What makes an ideal diet? Transcript of Podcast.
I was invited to speak for a podcast for a US platform ahead of a 90-minute live talk on men’s health this October 2024.
Because the talk is full of information, I didn’t want you to miss out.
Here is the transcript:
I. Introduction
Question: What makes an ideal diet?
I thought today we go back to basics.
We live in a world where we’re overloaded with many contradictory messages from the media, online sources, and a long list of experts and influencers who tell us that we should be okay if we eat a certain way, exercise enough, or have self-control.
We are bombarded with mostly contradicting information and drowning in nutritional confusion. As a result, we stopped trusting a broken system and the greater part of the population has stopped listening altogether.
But there is also another issue, and is often at the subconscious level. The prevailing narrative usually implies that if we don't attain the "perfect" weight, adhere to an ideal diet, and have boundless energy and health, then it must indicate some failure on our part.
And so we feel it is our fault when it is clearly not.
In essence, the constant influx of this information and unrealistic expectations can be disorienting and lead to unnecessary stress and pressure related to our dietary choices and overall well-being.
It is no wonder the greatest part of the population has taken it upon themselves to listen to their gut and eat what they like, when they like. And yet, nearly 20% of the American population is on a particular calorie-restricted diet because they are unhappy with their weight. In fact, recent statistics show that 9 out of 10 women in the US are displeased with their appearance. 81% of girls age 10 already fear being fat and have one diet or another.
What is unbelievable is that 98% of those who diet gain back the weight they lose within a year. So what we are doing is obviously not working.
We are also witnessing ever-increasing rates of metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative conditions are also on a trajectory that is very frightening.
It is predicted that 67% of the U.S. population will have diabetes by 2030. Globally, an estimated 2.16 billion adults will be overweight, and 1.12 billion will be obese.
By 2050, cases of dementia will increase to 152 million. Today, about 60 million people worldwide live with dementia.
This is why going back to basics today is so important.
And we need to look at all aspects of our lives and nutrition.
This includes recognising that digestion, nutrient absorption, and particularly metabolism and other vital bodily functions are not solely influenced by physical factors, but also by our mental state, emotions, and lifestyle choices.
Our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, stress levels, ability to relax, capacity for pleasure, and overall awareness significantly impact how our body processes and metabolises the food we eat.
In essence, our mental and emotional well-being plays a direct role in how effectively we derive nutrients and energy from the food we consume.
Because we are biochemically unique and our physiology is profoundly impacted by our minds and emotions, there cannot be one universal diet, but a diet that is right for you.
We all have a body that needs to be honoured, respected, and nurtured and we need to reevaluate our relationship with food and remove the fear associated with it and start to learn the language of our body.
We have lost our connection with food and the land.
We buy plastic-wrapped chemical foods and no longer grow our own.
We experience discomfort and often pain and we are led to believe that all we need is taking a pill. But bloating, reflux, chronic constipation, joint pain, and fatigue are not indicative of deficiencies in acid-reducing drugs, laxatives, painkillers, or even caffeine.
So we need to listen to our bodies and become mindful eaters.
So, if we aim to go back to basics today, the basis for a health-supporting diet remains more or less the same for everyone.
An ideal diet is one that provides all the nutrients your body and your brain need to function at their best. This includes a variety of foods from all food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, and other components of health, including dietary fibre and antioxidants.
The idea is to remove any foods that your body doesn’t agree with or that you may be hypersensitive to and enjoy the rest as much as you like, especially fruits and vegetables from as many colours as possible every day.
Question: What could impact our nutrition?
There are a number of factors that can impact our nutrition, including our age, sex, activity level, health conditions, and dietary preferences. Our environment can also play a major role.
Following a healthy diet is always a good start.
Developing good lifestyle habits to maximise nutrition (in this context I want to speak about digestion and the assimilation of nutrients), and these can include any of the following, like mindful eating, chewing our food thoroughly and taking the time to eat.
The idea is to eat in a complete state of relaxation. So we need to get from a hyperactive state to a more relaxed state. This is very important because if we eat under stress or do other things at the same time, like answering emails or anything else, even walking, the body is busy diverting resources to other parts of the body and less is available for the digestive system.
And so it is very likely that digestive capabilities are not optimal, and that includes the release of stomach juices and digestive enzymes, without which we cannot break down the food we eat into tiny molecules the body can absorb and utilise. This is even more pronounced when chronic stress is an ongoing situation
This is why people who are under chronic stress experience symptoms like bloating or reflux, especially if they overeat and mainly consume high-calorie food products. They may also feel fatigued and irritable from the severe fluctuation in blood sugar and experience brain fog and other cognitive problems.
Interestingly enough, malnutrition is back in the Western world and this is a result of following calorie-restrictive diets and inadequate diets, poor blood sugar management and bad sleep.
This creates a vicious cycle.
We don’t eat an ideal diet. We are lacking essential nutrients. We are mostly consuming a sugar-based diet. Our body doesn’t function so well. We may even disturb our fragile gut ecosystem and from there develop inflammatory conditions. This is quite stressful for the body as is hypoglycaemia, which is when blood sugar levels drop too low, and so the body’s response is to produce stress hormones. More stress hormones in the bloodstream means less energy for digestion. And the cycle continues.
The other side of the problem is that many components in our diets are essential building blocks for healing and repair, like protein. Others act as co-factors in many enzymatic reactions, such as certain minerals like magnesium, zinc, and calcium which are necessary for digestion.
So we need to make sure we supply enough amino acids and minerals. But most of us eat too much and too fast. We don’t really chew our food properly while also being stressed or doing something else. To make things worse, we eat poorly-nourishing meals and so are chronically malnourished. The body doesn’t have enough resources to work optimally and it is no surprise that we don’t feel our best and can’t really think straight most of the time.
II. Major Components of a Healthy Diet
Question: What are the main components of a healthy diet?
We have lost our connection to food and buy plastic-wrapped food, deepening our disconnection even further. We need to see, touch and smell food and take pleasure in cooking.
We also need to eat according to our genetic makeup.
A nutrient-dense diet and dietary fibre are the main pillars of good health. Other important factors include eating according to the seasons and our body's needs. For example, during the colder winter months, the body expects to retire and benefit from pre-digested foods such as warming stews and soups, but we often eat the same foods and are exposed to an overwhelming amount of food all year round, sending mixed signals to the body.
Here is an extract from my book: “Energise - 30 Days to Vitality.”
“Nutrient-dense, fibre-rich foods may hold the key to our health, energy levels, mental health, emotions and happiness and bring balance to our life.
To bring permanent change to our gut, so that we’re hosting a greater number of health-promoting bacteria instead of pathogenic microbes, we need to pay close attention to our diet and lifestyle every single day of our life.
This may sound like a full-time job but you cannot reach a healthy (or healthier) state of being if what you put at the end of your fork is wreaking havoc inside you, affecting your gut flora and generating a wide array of symptoms (the only way your body can tell you something is wrong), or inflammation, or a permanently ill-state.”
Other points I make in the book include fibre and how desperately low in dietary fibre our modern diets are.
Fibre helps slow-down transit and the assimilation of sugar and the reuptake of cholesterol. Without fibre, nearly all the cholesterol returns to circulation. This partly explains why a diet rich in ultra-processed manufactured food products is considered to raise cholesterol levels.
This is also why we find it nearly impossible to manage energy levels because our blood sugar levels fluctuate so much.
It is clear that dietary fibre should hold a greater part in our diet, if not the most important part.
III. Unhealthy Eating Habits and their Impact on Health
Question: How our choice of food can damage our health?
If we do not eat wholesome foods like plants, then we are mostly eating ultra-processed products. These are industrial formulations that undergo extensive processing and contain numerous man-made ingredients, including additives such as preservatives, colouring, flavourings, and texturisers. The list goes on and on.
They also often contain high levels of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and salt.
Common examples include sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged snacks, ready-to-eat meals, junk food, as well as soft drinks.
It has been observed that this type of product often lacks essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fibre. And may negatively impact gut health by altering the composition of the gut microbiota, which could have implications for digestion, metabolism, and overall health.
We are understanding more and more about the gut and the place of the gut microbiota in our health and mental health.
If our diet lacks fibre, then it is very likely to encourage the development of pathogenic and opportunistic microbes that thrive on sugar and oxygen.
In exchange they release gas, and a lot of it, but also various byproducts such as alcohol and endotoxins, both of which have the propensity to inflame the liver, and are the main culprit in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
We also now know that it can lead to neuroinflammation, via the gut microbiota - gut - liver - brain axis.
This is why our choice of food is so important.
When we consume a nutrient-dense diet, like the Mediterranean diet, for example, we provide the ideal food for our good gut bacteria. In exchange, they release byproducts which are for the most part anti-inflammatory and support the gut lining and our immune system.
The way commensal bacteria help our gut and our health is via the release of short-chain fatty acids.
These molecules are essential to keep the gut wall tight and permeable. They are also used as a fuel source by our gut lining cells and have also an impact on brain function and inflammation.
Additionally, they help with the release of feel-good neurotransmitters in the gut, such as tryptophan and serotonin.
So not only eating well helps us feel good but a happy gut also means a happy us!
IV. Practical Tips and Advice on Making Healthy Dietary Changes
Question: How can I possibly eat better when the increasing cost of living makes it nearly impossible?
Even if you don’t have a food budget, making small changes to support your health is possible. The goal is to increase your consumption of dietary fibre and reduce the intake of problematic additives and other intentionally-added substances, which are for the most part alien to the body and potentially toxic.
Eat more vegetables and less packed snacks. Eat less meat but eat the best meat you can buy (always organic and pasture-raised).
Consume small fatty fish, like sardines, herrings and mackerel, which are still very accessible. Tinned sardine or mackerel in brine is also ideal. But avoid any preparation with sauces or industrial oils, including — olive oil.
If we compare the human body to a car and use the wrong fuel, it may come to a stop and may even become damaged. The engine may struggle to work at full speed, even long after. You may press on the pedal, but you’re not getting that rocket start, getting a while to reach the cruising speed. You may even experience some “coughing” of the engine, and experience little bumps along the way, but, overall, you’re still moving forward. Thus, the engine may need to be cleaned thoroughly.
The body is the same. If you use the wrong fuel, all your systems, including the central nervous system, your liver, and gastrointestinal tract, may operate at minimal speed, or not at all. When the gut is inflamed, for example, your absorption and utilisation of nutrients are heavily disturbed, leading to potential deficiencies that provoke a greater sense of malaise and suboptimal digestive capabilities, in a self-feeding cycle.
Question: What tips would you like to share today?
Practical tips I would like to share with you today include breathwork and the butterfly hug as tools to move from a hyperactive state to a more relaxed state necessary for digestion.
Here is the link to SOS 5-Minute Meditation Sessions, which are great, even for people who cannot manage to sit down for long meditation sessions.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfaVzOJIvTNkwkKZjcSPfkPF3jBbWxAZP
V. Conclusion
Question: What would you like our listeners to take home today?
Do not eat when stressed or distracted (disconnect from all devices and work — be selfish. It is your time, the time you dedicate to nourishing your body and mind)
Maximise fibre intake
Eat as many vegetables of as many different colours as possible
Cook from scratch and reconnect with food. Cooking doesn’t need to be complicated and can be adapted to abilities and equipment.