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How strictly do you watch your eating habits? While some eat what they want, when they want, more and more people I see in the clinic are basing their meals around ‘rules’.
And when I hear some of these “rules,” I want to bury my head in my hands.
Take the idea that fruit should only be eaten on an empty stomach, otherwise it will ‘slow down’ digestion – there is no basis for that in science. It’s just one example of many.
Here I focus on some of the food mantras that you can ignore. By doing this, I hope to ensure that your meals are healthier, happier occasions.
wait to drink
The idea of taking a 30-minute break between eating your meal and having a drink has been around for years, based on the belief that drinking even water with meals will dilute our digestive enzymes.
But your body is smarter than that. While it’s possible that drinking water can temporarily dilute the concentration of stomach enzymes, there are sensors in the stomach to ensure that as many enzymes are produced as you need to digest a meal.
It’s even a good idea to drink water with meals if you eat too quickly and too much, as it can reduce the chances of overeating.
How strictly do you watch your eating habits? While some eat what they want, when they want, more and more people I see in the clinic are basing their meals around ‘rules’
Cut the carbs…
Carbohydrates have acquired a bad reputation – accused of raising blood sugar and causing weight gain – and as a result, many people eliminate them altogether.
But for most people, good-quality carbohydrates — such as oats — are a valuable addition to the diet. They provide useful amounts of fiber (we need 30g per day) and leaving it out can negatively affect our gut microbes, which use fiber as a food source.
In addition, a review from Tufts University in the US, published in 2019, showed that a higher intake of whole grains may actually lower the risk of weight gain.
The findings were based on studies with more than 130,000 participants, making it pretty compelling evidence.
So definitely say no to the highly processed white breads, cakes and cookies, but don’t worry about including whole grains like quinoa and rye, legumes like chickpeas and lentils, and other plant-based carbohydrates.
…And sugary fruit
Many people seem to have accepted the idea that fruit is just another source of sugar and thus plays no part in a healthy diet. But research shows that the opposite is true.
Fruits are packed with fiber, vitamins and other plant compounds (called phytochemicals) that are good for our gut microbes, including a group called bifidobacteria.
Low levels of this particular bacteria have been linked to low mood — this may explain the findings of a review published last year by researchers at the University of Sydney, which found that eating fruit was linked with a lower risk of developing from depression.
The other thing to know about fruit is that the sugar is trapped in the fiber, so it won’t lead to the spike in blood sugar that can be caused by fruit juice (which doesn’t have this fiber).
I recommend eating two pieces of fruit a day, aiming to have at least five different types during the week. The more diverse your fruit intake, the more different phytochemicals your gut microbes can enjoy. Keeping them happy keeps us happy.
Ban on processed foods
It is certainly true that any food with a very long ingredient list and many words that you do not recognize is best avoided.
We know that ultra-processed foods — that is, those made primarily with extracts from other foods and high in fat, salt, sugar and additives — can affect our gut microbes, encourage overeating (due to their low fiber content), and even affect our mental health.
But there’s no need to demonize all processed foods, not least because our busy lives don’t always allow us to make everything from scratch, but also because, frankly, even virtuous Greek yogurt can be considered processed by some ( the definition is that a food has been altered from its natural state, often by adding other ingredients).
Instead, focus on buying foods with ingredients you recognize, rather than additives, in the first four places on the label (ingredients are listed by weight, with the largest amount first).
Stick to fresh…
Canned or frozen food can sometimes contain more nutrients than the fresh produce on the shelves or in the back of the fridge.
A study from Pennsylvania State University in the US, published in the Journal of Food Science, found that fresh spinach lost almost half of its folate (a B vitamin) after eight days in the refrigerator.
Frozen vegetables lose a fraction of their nutrients when blanched before freezing, but otherwise they are bursting with goodness. Likewise, there is a reduction in nutrients when vegetables are heated during the canning process, but the vast majority is preserved.
Canned tomatoes, black beans, and chickpeas are all staples of my pantry.
Plus, using canned or frozen foods can help you incorporate more plant variety into your meals more cost-effectively and with less risk of waste.
Canned tomatoes, black beans, and chickpeas are all staples of my pantry. Canned tomatoes can be seen above
…Or homemade
Okay, a homemade casserole is better for you than a ready meal, but that doesn’t mean all homemade food is good for you — or healthier than a store-bought one.
A homemade cookie with 50 percent butter and 30 percent sugar is arguably worse for you than an oat-based, mass-produced cookie like a Hobnob, which is made from nearly 40 percent oats.
I’m not saying both are good for you, but don’t assume that what comes out of your kitchen is automatically healthier than what’s available in stores. It’s not.
Counting calories
And last but not least, this rule is probably the one most people are religious about — but it’s one that’s ripe for ignoring.
That’s because, for one, the calorie count on labels is often not that accurate — it’s based on what’s happening in a lab, not what’s happening in your body.
Second, not all calories are created equal when it comes to digesting them. For example, a study published in the journal Food & Nutrition Research in 2010 found that digesting a processed meal consumed nearly 50 percent fewer calories than the amount used to digest a full meal (i.e., a vegetable-based meal, nuts and whole wheat).
So my advice is to try to focus your meals on whole plant foods that are minimally processed (i.e. no to those ultra-processed vegan burgers and yes to homemade chickpea burgers) as this will naturally curb your intake of foods that promote weight gain. .
This allows for a healthier, more effective approach to eating and weight management.
Try this: ‘Live’ breakfast parfait
Don’t let that busy start get in the way of a tasty and nutritious breakfast for you and your gut microbes. This is one of my favorites.
Serves 1
- 200 g live, thick yogurt
- 50 g berries of your choice
- 40 grams of granola without added sugars
- 1 tbsp dark chocolate, shaved
Place ingredients in a serving glass — spoon in half the yogurt first, then half the fruit, then half the granola and repeat. Finish with dark chocolate chips.
AskMegan
My daughter has had stomach cramps, bloating and nausea and has lost weight since she had the norovirus five years ago. Despite testing (including blood and stool tests and an endoscopy), she has not had a diagnosis, but has been prescribed antidepressants for the stomach cramps for the past three years. Whenever she slowly tries to get rid of it, the cramps come back.
Tricia Wright.
It sounds like your daughter has post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS), which is a fairly common cause of IBS. It occurs when an infection affects the enteric nervous system, which connects our gut and brain. As a result, even long after the infection has been eradicated, the gut symptoms persist.
Certain types of antidepressants, prescribed in lower doses than when used to treat depression, can help because they target the gut rather than the brain as such.
I recommend asking your daughter to be referred to a dietitian who specializes in IBS, who can review her diet and determine if there are any major triggers.
It’s also worth considering cognitive behavioral therapy or gut-focused hypnotherapy, as both have been shown to help address the dysfunction between the gut and brain in IBS – they’re often used for patients who don’t want to rely on medication. Buscopan, which you can buy at pharmacies, can help with acute cramps during the short transition from medication to therapy.