Public health guidelines, food pyramids and plates, high-fat, low-carb, vegan, vegetarian, low-GI, high-protein, low-sugar, low-fat, low-cholesterol, Paleo, Atkins, fruitarian, alkaline, blood type diets, raw foods, fasting, cleanses, detoxes… it’s a minefield of weird and wacky, contradictory nutritional information and dietary advice out there. Most of it is utter nonsense.
We’re inundated with opinions, pushed and pulled in every direction and at the end of the day, more confused about what to eat than ever. When it comes to looking at nutrition from a physiological perspective, for the individual person in the context of the modern world, I personally disagree with the majority of what the mainstream deems to be “healthy”. The foods and specific nutrients that end up being most conducive to a well-primed metabolism would surprise you.
| | Today, instead of answering a specific question (or a few) I thought I’d respond to requests that have come in via email for snack suggestions. It seems like the majority of people have their main meals pretty well down pat, but struggle for snack ideas.
Particularly in a low metabolic state (indicated by low waking body temperature – <36.6ºC/97.8ºF – and pulse outside of normal range), snacks can be useful for balancing blood sugar between meals, minimising the release the release of stress hormones and increasing thyroid. When metabolism is optimal, you may find that you are able to go between main meals without signs of low blood sugar (cravings, low energy, irritability, headaches, anxiety, frequent urination, etc).
I would encourage you, however, to avoid relying on countless snacks all day and ensure you get in proper 3x squares. Regular, hearty and well-balanced meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) encourage mindful eating, better digestion and greater post-prandial satiety. Even better, if you can put a little
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time and effort into preparing delicious, nutrient-dense meals, and savour them in good company, you’re more likely to feel truly satisfied both physically and emotionally by the food on your plate.
A few of the below ideas were favourites from my previous snacky post (fruit + cheese will never get old!), some are updated and tweaked, and some are new. Here goes…
One of the common questions that I field from clients and readers is how best to avoid water retention. I see countless people who do everything they can to avoid “puffiness” (particularly women, around menstruation) in order to feel ‘leaner’ – they typically reduce salt and increase water intake drastically (which of course is what is widely recommended).
I thought I’d tackle the problems surrounding these strategies (reducing salt, increasing water) to try to combat water retention, to explain how in actual fact, they’re much more likely to amplify the problem, rather than solve it. Ultimately, decreasing sodium (salt) in the diet will increase water retention, not the other way around.
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