In line with the rising scientific trend to simplify diets and free them from the idea of starvation, experts present 7 simple changes in the diet that depend on adding spices and fiber to your meals, and choosing high-quality carbohydrates, which enhances your health without the need to follow a diet that includes starving yourself.
In his column devoted to health, food and nutrition in the Washington Post, best-selling consumer health author Anahad O’Connor said that you don’t have to start a new diet to make big changes in your health as long as you can:
- Weight loss.
- Improving life expectancy.
- Nourish your gut microbiome.
- Boost your overall health.
The above may be achieved by making small but powerful changes to what you eat and how you eat. Here are 7 nutritional suggestions to get you started.
Focus on fiber that nourishes the gut microbiome
Whole foods rich in fiber feed the trillions of beneficial bacteria that make up the gut microbiome, so it is advisable to make sure to add oats, beans, lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, all types of whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables to your meals, as studies show that they reduce calories.
Decades of research have also shown that “fiber-rich diets provide health benefits that include gut health, reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer, as well as longer life,” the New York Times reported last August.
In a review that included 185 studies published in 2019, researchers found that “eating foods rich in fiber led to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight.”
“If we keep our gut happy, we can be happy, and fiber is a big part of that,” said Joan Slavin, a professor of nutrition at the University of Minnesota.
Reduce your intake of canned foods
Experts say that industrial processing changes the structure of food, which can affect how much you eat and its absorption, as well as your weight and rates of chronic disease.
That’s why O’Connor advises buying foods that contain few ingredients (a bag of frozen vegetables, for example) rather than canned ones that contain “multiple unknown chemicals,” as well as lots of sugars, salt, and saturated fats, and few fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and therefore fiber. Food and vitamins.
One study found that when people ate an ultra-processed diet, they consumed about 500 more calories per day than those who ate an unprocessed diet.
Experts have confirmed that many ultra-processed packaged foods are designed to suppress our satiety mechanism, causing us to overeat and thus gain weight.
Eat more high-quality carbohydrates
O’Connor recommends “focusing on high-quality carbohydrates,” such as whole grains, whole-wheat bread, beans, peas, lentils, legumes, fruits, vegetables and other unrefined carbohydrates rather than cutting them out, and starting by eating more vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils, then healthy fats and protein, such as nuts, seeds and avocados. Eggs, poultry, milk and seafood.
At the same time, avoiding white and highly processed carbohydrates, such as cereals, pastries, white bread and pasta, is a method that helps reduce the risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes, reduces the possibility of death from heart disease or stroke, and helps to lose weight without counting calories. .
Learn from the people of the “Blue Zones”
Some foods are especially popular among those who live in the “Blue Zones,” the 5 places in the world with the healthiest and longest-lived populations, including Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Ikaria in Greece, and Loma Linda in California.
Residents of these areas tend to eat a variety of beans or a cup of beans, peas, lentils, or any other legumes daily, in addition to other plant foods rich in fiber.
Soybeans are an important part of the traditional diet in Okinawa, fava beans in Sardinia, and black beans in the Nicoya Peninsula.
A study published in early 2022 found that most people could add years to their lives by switching from a Western diet to a healthier diet, and that the foods that produced the largest gains in life expectancy were beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes.
Make dinner smaller
“For optimal health, it’s best to consume most of your calories early in the day rather than later, which means focusing on eating a large breakfast, a reasonable lunch, and a small dinner,” O’Connor says.
In a study published in late 2022, scientists found that people who consumed the most calories early in the day lost more weight than people who did the opposite, and also saw greater improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity, a sign of a reduced risk of diabetes. .
Add more spices, nuts and fermented foods
Because gut microbes love variety, O’Connor says, try using more herbs and spices and eating a variety of leafy greens, along with more fermented foods, like yogurt and sauerkraut, as well as more nuts, seeds, beans and grains.
Save the bread for the end of the meal
Studies have found that starting meals with high-fiber vegetables, then protein or fat, and saving a bread basket or potato chips for the end of the meal slows digestion, according to a strategy called “meal sequencing.”
This strategy does not require a radical change in the foods you eat, but “focuses on controlling blood sugar levels and promoting feelings of fullness for a longer period through the arrangement of eating.”
This method can also help “reduce your risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes, reduce the likelihood of death from heart disease or stroke, and help you lose weight,” according to a large body of research, according to O’Connor.
