benefits including weight loss, reversing type 2 diabetes, and more. Check out my article on fasting here and learn about this wonderful and effective practice.

Today is a good day to start eating consciously. Cheer up!