What is healthy food?

Our bodies require micronutrients in order for us to survive and thrive.

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that we get from eating food.

The main minerals are:

Calcium– maintains strong bones and allows muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and every body part. Almost all calcium is stored in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure. (1)

Magnesium– plays an important role in regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA. (2)

Iron– helps to transport oxygen through the body and is also necessary to maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails. (3)

Potassium– It helps the body regulate fluid, send nerve signals, and regulate muscle contractions. (4)

All the vitamins from A to K each play an important part in the body’s functions.

The foods to eat that are rich in micronutrients:

Vegetables– lots of fiber, lots of vitamins and minerals, low calories and should make the bulk of your main meals.

Fruit– high in antioxidants that can improve your health (PubMed)

Meat and fish– high in protein and some fish are a good source of omega 3 oils

Nuts and seeds- healthy fats that contain micronutrients

Dairy- milk, and yogurt, high in protein and calcium

Eggs– high in protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients.

What is unhealthy food?

The foods to avoid because they are not rich in micronutrients:

Refined Carbohydrates: this is what I call the “dark side” of food. Easy to overeat (who doesn’t love bagels?), with little nutritional value due to being highly processed and can easily lead to weight gain.

Sugar-based products: sugary drinks, condiments, candy, and any food with added sugar like breakfast cereals. These have been linked to obesity and diabetes (5)

Trans fats: these unhealthy fats like margarine and vegetable oils which are produced via chemical extraction, are highly processed and can cause heart disease (6)

Packaged foods/low-fat products: I call these “the jokers”. They are sold under the pretense of being healthy but are often full of sugar, refined grains, refined vegetable oils. Granola bars and muffins are examples of these. Always read the labels.

Beverages: Water is the cleanest beverage you can drink. It keeps you hydrated and can help you achieve a healthy weight. If plain, simple water doesn’t appeal to you then sparkling water with a slice of lemon works just as well!

While there have been studies finding that drinking wine can have some benefits (7), frequent and excessive alcohol consumption can also be harmful (8).

Calories and portions– the counting game.

Calorie counting is not necessary unless you are wanting to gain or lose weight. Quite simply, if you eat more calories than your body burns off, then you will store those calories as either muscle or body fat. If you consume fewer calories than you burn off, then you will lose weight.

Portion sizing:

Calories and portion sizing go hand in hand. The smaller the portion of food, the fewer calories are consumed.

If you are not sure what a portion is, then the old adage of using your hand as a size guide usually works. Another way of getting control over your portions is by using smaller plates.

I have used the free Myfitnesspal app to get a better idea of what I was eating and where I could make some improvements. The app gives you an idea of how many calories you are consuming and which of the macros you consume the most.

Food scales are handy ways of keeping your calories in check because they allow you to measure exactly what you are consuming, making it much easier to stick to a goal.

Healthy eating is only healthy eating if it is sustained.

How many of us have been on a healthy eating spree only to put all the weight back on a short while after? That was me in my early 20s.

The only diet that has worked for me is one that I have been able to implement over the last few years that suits my family and I. My healthy eating diet of choice is the Mediterranean diet.

Growing up with a French father has probably influenced my choice, but this diet is I call the “keeping it real diet”. I work full time and I have 4 kids to feed so I don’t have time to spend hours in the kitchen but I also want us to have a healthy diet– and have the occasional glass of wine with it!

The Mediterranean diet is based around whole foods (non processed foods) and heart-healthy (9) fats and allows for red wine on occasion.

The Mediterranean diet incorporates the traditional living habits of people from countries such as Greece, Italy, France, and Spain, which border the Mediterranean Sea. The diet varies by country and region but is generally high in vegetables, fruit, grains, olive oil, fish, beans, and low in meat and dairy foods.

The diet also suits my sporty kids because it has plenty of starches, giving them plenty of fuel for their time on the court and field.

A quick tip to Mediterranean-ize your diet is to replace rice with blended cauliflower and noodles with zucchini.

Click here for some Mediterranean recipe ideas.

Supplements

In addition to a healthy diet, there are some well-researched supplements that can help you on your journey to becoming healthy.

I never believed in supplements until I became pregnant and had hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) with all 4 of my kids. HG is severe vomiting during pregnancy– to give you an idea, I weighed less while being pregnant than I did before being pregnant.

In my desperation to try anything that could help ease my nausea, I came across the advice that I should be taking Vitamin B6. The pills that I could swallow made a really big difference and allowed me to get back to somewhat functioning. I have been sold on supplements ever since.

Your diet alone should ideally provide you with all the nutrients that the body needs, but when that is not possible, Creatine and Whey (10), vitamin D (11), magnesium, zinc (12) and omega 3s are all science-backed supplements that you can consider taking.

Healthy eating is just the start.

If you are embarking on a health journey, consider combining other healthy habits such as exercising, sleeping well, and minimizing stress.