Updated: Oct. 20th, 2024
When I asked Julie the important question I ask every woman I work with, What foods are you choosing to eat?, she assured me she got plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. While I was glad to hear it, I had to let her know that’s not the only thing I was interested in knowing.
The more important answer to my question is a detailed accounting of the food choices women make on a regular basis. That’s because I strongly believe that good nutrition is the best medicine there is. Poor food choices (like fast food or highly processed foods) can act like poison in your body, no matter how many fruits or vegetables you consume. I told Julie, like I tell every women I see, that making good food choices most of the time could get and keep her healthy better than any other treatment I know.
At the same time, I know that making healthy choices is rarely as simple as it may seem. In fact, any advice that sounds simple rarely is, when you consider the culture we live in, the way we were raised, and the stories we tell ourselves. For many women, certain foods represent comfort and love. And those foods are typically not the healthy choices we need to feel our best! And remember many of the comfort foods are developed with the intention that YOU can’t just eat one. Certain emulsifiers are added with this in mind.
The women who come to see me do so because they don’t feel right. They are dealing with aches, pains, and digestive issues. They’re exhausted but they can’t sleep at night. These symptoms are unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before, and they want to know why they feel so poorly. They tell me that they just don’t feel like themselves anymore, and they want answers that their conventional doctors haven’t been able to provide.
Most of the time, essential hormones are out of balance, and quite often the food choices they make are at least partially to blame. I told Julie – like I tell any woman experiencing these issues – that their symptoms are their bodies’ way of begging them to eat differently. But I didn’t expect Julie to figure it out for herself; I helped here learn how to do so.
How common misconceptions can prompt unhealthy choices
One of the biggest hurdles in helping women make healthy choices is eroding some of the myths they’ve learned along the way. For instance, far too many women have heard that fat is the enemy, but that’s simply not true; it’s all about the type of fat you choose. Women like Julie know that the way they’ve been eating isn’t great, but often the substitutions they make aren’t healthy either.
As a starting point, I share my nutritional and lifestyle guidelines with them to help them understand how impactful the choices they make can be to their health. I also talk about the many reasons I believe everyone needs to be taking a high-quality multi-vitamin no matter how well they eat.
As we talk, inevitably I hear so many myths arise about healthy eating. I often need to gently point out misconceptions about food and what makes something a healthy choice, especially for patients struggling to maintain or lose weight as they age. As further research has become available, some of the most common ideas about nutrition have changed, but it takes a long time for the information to be widely accepted. So there are far too many women out there doing their best to make healthy food choices, but falling short. That’s where I can help!
Identifying Healthier Choices
When I understand what women think about food choices, I can help them see another perspective. I know that I am much more likely to shift my way of doing things if someone explains the reasoning behind it – and I bet you are too. So let’s play a little game of “which is better” and I’ll help you understand the best choices to make if you are trying to both be healthy and lose (or maintain) your weight. Let’s get started:
Which is better: low-fat Greek yogurt or fat-free yogurt?
There’s been a lot of talk about the benefits of Greek yogurt in recent years, so maybe this was an easy question. Greek yogurt is typically higher in protein and lower in sugar than other fruit yogurts, and has demonstrated health benefits, including boosting metabolism, reducing appetite, increasing bone strength, and improving gut health.
The healthiest choice is plain, non-flavored greek yogurt with no added sugars. When you look at the sugar content on fruit flavored yogurts, you might be shocked to find that they contain more sugar than a can of soda! Choosing plain, and adding fresh berries or other fruit to sweeten the taste, is a much better choice.
Sugar content isn’t the only reason the low-fat Greek yogurt is a better choice than the fat-free varieties. Remember that I said fat is not the enemy? Fat, along with protein, helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. Not only that, but the vitamin D in Greek yogurt is a fat-soluble vitamin. Without a little fat, it cannot be absorbed. To get the health benefits of the nutrients in yogurt, avoid going fat-free and choose 2% instead.
Which is a better start to your day: cereal or eggs?
Americans are all about convenience, and marketing companies know how to take full advantage of this! Ready made cereal is a perfect example. It’s been touted for decades as a nutritious breakfast, and so many women think they’re starting their day right when they fill up their bowl. But cereal is actually a carb-heavy, empty calorie start to your day even if it has been reinforced with added nutrients.
Eggs, on the other hand, are naturally full of healthy fat and protein. Much like the yogurt, the proteins and fats in the eggs will fill you up and give you energy throughout the morning.
I’m not saying all carbs are bad – but you have to choose the right type. Try adding a slice of Ezekiel sprouted grain bread with your eggs for a nice balance. For busy women who don’t have time to make eggs every morning, I recommend boiling some in advance to keep handy. You can also make a batch of “egg muffins” and store them in your refrigerator or freezer for a convenient, healthier alternative.
Which is a better “pick me up”: a cappuccino or a diet soda?
If you’ve been paying attention to headlines about diet soda in recent years, you may already know this one too. Diet soda has long been a popular choice to avoid sugar, but it contains chemicals like aspartame or sucralose which have been shown to cause a myriad of health problems.
And if you’re choosing diet soda in an attempt to lose weight, here’s something else you should know: research shows that people drinking diet soda end up gaining more weight than those drinking regular soda! I feel so strongly about avoiding diet soda that I encourage all of my patients to eliminate it, even if that means switching to regular soda as a temporary transition. If you know my beliefs around what sugar does to your health, you’ll understand just how important I think avoiding diet soda is!
Coffee, on the other hand, has been shown to actually offer health benefits when consumed in moderation. Cappuccino is even better. It contains about the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee, but cappuccino also gives you the protein from the milk. If you choose 2% milk instead of skim, you’ll also get a little fat to help make you feel fuller.
And here’s an interesting tidbit of information: even if you go with skim milk, the fact that the milk is whipped with air into a frothy and creamy consistency has been shown to help drinkers feel more full and satisfied. In addition, studies have shown that there are great benefits to relaxing with a friend. Meeting for a warm cup of coffee can help you slow down, relax, and savor the moments you have with loved ones.
Which is better: a turkey burger or a sirloin burger?
Time and again I hear my patients tell me they think turkey is the better choice. But the reality is that you really need more information. The conditions the meat was raised in matters as much as the type of meat you choose. Turkeys are often given antibiotics, fed a less than ideal processed diet, and are raised in horrifying conditions.
Women tell me they choose turkey because it’s lower in fat – another myth! Most turkey burgers are made with dark meat and have a high fat content. Remember, some fat is necessary, and if you choose a lean, grass fed sirloin burger you know that you are getting high-quality meat from animals allowed to eat a natural diet of sundrenched (vitamin D rich) grass. Sirloin is actually a better choice than turkey! If you don’t want to eat beef, try bison burgers instead.
Which is a better sweet treat: a half a cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?
So many people think that sorbet is a healthier choice, but in reality it contains almost twice the sugar per scoop as ice cream with none of the protein and fat that will fill you up and satisfy you. I always tell my patients that if you have a hankering for ice cream it’s better to just eat it. Completely and thoroughly enjoying every bite of a moderate portion will satisfy you more than a poor substitute. In the end, you won’t feel fulfilled and are far more likely to go back for something else later. Learning appropriate portion sizes is important; I think it’s best to keep the portion small and savor every bite!
Beyond healthy choices – giving your body a boost
Good nutrition can be more complex than you think, which is why food is an ongoing conversation in my practice. It’s so important to get the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and cofactors our bodies need and healthy balance is critical. I also know it’s increasingly difficult in today’s world to get the nutrition we need from our food supply alone.
I once read a study that showed that to get the same nutritional content that two peaches in the 1950s contained, we’d have to eat 53 peaches today! I don’t care how much you like peaches, that’s simply not going to happen!
My Multi Essentials formula is designed to give your body the essential nutrients it needs to re-balance and restore harmony across all your systems. Hormonal imbalance, adrenal fatigue, thyroid concerns, years of dieting or poor food choices, lack of sleep and stress all take their toll, especially as we age.
Before true healing can take place, the body needs to fill in any nutritional gaps. The first step to wellness is a potent vitamin and mineral formula that features high-quality ingredients designed for optimal absorption and bioavailability. Rapid disintegration allows for a quick release of the micronutrients. When Julie started taking a multivitamin, she felt a big difference; I know you will, too!
Understanding good nutrition is the first step in leading an energized, healthy life!
Julie was amazed at how much easier it was to make good choices when she had all the right information. She’d been making less than healthy choices for years, thinking she was doing the right thing! Instead, she’d been unintentionally sabotaging her efforts.
In addition to understanding what healthier choices look like, one of the best ways to get the highest nutrition possible from your food is to stay away from convenience foods altogether. Choose organic whole foods as often as possible to get the most nutrients. Shift your ideas on what breakfast looks like, or what makes a good snack. Advanced preparation can keep you on the right track, and decrease your need for those processed quick choices.
Yes, it takes a lot of awareness and effort, but I promise you it’s worth it. Julie certainly thought so when she started to feel the benefits – and she lost weight too! Making healthy choices can boost your energy, help you sleep better at night, and help you maintain a healthy weight. But most of all, good nutrition can get you back to feeling like the best version of you! And isn’t that what we all deserve?
