What’s a balanced diet anyway?

Colorful vegetable array

As we close the book on 2020 (thank god!) and begin setting our intentions for 2021, I’m revisiting some of my favorite previous columns that I hope will apply to your New Year’s resolutions for health and healthy eating. Enjoy!

Originally published in Health & Healing in the Triangle, Vol. 22, No. 3, Health & Healing, Inc., Chapel Hill, NC, publishers. Reprinted with permission.

From the Nutrition Corner: What’s a balanced diet anyway?

“Eat a balanced diet.” We hear that from everyone, it
seems; even a TV commercial for a clearly not-so-healthy
food urges you to eat that junk as “part of a balanced
diet.” Whomever you see for health concerns has probably advised
this, perhaps without further explanation—leaving you to either fill
in the blanks or spin in needless confusion.

Balanced eating shouldn’t feel like a too-complicated math
equation, although it may be more nuanced than the diet-du-jour
currently making the rounds on social media. And what about all
those trendy diets—Keto, Paleo, Macros, any-other-O, flexitarian,
Whole30—are they balanced? When considering how to eat to
maintain your balance, remember that needs shift with age and
other factors. What’s “perfect” for your neighbor or fellow gymgoer—
or even for you at a previous age—may no longer be so
perfect now.


NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL


Still, it’s human nature to crave simplicity. When asked for the
nutritional “golden rule,” I point out that breast milk is perfectly
balanced food for an infant, with 50 percent of its calories
derived from fat supporting healthy development. Yet I don’t
recommend 50 percent fat—or breast milk—for adults!

Supporting development and growth is the primary concern
throughout childhood, culminating in adolescence, a time
of even more rapid growth and change. Adolescents require
increased amounts of specific nutrients, particularly the bonebuilding
ones, since most bone density is determined during
adolescence and into young adulthood.

Most people know that pregnancy and lactation bring
increased requirements for specific nutrients and overall energy.
But I also see a lot of perimenopausal and menopausal women
in my practice who complain of belly fat they suddenly can’t lose
with their usual diet and exercise techniques. That’s because
hormones, too, influence how we absorb and metabolize
nutrients, so a balanced diet for a middle-aged woman will look
different than one for her younger self.

Advanced age brings specific concerns, like under-nutrition.
Older adults face a higher risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency.
They also have fewer hunger and thirst cues, so my balanced
diet recommendation to a senior might emphasize cooking or
eating with friends as much as emphasizing any specific nutrient
or so-called superfood.


GUIDES FOR HEALTHY CHOICES

Illness or surgery, heavy physical demands, and bioindividuality
make it impossible to define one-size-fits-all diet
criteria. But for healthy adults in general, a nutritious diet entails
balancing your choices. Michael Pollan’s well-known advice—to
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”—is a pretty good, and
simple guideline. “Food” means unprocessed food; “Not too
much” means moderation. “Mostly plants” means add more
plant-based protein choices like beans, while moderating meat
intake.

And, as you probably already know, an easy guideline to
follow is to consume less “don’ts”: less processed food, trans-fatladen
fast food, less sugar. And to balance less healthy choices
with the “dos.”
• Do eat a wide array of fruits and vegetables—emphasis
on vegetables—which contain fiber, vitamins, and other
phytonutrients.
• Do consume moderate amounts of whole grains, another
healthy source of vitamins and nutrients.
• Do eat sufficient, varied lean protein—lean meats and/or
beans and legumes—while remaining mindful of the high
saturated fat content in some meats. But don’t skimp on
healthy, anti-inflammatory fats such as olive oil, a variety of
nuts and seeds, and avocados..

If all else fails, remember this: eat your vegetables. Trendy
diets may come and go, but that is the one eating pillar proven
to lower your risk for chronic disease. That’s as close as I come
in my practice to one-size-fits-most!

Sharon Price became passionate about nutrition following her own journey recovering from
Lyme disease. She now offers that same personalized counseling to help individuals and families navigate the often-complex interplay between food and health—taking a special interest in gut health, autoimmune conditions, food allergies, and hormone balance. Her approach is simple: take the “heavy lifting” out of wellness, helping individuals
and families savor good health without feeling enslaved to its pursuit. You can reach Sharon at 919-322-8230 or https://notsohardnutrition.com/contact-us/

BY SHARON PRICE, MS (NUTRITION), CNS, LN

New column in Health & Healing!

health & healing cover

My latest column for Health & Healing emphasizes why good nutrition is more important now than ever . . . and while I am in no way anti-medication, there’s a lot to consider when taking certain medications, including other wellness options that may help. Whether you take medication or not, eating well sets the foundation for good health and strong immunity:

“Over the past several months of sheltering at home, many of us have fallen prey to the lure of convenient ‘comfort foods.’ The resultant weight gain gives COVID-19 a whole new meaning for some, while increasing risks with infection-since obesity has been correlated with more severe complications. Diets high in processed, sugar foods also suppress protective immune function.

For all these reasons, I offer an anti-viral protocol including herbal and vitamin supplements, as well as nutrient-dense and varied foods. But I have also observed with relief that medical experts have expanded the toolbox of medications to treat and ease the effects of the virus. I believe there’s a time and place for medication, but that good nutrition and lifestyle habits must always form the foundation of good health.

As a culture, we tend to over-rely on medication while downplaying the importance of healthy eating. That’s reflected in my practice, where some of the most common complaints I see include bloating, pain, and poor digestion. In addition to less-than-ideal eating habits, these individuals often share a history of long or repeated antibiotic use, or reliance on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for reflux. I consider these red flags in terms of health and nutrition.

Why? Extensive antibiotic use can imbalance gastrointestinal flora, triggering maldigestion, bloating, pain, and more. That’s because they wipe out both good and bad bacteria indiscriminately. When antibiotics are necessary, I recommend an individualized gut supportive protocol both during and after and taking them, including probiotics, digestive support, gut healing elements, and immune support. This can help prevent or address an overgrowth of yeast or opportunistic bacteria, along with many of the unpleasant GI issues that follow.

PPIs are a whole different medication that can lead to similar long-term issues, and many people take the for years, unaware of possible negative effects. PPIs hamper nutrient absorption in three ways: they specifically limit absorption of B12 and other nutrients, they cause less effective initial breakdown of food, and they limit the release of pancreatic digestive enzymes.

Stomach acid also helps protect against pathogens. Less acid means less defense, and more undigested food fuels pathogen growth still more-leading back to digestive issues and nutritional deficits.

Although I do have supplement protocols to help wean clients off PPIs, sometimes they must take them. In that case, I’ll provide a protocol for digestive and nutritional support.

Nearly all my clients take some type of medication, which is why I take a careful history including medication use. I can work with people to reduce the negative effects of medication, or offer non-pharmaceutical, effective alternatives in many cases. Understanding the complex inter-relationships between medications, nutrients, and physiological function is key.”

One Nutritionist’s View on Medication « Health and Healing in the Triangle (healthandhealingonline.com)