Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
Finally, diet advice that isn’t prescriptive.
Taking care of yourself is a must when you're a busy professional. That includes being mindful of what you're putting into your body.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine recommends eating a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet.
Like most doctor's advice, that might sound a little confusing.
Luckily, writer Michael Pollan sums up this recommendation in seven simple words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Let's break it down.
Eat food.
This refers to eating whole foods, or foods that are minimally processed.
For example, an apple is unprocessed. A cereal bar with apple filling is processed.
Mother Nature should be the only one engineering your food. If you can find it in a box on the grocery store shelf, it's most likely processed.
Pollan suggests using your great-great-grandmother as a litmus test. If it's not something she would recognize as food, it's probably not a whole food.
Not too much.
This is self-explanatory. We all know that portion size is a huge problem in the United States (pun intended).
Don't eat meals that make you uncomfortably full. Instead, listen to your body: eat when you're hungry, and stop once you're satisfied.
Mostly plants.
This may seem like a reach, but it doesn't have to be.
You don't need to give up meat and dairy and go completely vegan. (Only if you want to.)
Keep it simple for now. Whatever your diet looks like, just add some plants to it. That's it.
For instance, are you planning to grill burgers for Memorial Day? Great. Throw some zucchini and eggplant on the grill while you're at it.
See? Not so bad.
What I love about Pollan's advice is that it's not prescriptive.
How many times have you walked into the doctor's office and been told that you need to change XYZ for your health?
You leave feeling defeated, right?
The lifestyle changes you're told to make seem so unattainable that you give up before even trying. Nobody wins.
You're much better off making small, incremental changes over time. The key to your success is baby steps, not giant leaps.
A whole food, plant-based diet may be the goal, but in the meantime it can serve as your guide in making healthier choices.
As you go through your week, think about ways you can improve your diet.
Can you eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice? Can you use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate? Can you add one extra vegetable to your lunch?
Remember, the best place to start is from right where you are.