Things Learned From…
How Not to Die, by Michael Greger (h/t Ted)
“The more I’ve researched over the years, the more I’ve come to realize that healthy foods are not necessarily interchangeable.
Some foods and food groups have special nutrients not found in abundance elsewhere.”
“As the list of foods I tried to fit into my daily diet grew, I made a checklist and had it on a little dry-wipe board on the fridge.
We would make a game out of ticking off the boxes.
This evolved into the Daily Dozen.”
Beans
“By beans, I mean legumes, which comprise all different kinds of beans, including soybeans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils.
While eating a bowl of pea soup or dipping carrots into hummus may not seem like eating beans, it is.”
“Though peanuts are technically legumes, nutritionally, I’ve grouped them in the Nuts category, just as I would consider green (snap or string) beans to be better placed in the Other Vegetables category.”
Berries
He includes grapes and raisins as well as fruits that technically aren’t berries but are considered berries like blackberries, cherries, raspberries, and strawberries.
Cruciferous vegetables and other greens
“Common cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, collards, and kale.”
He recommends at least three servings of greens per day, with at least one of those being cruciferous.
Nuts and Seeds
“Everyone should try to incorporate one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds into his or her daily diet, in addition to a serving of nuts or other seeds.”
Spices
“I also recommend quarter of a teaspoon a day of the spice turmeric, along with any other (salt-free) herbs and spices you may enjoy.”
Whole Grains
Whole grains include oatmeal, rice, quinoa, cooked pasta, sweetcorn kernels, one tortilla or a slice of bread, half a bagel or English muffin, popped popcorn, etc.
Beverages
One glass, or 12 ounces, is considered one serving of water.
Exercise
His ‘serving’ of exercise “can be split up over the day.
I recommend 90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk (four miles per hour) walking or 40 minutes of vigorous activity (such as jogging or active sports) each day.”
“This may all sound like a lot of boxes to check, but it’s not difficult to knock off a bunch at one time.
One simple peanut butter and banana sandwich and you just checked off four boxes.”
“Do I check off each glass of water I drink? No.
In fact, I don’t even use the checklist anymore; I just used it initially as a tool to get me into a routine.
Whenever I was sitting down to a meal, I would ask myself, Could I add greens to this? Could I add beans to that?…Can I sprinkle on some flax or pumpkin seeds, or maybe some dried fruit?
The checklist just got me into the habit of thinking, How can I make this meal even healthier?”
“The checklist also helps me picture what a meal might look like.
Looking over the checklist, you’ll see there are three servings each of beans, fruits, and whole grains, and about twice as many veggies in total than any other food component.
Glancing at my plate, I can imagine one quarter of it filled with grains, one quarter with legumes, and half a plate filled with vegetables, along with maybe a side salad and fruit for dessert.
I prefer one-bowl meals where everything’s mixed together, but the checklist still helps me to visualize.”
Instead of a big bowl of spaghetti/rice with some veggies and lentils on top, he thinks of a big bowl of vegetables with some pasta/rice and lentils mixed in.
“But there is no need to be obsessive about the Daily Dozen.
On hectic travel days when I’ve burned through my snacks and I’m trying to piece together some semblance of a healthy meal at the airport food court, sometimes I’m lucky if I even hit a quarter of my goals.
If you eat poorly on one day, just try to eat better the next.
My hope is that the checklist will serve you as a helpful reminder to try to eat a variety of the healthiest foods every day.”
Thanks for reading! Hope you have an awesome day.