What Diet Should I follow?

I’m passionate about following a healthy lifestyle and want to share with you tips and secrets I have learned throughout my life to live healthy and happy.

I found these Results very interesting and I wanted to share them with
you:

People who attended the nutrition conference hosted by the Institute
of Function Medicine, after an incredible debate/presentation
comparing the Mediterranean, Paleo and Vegetarian Diets agreed on the
following:

1. Everyone should have at least 30% of their calorie intake from
vegetables and fruits, especially those with a low glycemic load.

2. Since produce is so low in calories, this means 50% of the food we
eat should come from vegetables and fruits. (Low glycemic load
examples include beans, berries, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and
beets.

3. Everyone should have at least 1-2 handfuls of nuts daily; nuts and
seeds are great for our health.

4. If you eat animal protein, it should be clean animal protein.

A. If you eat seafood, it should be wild caught fish. Examples of
clean animal protein are organic, free-range poultry, and grass-fed,
grass-finished beef—clearly not hormone, antibiotic, and pesticide
enriched animal protein produced in many commercial factories.
B. For the sake of the planet, it is also better to eat low on the
food chain, such as rabbit and poultry over beef and pork.

5. Nobody should be eating low fat. But fats need to come from healthy
sources—hormone and pesticide free.

6. Everyone should avoid high glycemic load foods that have been
processed, such as bread, crackers, rice and potato products, and
anything made with flour.

7. And with the best of eating, we still need a supplement to get our
key nutrients, like vitamin D, omega 3 fats, and other key nutrients.

Here is where they disagreed.

1. They didn’t find common ground on sources and quantities of
protein, or regarding beans and whole grains.

2. For legumes, the Paleo plan recommended none, as they have a few
compounds that block nutrient absorption. The trouble with this is
that beans are super high in nutrients and fiber, and blood test
findings have noted that consuming beans has powerful and beneficial
effects. The vegetarian and Mediterranean diet proponents truly made
the point that we would benefit from eating beans daily. So yes, beans
should stay on the menu.

3. For whole grains, the Paleo plan recommended none, because of their
glycemic load (blood sugar jump). Both the vegetarian and
Mediterranean diet proponents accepted small quantities of whole
grains, but not nearly as much as consumed by most Americans today.
Everyone agreed that if you have a gluten intolerance, you need
to totally avoid all gluten products (wheat, rye, barley).

4. For protein, no surprises here:
– With Paleo, 30% of the diet comes from animal protein.
– With Mediterranean, no fixed amount of protein, but it comes from a
mixture of lean animal protein and beans.
– With Vegetarian, more beans, soy, and protein powders.

They all
agreed that the most challenging part is that many, if not most
Americans trying to follow these diets, are doing it wrong.

1. The Paleo followers are poisoning themselves with dirty protein and
animal fat—eating commercial sources loaded with hormones and
chemicals, and they are clearly not getting the 5-7 cups of vegetables
and fruits daily required to benefit from this type of eating plan.

2. The Mediterranean followers are eating far too much bread and
pasta. If you are a farmer and physically active 6-8 hours per day,
clearly you need more calories, and whole grains, even in the form of
flour, can provide these nutrients. But for most people struggling to
exercise for 7-10 hours per week, they can’t handle this high
glycemic (sugar) load.

3. The Vegetarian followers are eating too many refined carbs and
processed foods. To benefit, they need to stick to unprocessed food.
They also have to ensure they get their protein from beans, soy, and
protein powders, omega-3 fats from seaweed or a supplement, and enough
vitamin B 12. Click Here to Download the Vegetarian Pyramid Add Link

 

The bottom line is all these eating plans can lead to optimal health,
but only if followed properly. You just have to find which diet you
can follow best!

If you want to follow the Paleo Diet, you might like to check this Paleo Plan. It’s awesome!

The links in the post below may be affiliate links for which I will be compensated, but the opinions are my own. 

 

I wish you the best of health!