Eating is one of the pleasures of life. The French call those who take delight in tasting and eating high quality food bons vivants or gourmets. A lot of care is given to meal preparation. In France, cooking has become a culture and evolved into the art-de-vivre. Simple and mundane foods are artfully translated into world-class delicacies by creating a harmonious taste with different elements of a dish and giving it a French name, et voilà! It is ready for you to relish. You have just become a gourmet. Unfortunately, many of us do not stop there but continue eating oversized portions and end up gourmands — big eaters — instead of gourmets.
That is where trouble starts! We tend to ignore the signals of satiation our bodies send to us in order to quit eating. This leads to overindulgence, indigestion, and eventually obesity. Do we do anything about this? No, most of us just continue going down this road, ignoring where it is leading us.
You know but ignore your body signals and instinct as well. I challenge you to stop eating once and listen to your body signals. To your surprise, you will discover that you are quite full and satisfied. The next step, review your meal in the sense of quality and quantity. Is it well balanced? Does it have all the macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals.)
Eating well is not only meant to satisfy your senses and give you pleasure and satisfaction but also to regenerate your body and give you energy. Your diet only becomes optimal when it leads to a lowered disease risk, a stronger defense mechanism, and more vitality. Then your balanced meal gives you the joie-de-vivre.
You are probably wondering what this gibberish is all about. Yes, your meals should be well balanced containing all nutrients in the proper proportions and the reasonable portions your body needs to produce energy, your hormones to do their functions, and your immune system to fight viruses and bacteria and ward off diseases. This nutritional balance will directly affect your feeling of wellness, your degree of energy, your stamina, and the radiance of your skin and hair. It is time for you to examine your daily diet more closely.
What is your understanding of a nutritious diet? This sounds too scientific and technical. But don’t fret about this, because I shall explain it in a simple language. The Food Guide Pyramid was devised by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992. It is used as a guide for the measurement of your daily consumption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals to satisfy your body needs.
Fats and sweets in small portions, should occupy the very top of the pyramid. Solid fats, margarine, oils, and butter, as well as refined sugar in sweets should be eaten in very small amounts. A high consumption of fat and sweets is associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Immediately after fats, come two to three helpings of dairy products for protein and calcium. The other two to three servings of protein are found in meat, fish, poultry, legumes (beans), eggs, and nuts. Your muscles, blood, hormonal and immune systems, and others require protein for tissue building and other functions.
The third portion of the pyramid is filled with two to four servings of fruits and three to five of vegetables. The importance of fruits and vegetables is due to their richness in vitamins, minerals, and fibers, which play a major role in preventing cancer and heart and other diseases. At the very base of the triangle, six to 11 helpings of complex carbohydrates emphasizing whole grains; high-fiber starches take the biggest portion in the pyramid due to body energy needs.
Whatever our meals are, excesses or deficiency in any of the pyramid groups can lead to an undesirable imbalance in the body increasing risk of many chronic illnesses.
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected].)
