I often anecdotally share with patients about my initial exposure to chiropractic and nutrition. My indoctrination took some getting use to, especially concerning food.
“Health food" was not in my
vocabulary. I was a Hamburger Helper person. What ever tasted good was good food to me. Looking back, it was mostly refined/processed food with a
lot of salt, sugar and fat; the Standard American Diet (SAD) actually.
My first experience was in a cooperative health food store (CO-OP) where some guy told me what great organic carrots they had that day. I thought hmm…….
they’re all organic aren’t they?! I’d never been to a health food store before and had no clue about organic foods, but I learned. So, when in Rome do as the Romans do. As a side note, that person and I became good friends in chiropractic college (Bruce Cooperstien) .
The transition began and our diet changed as well as our taste, until we actually ate and liked a “healthy diet”. Of course, a healthy diet is subject to debate, but it was high in fiber, low in salt, sugar
and fat; a diet that would have been dietary purgatory for me before chiropractic school.
The kicker is we actually learned to enjoy this diet. It’s important to note we weren’t dieting. We were just exploring different foods and ways of eating that were “healthier”. I can remember eating carrots or corn or squash and actually enjoying the taste of the vegetable.
The side effects were weight loss, increased energy and better health. My usual allergies went away and we seemed to get sick less often as
well.
After graduation, I distinctly remember reintegrating back into the “American” diet. Fast food was initially almost unbearable because of the salt and soda was like pancake syrup. But when in Rome………
Currently, we eat a relatively healthy diet. It’s probably higher in fiber than the average American diet, with more beans, whole grains, vegetables, less bad fat, less salt and sugar.
The point I’m trying to make is, you can eat a moderately healthy diet and enjoy it too. Moderation is the key and choosing food you like is very important. Many people think a high fiber diet is eating more salads. Unless you’re a rabbit you can’t stick to that. If you look at any food pyramid you’ll note the base of the pyramid consists of bean and grain foods. Your grains must be whole grain products, not Uncle Ben’s minute Rice! Brown rice is not necessarily whole grain; it must say whole grain rice! This base must be the staple of your diet. There are hundreds of different varieties rice’s and beans and you can cook them in a multitude of combinations with veggies and different meat sources (seafood, poultry, lean red meat) to suit your taste.
If you are a big breakfast eater, then grains are the perfect cereals, hot or cold. A little salt, butter or sugar/honey for taste is ok! Grits are refined so substitute another whole grain with your eggs. Skip the bacon though, or eat it much less often, when you want to indulge.
Want a high fiber taco? Try ground white turkey meat with oatmeal or whole grain rice. Stir fry that and add your taco fixings and you have a relatively low fat high fiber taco. Sound crazy? You really can’t tell the oatmeal is there. I know because it passed the kid test at home. I like to make things at home and flavor it with a little butter, salt, garlic or what ever with different combinations of beans, grains and or poultry and have the family eat it without knowing what’s in it first. Many times they won’t eat it if they know what it is ahead of time because it’s “health food”. So I have them taste it first or have them eat it
first then tell them what was in it.
Make the transition; you'll be healthier for it!
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