How to Elevate Your Diet: A Day of HEALTHY Swaps
COMPLETE DIET OVERHAUL?
NOT FOR EVERYONE.
For some of us who identify as an "go-all-in person", a transition to a gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free way of eating may come easy, especially when such a restorative "healing through food" protocol promises relief from severe and (perhaps even) painful digestive distress. For most of us who would be overwhelmed by such a radical overnight change, an incremental elevation that replaces certain foods with healthier or more nutrient-dense options may be a more sustainable path towards changing eating habits long-term. A path that is less fraud with anxiety and blessed with more ease. And if it's much easier, you'll keep doing it.
Here are some concrete examples of simple ways to improve the nutrient density and diversity of one’s diet, by swapping or adding in foods to make a positive impact on macro-nutrient and blood-sugar balance. In real-life terms, this means increased satiety and less cravings.
Sample Food Diary
BREAKFAST
Fat-free strawberry yogurt, two slices of whole wheat toast with jam
LUNCH
Baked sweet potato fries, spinach salad with chickpeas
AFTERNOON PICK-ME-UP
Granola bar
DINNER
Pasta with Swiss chard and low-fat Alfredo sauce
Imagine that you usually start your day with a fat-free strawberry yogurt and two slices of whole wheat toast with jam. This combination is low in protein, but high in carbs and full of added sugars (both of which will raise glucose levels and inspire more sweet cravings throughout the day).
Because breaking up with food habits is hard, I want to start easy. For this example, I'd encourage you to replace the sugary strawberry yoghurt with a whole foods alternative higher in protein. Because a high-protein breakfast supports healthy energy levels for the rest of the day. Three to four eggs will increase protein-density and healthy fats for a more satiating and glucose-regulating effect (Compare 11-13g of protein and 11g-17g of sugar from yoghurt vs. 21-28 g of protein from eggs and none of the sugars). Increased satiety may have a welcome side-effect: You may actually realize that you feel satisfied after just one slice of toast, which would decrease the breakfast’s carbohydrate density.
At lunch time, you're faced with the typical "what-to-order" scramble. Let's say you decide to go with a "healthy" lunch option and order the spinach salad, add chickpeas as your protein, and a side baked sweet potato fries. Here's the but... plant-based proteins are mostly carbohydrates and so, too, are the sweet potato fries. This could cause a double glucose spike and lead to more afternoon cravings. Instead of chickpeas... try canned salmon. By replacing the excess carbohydrates from the plant-based protein with a high-protein animal source, we’re increasing protein intake but at the same time decreasing the meal's carbohydrate density. Plus, we're also bumping up omega 3 consumption, which is usually lacking in a diet high in processed and take-out foods.
Around four p.m., when your sweet-toothed cravings kick in (a direct result of consuming too many carbs for lunch) and your expansive to-do-list is far from completed, you most likely will reach for something that is rich in carbs and full of sugar — like a granola bar. This sugary treat provides a quick burst of energy (with very little macronutrient value) but at the expense of another blood-sugar crash within as little as 90 to 120 minutes.
Here's a whole foods alternative that will still satisfy the sweet-toothed craving, but keep your glucose levels steady. Pair a green apple, a low-glycemic fruit, with some protein and fat from a single-serving almond butter packet. This combination will increase satiety and the macro-nutrient density of protein, fat, and fiber will maintain blood-sugar balance.
It's 7 pm... and you end your day with this warming, well-intentioned dinner: Pasta with Swiss chard and low-fat Alfredo sauce. Your mistake? This dinner scenario is lacking in protein, the most satiating among the macro-nutrients. Store-bought Alfredo sauce provides a mere 1-3g of protein per serving. This is an opportunity to add in a rich source of protein for a more optimally macro-nutrient balanced meal. Venison pairs well with the richness of the Alfredo sauce (although Salmon or chicken would be exquisite as well). And from a nutritional perspective, venison has a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, making it an ideal choice to incorporate both essential fatty acids in proper proportions.
Love a peanut butter cup as an evening sweet? No judgment here: Peanut butter cups are divinely delicious. But... since we leveled up protein intake at dinner, which is expected to increase satiety, this may demand a lighter snack recommendation. And... a conventional peanut butter cup (16 g of sugar) may dysregulate blood sugar before bedtime and affect healthy sleep cycles. Swap for a hot chocolate with sleep-suggesting adaptogens, such as Four Sigmatic's Calm Cacao Mix (2g of sugar). Adaptogens, like reishi, may not only support a healthy sleep response but also improve sleep quality.
These examples are illustrative of what many people consider as a "healthy" diet, which is often geared towards low-fat dairy, a few whole foods and vegetables, plus a little bit of lean protein. But these well-intentioned choices often lack adequate protein intake or sufficient fat consumption for our bodies to function optimally and feel satiated until the next meal. By simply swapping or adding in foods, we can optimize a meals' macronutrient ratio step-by-step and work towards incrementally elevating the feeling of fullness (in a good way).
Remember the breakfast consisting of sugary yoghurt and toast? We swapped out the yoghurt for eggs to optimize protein intake. In the next step, we could replace the strawberry-jam toast with an avocado. Half of a medium avocado provides 11g of fat. Fat slows down digestion and therefore increases satiety which, in turn, will keep you full longer. And, as a direct result, you may not need that mid-morning snack or just "power through" until lunch. Imagine how good that would actually feel.