Healthy Eating Food Guide, Eat Well With Healthy Foods, Healthy Eating Food Plan

Healthy Food and Eating Well

For a Healthy Mind, Body and Spirit

by Marianne Woods Cirone, M.S., R.Y.T., Certified Yoga Teacher

Eating is an essential part of our everyday lives, and it can be a source of energy, enjoyment and health. Unfortunately, many people have developed a negative relationship with food. By keeping a few important considerations in mind, you can create a positive and rewarding relationship with food.

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In our society, we look at food as macronutrients: fat, carbohydrates and protein. Depending on the "diet du jour" we are usually singling out one of these elements as the enemy, and extolling the virtues of the other two groups. The fact is that we need a healthy balance of each group-- and the exact proportions will vary from person to person. There is no one eating
	plan that fits all people at all times. Imagine the differences between traditional Eskimos eating up to ten pounds of meat per day, with no history of cancer or heart disease in their culture, and tribal people in tropical cultures eating mostly fruits and
vegetables, also remaining very healthy. We each need to be aware of our own needs, environments, lifestyles and predispositions in order to develop our own eating program.

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Just when you thought that you were fully confused by the conflicting information about food today, another system of categorizing both foods and people comes into the spotlight. This is the oldest known system of medicine, and it is called Ayurveda, translated to mean "Science of Life".
	Ayurveda, which originated in India and is said to be at least 6,000 years old, is a system of preventive medicine. It takes the physical and non-physical characteristics of people and classifies them into three groups or doshas: kapha, vata and pitta, very roughly translating into stable, changing and intense, respectively. In addition, foods are classified into three groups: tamasic, rajasic and
sattvic. These three roughly translate into foods that tend to dull, to stimulate, and to purify, respectively.

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A commonality of the modern scientific approach to food and eating to the Ayurvedic approach is the increasing realization of the importance of whole, unprocessed foods. More and more scientific literature presents evidence on a daily basis that the highly processed foods of our modern culture (and more specifically the American culture) are damaging us.
	Chronic diseases continue to proliferate, and obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing. Could there be any correlation to trends such as sugar consumption: throughout history people of all cultures consuming minute amounts of sugars, and
those that were consumed were milk sugars and fruit sugars which led to small increases in blood sugar. Today, an average American consumes 152 pounds of processed sugar per day. One 12-ounce can of soda pop can have up to twelve teaspoons (52 grams) of sugar.

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	Once we realize that we each need all three food groups, in varying proportions unique to each of us and the time within our lives, we can begin to make healthier choices within the groups.

Choosing Fats

There are several types of fats: ranging from the dangerous trans-fatty acids to the essential fatty acids: omega-3s, 6s and 9s.

Types of Fats and Suggested Intake	Recommended Sources	Effects on Body
Monounsaturated: Omega 6s (includes gamma linolenic acid and conjugated linolenic acid). More common than omega-3 in Western diets and should be balanced (today's ratio estimated at 20:1.)	Oils of Evening primrose and borage; pine nuts and pistachios, sunflower seeds, wheat germ	Same as above. Also helps allergies, eczema, arthritis, PMS. Taken as CLA, encourages a decrease in body fat and proportional increase in muscle tissue. .
Monounsaturated: While beneficial, omega 9s are considered "non-essential" because they can be manufactured by the body from other fatty acids.	Olive oil, peanut oil, high oleic sunflower* or safflower oils*, avocado, black olives, nut butter, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, sesame seed, and hazelnuts.	Lower cholesterol, reduce risk of heart attack, lower risk of breast cancer
Polyunsaturated: Omega 3s (includes DHA) Many Westerners are considered deficient and should increase intake of omega-3 sources. Cattle and chicken no longer typically supply the omega-3s they had supplied in the past since they are not fed the natural diets they had in the past.	Fatty fish, incl. salmon, anchovies, sardines, tuna, mackeral, flaxseed and flaxseed oil; less in walnuts and walnut oil, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and soybeans. Available as Super MaxEPA supplements	Healthy functioning of cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and nervous systems. Increases metabolic rate and ability to burn fat. Decreases yeast infections and arthritis, lower triglycerides, and blood pressure. Creates satiety to reduce appetite.
Saturated Fats Intake is recommended to be kept to a minimum.	Meats, dairy, coconut milk and oil, palm oil	High intake of saturated fats associated with heart disease. However, the tropical oils are considered “superfoods” due to their antiviral, anti- fungal and antimicrobial qualities.
Trans fatty acids (most commonly as partially hydrogenated oils) Any intake is considered harmful.	Fast foods, commercially prepared products such as cookies and crackers	Impairment of cellular function, clogged arteries, degenerative disease

Sources: Eating Well for Optimum Health by Andrew Weil and the totalhealth Resource Guide to Essential Fatty Acids.