So You Think You Eat Healthy!

Research shows that overall dietary patterns have a big impact on health. But people don’t buy dietary patterns, they buy foods. Often times one may think that consuming foods such as  whole grain breads, cooking with olive oil, having  salads for lunch or a protein shake for breakfast makes their diet healthy. Neglecting to account other foods with added fats, sugar and salt in the diet may show a less healthy picture. The proportion or the frequency of the types of foods is an important aspect of a healthy eating plan. 

According to NutritionFacts.org, "the dividing line between health-promoting and disease-promoting foods may be less plant- versus animal-sourced foods and more whole plant foods versus most everything else." While its true that we buy foods and not dietary patterns; we do tend to eat in a pattern. Teaching ourselves to focus on a dietary pattern rich in wholesome plant foods and limit 'the most everything else' would be a dramatic benefit to our well being and wellness. For example, would  the cranberry nut muffins above be healthier if they were made with a partially hydrogenated fat - containing trans fats or if made with butter? 

In my Healthy Eating Live! Program - a three session three week program I aim to teach and demonstrate a healthy diet as the basis for a healthy eating pattern. Click here for more.