3 Golden Rules of Eating
All you need to know about the wisdom of nutrition
1. Eat Food
2. Not too much
3. Mostly plants
When I first began researching nutrition I felt as if I had fallen down the rabbit hole of senselessness. The academic literature was riddled in contradictions and nothing made sense. I started by researching the evidence base for some of the most popular diets; Vegan, Eating for Your Blood Type, Dr Gundry's Lectin Free, Ketogenic, Atkins, Sugar Free and so on. I read countless testomonials. I watched the most up to date TED talks by esteemed doctors around the world, sharing their latest research on certain foods that harmed the body.
Upon discovering Dr Gundry and his book 'The Plant Paradox' which listed numerous common foods high in gut-damaging lectins that we should strictly avoid - I have to admit he had me sold. The evidence base seemed so strongly in favour of what he was saying that I couldn't ignore what I was reading. He was a highly esteemed cardiac surgeon and medical researcher and he seemed to be motivated from a place of genuinely caring about the health of his patients.
Fast forward four months of having cut out all of the suggested foods. I was still suffering from the skin condition I had aquired when suffering PTSD the previous year. I was still unhappy restricting my diet so much from foods that I loved and I really began to question what I had learned. I knew enough of the placebo effect to know that what people believe is far more powerful than anything else. Did this also apply to our diet?
Alongside the research into nutrition, I had also been guided into the research field of Epigenetics, breathwork, cold water therapy (Wim Hof), quantum physics and the work of Dr Joe Dispenza on the mind-body connection. It seemed that the body was able to spontaneously and miraculously heal faster than I ever thought possible. Wim hof had just run a marathon in the desert without any water. He had proven that belief and strength of mind is more important than any external factor. This was a game changer. Many things that science had previously deemed impossible were now being proven possible by these leaders. Very interesting indeed.
Posted below is one of the best summaries I found in the academic journals that supported my evolving theory;
Humans need to obtain nutrients from foods in order to survive and be healthy. The requirements of energy and nutrients are different due to differences in race, age, sex, and physical activity level. People living in different places take nutrients from different kinds of food; therefore, nutrition is a cultural biological process rather than a simple physiological and biochemical process. Food intake can directly influence one's biological function through life, as its results are on a biological level. When people eat, the process can be influenced by economic, politics, culture, and many other factors.
One night an advert came on youtube, interrupting a podcast I was listening to. Normally I skip these as soon as they allow but this one just so happened to be about Dr Gundry. I hesitated pressing skip and decided instead to let it play on. I was instantly irritated by the monotonous tone of the speaker and the way he kept repeating himself over and over in a manner that made me think of brainwashing techniques. He also kept highlighting the 'fear' aspect and just how dangerous these food lectins are to the human body in a way that conveyed your life was indeed at risk.
I turned the volume off and waited through FOURTY MINUTES of this before they finally got to the point. During this time I had strongly felt this was angling towards a final sales pitch but I couldn't work for what it was for. His book? If it was, then this was a man who really cared to get this knowledge out there - because I can't imagine a 40 minute youtube advert being cheap.
It wasnt.
It was for Dr Gundry's Miracle Pills at $99 for a small supply. These would apparently allow you to eat anything you wanted (including these DANGER foods) as they worked to repair the gut lining. This is where the penny dropped. This book had not been to enlighten people on important health information, but rather to sell these very expensive pills to anyone who had been convinced into fear of these foods by the book. I felt conned. I felt ashamed for having been duped by such a man who's intentions were far from pure. It also struck me that the pill consisted of plant derivatives - such as some enzyme from pineapple. Why not just tell people to eat the pineapple? (rhetorical sarcasm - because yes - this does make me feel angry).
Needless to say, I decided at this point to abandon all restriction on my diet. I returned to eating what I enjoyed and I felt so much better for it. Due to having been so restrictive over the past four months, I ended up binging on many unhealthy sweet cakes and sugary snacks - which I knew was not great but it happened. I had already agreed not to carry any guilt or shame about anything I chose to eat as it was my new understanding that it was these emotions that caused health deterioration and weight gain more so that the foods themselves.
So, still I had no real answers as to what we should be eating.
As I had researched the blood-type diet book - which had little in the way of academic research but personally struck a chord with me. I have a rare blood type, shared with around 6% of the world's population. This book described how people of my blood type should stay away from high impact cardio exercises and instead partake in more gentle practices such as yoga or Qi Gong. This is something I naturally learned through following what feels good. It also advised I restrict gluten, wheat, dairy and avoid meat completely (for some examples). Again, this I had already learned for myself through trial and error. When I regularly consumed these foods I felt ill.
The book was also interesting becasue it was the first diet to really say that there is not one diet for all people. Genetic factors & ancestory were taken into account. The theory that your blood type affects how you digest different foods also made sense to me. If you also consider how we all come from different geograhical regions with different natural foods, it makes sense that our bodies will have adapted to digest them differently.
Let's say the Lectins Dr Gundry talks of are real. Just becasue Jane from England cannot tolerate a lectin in a cashew nut, say, does not mean that Praveen from Sri Lanka cannot. Jane's oldest ancestors probably never saw a cashew nut in their lives, where as Praveen's ancestors maybe cultivated them and they featured highly in the diet. This is a point that Gundry completely failed to take into account and why I discredit his work entirely. It also pays well to take advice from people who look joyful and happy in old age. Gundry is neither.
In the end? I started attuning more to how I felt after eating instead of paying attention to what I had read. Of course we have been heavily programmed from a young age to believe that fruits and vegetables are good for us and sugar is bad - so I couldnt exactly test out the mind over matter theory without bias. My subconscious couldn't reprogram overnight to be a blank canvas for testing. However, I did some across the words of Sadhguru and this made more sense to me than an entire year of research;
"What you consume, becomes your body.
You were not always this size, no? You ate food and your body became bigger.
So if you want to be a dead body, eat dead bodies.
If you want to be a vibrant alive body, eat vibrant alive foods."
And this is where the rules begin.
1. EAT FOOD
This means - eat food that is real food. If it grows from the earth absobing sunlight, nutrients and water - it is filled with vibrant pranic life energies. If it comes in a packet, from a factory and has a label listing ingredients that you can't pronounce it is not real food. If it has a long shelf life and preservatives added - this is also not real food. All real foods have one name. Lettuce. One ingredient. Tomato. One ingredient. Coconut. Same.
We do then have the question of cooked or raw. My suggestion? Brace yourself for how radical this will sound... LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
Food is fuel for the body, yes? Energy fuel. If you take on more fuel and within two hours feel lethargic, tired or heavy then your body is working harder to process the food than the energy it is giving you back. This is not good fuel. If you put diesel in your car and it drove slower than before - would you consider putting that diesel in again?Or would you choose the fuel that makes the car run at an optimum speed? What makes more sense?
If you feel more energised after two hours of eating - this is good fuel. We all know that sugar and caffeine are fast acting foods that spike our energy but then quickly drop it back down. These should only be used when we truly need them, not as daily drugs to rely upon.
2. NOT TOO MUCH
This is obvious but often overlooked. I grew up in a poor household where food (especially sugar) was restricted and viewed as a special treat to binge on at Christmas or birthdays. I was also raised in a strict environment that said I must eat everything on my plate regarless of whether I was hungry or not (whether I liked it was definitely never a consideration).
This led to two unconscious things in regard to my diet when I grew into an adult. Once I started earning money, much of it went towards all the foods I enjoyed. Foods I had grown up feeling deprived of. Being wealthier meant that I could eat plently and never feel hungry. And at dinner I still had this programming of having to eat everyhting on my plate, so I would eat until I felt over full. None of this was healthy.
The Japanese have a saying about eating "Hara Hachi Bu". This essentially means they eat until around 80% full. Given that Okinawa has one of the highest concentrations of centurians in the world - I think we ought to pay this good attention!
In ancient tradition of Yoga it is said that one-third of the stomach is for food, one-third for drink and one third for air. This is a philosophy that is also encouraged in the Islamic faith.
There are many global and ancient cultures who may disagree on the percentage, but all agree that eating until you are full is damaging to your health. This is why I suggest it to be a Golden Rule of Eating.
3. MOSTLY PLANTS
If you simplify what you eat and make it mostly plant based you will not only become lighter in weight, but you will feel energetically lighter. You will feel a bounce inside you again. A feeling you may not have experienced since you were a child.
Our closest relative in the animal world, sharing 99% of our genetic coding is the Chimpanzee. It is a powerful, agile mammal and only 6% of its diet is meat or animal product related (including bird eggs). Almost half of their diet is composed of figs, supplemented by fruits, seed and nuts, leaves, flowers, tree bark, honey, insects (4%) and medicinal plants to keep their bodies free from parasites, malaria, bacterial infections, worms and so on. They are naturally inclined to eat what is the best fuel and medicine for their bodies - something we could all learn from.
Thank you for being here and for taking the time to read my research. Every read count brings me immense joy to see. If you are in a position to tip and are willing to - please know that the butterfly effect of that gesture will be immense! I once got a $1 tip and it seriously made my day. If you wish to read more evidence based health information, please look at my other stories
Much Love,
Kayleigh
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Comments (3)
Three golden rules of eating that carry the wisdom of nutrition! Understanding and practicing these guidelines can lead to a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.
I love this philosophy. It’s so hard to not put our “food pressure” feelings onto the next generation. Oooof. “Clean your plate!”🙄🙄🙄
You were absolutely right about this article. It is so good, so well written. You have a strong voice in your writing. I have actually read a lot of what you have in regards to healthy diets; and personally I don’t eat gluten (due to celiacs) but I also don’t eat very many veggies; my family eats a variety of meat and seafood and fruits, lots and lots of fruit. I love Wim Hof, we also take ALOT of cold showers. You should read Dopamine Nation, it was also such a fantastic read on why we eat sugar and whatnot. For the life of me I can’t cut out coffee but getting processed sugars has really helped my overall health. Currently trying to lose weight and it is DIFFICULT. But I will try the 80% full rule. Really enjoyed this. Keep it up!