What is a healthy diet?

What is healthy?

Well.  Huh.  That's an interesting question.

It depends who you ask, really.

I think we can all agree that Pop-tarts and McDonalds probably aren't a food group in the pyramid.

Is high-fat better? Or is it low-fat? 

Protein intake? 

Some argue you need to be 'in the zone' and others claim you don't need too much of it.

Butter or margarine?

And the list goes on and on....

I'm not here to banter, to argue, or to contend.  I'll share my thoughts and feelings on the matter.  Perhaps I am right.  Perhaps I am wrong.  I have read quite the dichotomy of books: from Mary Enig/Sally Fallon to Joel Fuhrman/Dr. McDougall. For those of you who don't know, let's just say, they are complete opposites.  Compared persuasiveness of Atkins/versus Raw Vegan.  And yet they BOTH have "evidence" and "statistical facts" that prove their way is superior.

And my opinion after all this study?

  Nature's food, in season, is best. 

 Far better than man-made synthetic foods.  Whole Foods, Better.  

Soaked, sprouted foods, Best.  (even with out going through the trouble of sprouting, cooking in an instapot can neutralize alot of the anti-nutrients associated with plantfoods) 

 I'll talk about soaked and sprouted in another post. But to give you an idea... here is an example of what sprouted foods are. 

Sprouting Lentils 

Notice the cool tails by the 4th day. And there are sprouts on the lovely salad pictured below.  Yumm! 

MLXLS​​

SXLLM​​

I realize I'm a little eccentric and odd for finding food so fascinating. You must be my friend if you are taking the time to actually read my bamblings about food.  I have felt drawn to learning about foods over the past several years. Studying everything and anything about food, mostly because I learned it affected my health an energy so profoundly. 

 Some topics I have studied include:

• GMOs.  (Watch OMG GMO on Netflix)
• Pesticides usage. 
• Glyophosate contamination. (Pesticides and Glyophosate will be explained further in a post entitled "Environmental Toxins")
• Hormone/antibiotic in the feed.    
• Grain-fed vs. Grass fed.chickens.   (Michael Pollen's Literature) 
• Grass fed vs Feed lot cows 
• Aspertame.    
• Monosodium glutamate.   
• The importance of organic. 
• The miracle of sprouted foods.

 I'll share what I have learned and then let you figure out truth for yourself.   I have learned in this seek-and-find-journey, that I need to be open-minded and not assume I know it all.  Also not to be quick to jump on a band wagon and believe that all truth can be found in one book.  I honestly felt like I found truth in all of the books I've read (although alot of them argue why their way is right).

  I'll share what I have gleaned.

The theory of Bethany goes something like this:  perhaps certain diets are right for certain people at certain times in their lives.  That's my theory at least.  

Please check out a separate post entitled, "Different Diets for Different Ailments." In it, I discuss different literature I have come across concerning dietary interventions for cancer, heart disease, ASD, mental health, weightloss, IBS, heart-burn, SIBO (Small Intesestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) MS/fatigue, and neurological deficiencies. I'm not claiming these will cure the malaides, rather, I feel like food can be a bandaid to help us bridge the gap between welness and medication/supplements. 

If I may be so bold as to come to my straight-forward conclusion after all this studying, and pondering, it is this: I would believe that a whole-foods, plant-based diet is best. Why? Plants are full of antioxidants! Look at those colors!  Antioxidants scavenge free radicals! Sulfer veggies help your body to detox from the toxins we inevitably encounter in our unclean world! However, let me clarify:  I'm not promoting extreme veganism that includes fake meats, frankensoy products as the staples, or being a breadgetarian that is high carb and non-nutriatively dense. I like whole foods. Real foods. Colorful foods. Nature's food. And for my weaker digestive system, cooked is better than raw for me.

 For the average person, I prefer to cook recipes that are vegetable heavy and not meat-centric, if that makes sense. I like to do stir-fries with a little meat in it, but not a huge steak and a carrot stick on the side. Or another example, I would rather consume a large salad, with chopped eggs, and if you want a little chicken on it-- rather than just eat an entire rotisserie chicken, forgetting about the veggies. Like I said, I'm not against meat. I simply just don't think it's great/healthy to overindulge it.  That is just my peronsal opinion, also coinciding with the Word of Wisdom. From my understanding of vegetarian literature, an over-consumption of meat can lead to acidifying the blood, which in turn can lead to several diseases and also leaching calcium out of bones.  Also, it can increase plaque and the hardening of the arteries (heart attacks). Other studies by Esslestyn and Campbell demonstrate the over abundance in meat and dairy contribute to the growth of cancer.

Peronally, I do a modified form of Terry Wahl's MS protocall, based upon her book, "Minding your Mitochondria," which calls for 9 cups of colorful and sulfer veggies each day. If I cook grains/beans, I try to either sprout them (lentils) or cook in the instapot to eliminate the lectins and anti-nutrients. 

With all this said, if someone feels best on Keto or GAPS another diet that is heavier on the meat side, I am supportive. I know first hand, because of the MTFHR gene, that some people have really have adverse effects on folate. (Beans, lentil, dark greens, etc. )  In this food journey of mine, I need to be open minded and accepting at whatever helps an individual.  I judge not anyone! Food is powerful.

We are all entitled to our own opinion.  Maybe I'm right, maybe you are.  But, this is what I have concluded after my years of research and learning.  What do you think?  What is your opinion?

​​

​​

​​