New diets and fads promoting different ideals such as health or sustainability are popping up all the time. But what diet has the perfect balance of health and sustainability?
A complete and healthy diet requires the intake of essential nutrients, which can be divided into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients. The essential macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. There are nearly 30 different essential micronutrients.
Proteins are essential as they provide you with the amino acids needed to create the proteins vital to completing different biological functions. The recommended daily intake for protein is about .4 grams per pound of body weight.
Protein can be found mainly in animal products such as meat, milk, and eggsas well as plant-based sources of protein like tofu, beans, and nuts. Although protein can be found in different sources, not all protein is equal. Proteins found in animal sources are called complete proteins because they contain all 20 amino acids needed for human protein synthesis. No plant-based protein source contains all 20 amino acids, but this problem can easily be solved by consuming more variations of plants. Animal sources are also much more efficient delivery systems for protein because they tend to be more dense with protein (less calories per gram of protein so you need to eat less to get the same amount of protein compared to plant protein) and are more easily digestible and absorbable compared to plant protein as well as being the best source of omega 3 fats, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. This is not to say there are no negatives as red meats and processed meats tend to be high in saturated fats.
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source for energy. Carbs have recently gotten a bit of a bad wrap, which has been quite misleading. Yes, processed carbs and generally any processed foods are bad for you, but not all carbs are the same. Carbs can be divided into sugars, fibers, and starches.
Sugars are called simple carbohydrates, and when they are consumed, your body releases a hormone called insulin, which directs the sugar to your liver and muscles through your blood to be stored for energy. Sugar requires no digestion as they are close in its simplest form needed for human metabolic function, so they are quickly broken down and absorbed, which is why when you consume things high in sugar, your blood sugar levels immediately spike, causing the “sugar rush” effect.
Starches and fibers are known as complex carbohydrates. Starches are just made up of multiple sugars, and when you eat starch, your body digests the starch and breaks it down into sugars, which then causes a release of insulin. Starches can either be slowly digesting starches or rapidly digesting starches, and typically slower is better as they slow the increase in blood sugar levels. The reason carbs have gained a bad rep is because in the modern human diet we frequently consume highly processed foods high in carbohydrates, and when your body starts storing sugars it can get “full” and the excess is stored as fat.
Fiber can be exclusively found in plant-based foods. The two types of fiber are insoluble and soluble. Your body isn’t able to digest fiber, but soluble fiber can dissolve in water. Fiber passes through your intestines, helping with digestion. Your body’s inability to digest fiber also aids in feeling fuller for longer.
The best sources of carbohydrates are plant-based foods as well as whole grains. Whole grains are different from refined grains and are considered much better for your health as they haven’t been milled and still have all parts of the grain. Whole grains are foods like brown rice, oats, and quinoa. Refined grains are foods like white rice and white flour. There are also grains called enriched grains, which are refined grains that have had some nutrients added back after the milling process.
Fats are important as they are our body’s source of fatty acids and help with the absorption of different fat-soluble vitamins. Any fat that isn’t used by our cells or used for energy is stored as body fat.
The two main types of fat found in food are saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are typically considered unhealthy. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that can be found in blood and can be classified as either LDL or HDL. Eating too many saturated fats can raise LDL, causing more plaque build-up in arteries and increasing someone’s risk for heart disease and stroke. HDL is considered good because it takes cholesterol from parts of the body where there is too much cholesterol and brings it to the liver to be removed from the body. It is typically recommended that people try their best to swap out sources of saturated fat with sources of unsaturated fat.
These guidelines are good general rules to follow for building a healthy, rounded diet around, but there is no need to follow them super strictly. The occasional treat is not gonna manifest in any sort of issues. In a social media environment where health fads are always popping up, just following the simple science is always the safe bet.
