His main point was to eat food closer to how it grows. An orange is great, orange juice is farther from its natural state so not as good and an orange flavored Popsicle has probably never met an orange and so is even less healthy although it does have orange in the name. A baked potato is great until you cover it in cheese, sour cream, onion, chili and anything else you can think of. It doesn’t have to be organic (although organic is great) but the closer to how it naturally grow the healthier a choice it will be. He did jokingly say that Iceberg lettuce was the one vegetable that didn’t count because it has almost no nutritional value and you could get the same nutritional value from a glass of water. Cocoa in its natural form is good for you but once it has been turned into chocolate then all the good has been processed out of it – sorry I was sad to hear that also. I myself have always considered dark chocolate as a health food and a part of my daily regiment.   When asked about the myth that it is bad to eat right before bed because it will be converted to fat – David said that it is not when you eat but what you eat. A greasy burger at lunch is still not as good for you as a salad and whole grain bread just before bed.
The major lessons were:
- Eat more plant based foods
- Eat less animal fat (saturated)
- Eat closer to the way it grows
- Physical activity 4+ days a week
- 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, or
- 75 minutes per week of intense exercise
The Mediterranean Diet is a good example of this. People who live in the Mediterranean tend to live long and healthy lives and a part of that is due to their diet. Generally their diet consists of whole grain, fresh green vegetables, daily exercise, and alcohol in moderation (a single glass or less per day). David did warn that alcohol was not recommended especially for people who are not able to handle it in moderation only.   Our population has a growing subpopulation of people over 100 years old. Due to advances in medical treatment and better nutrition, we are living longer then ever. It is important that we take care of ourselves now so we have a good quality of life well into the future. David said that there are 7 things that most people over 100 years old have in common. He told us two of the seven things – Be Optiamistic and Adapt to Lose.
We all have a few pounds that we want to shed and would love for there to be a quick fix or a pill that we can take to lose the weight. The easiest way to lose weight isn’t in a magic pill it is eating right and regular exercise – not just that month at the gym just after New Years. It is important to know that scales don’t tell the whole story. Our weight will fluctuate due to water weight and other factors. A better way to judge your healthy rather then how much you weight is what your waist size is. This is a better predictor then Body Mass Index (BMI) or a height/weight table. Women should have about a 35 inch waist while men should have about a 40 inch waist. David said that gut fat is more dangerous then hip fat. The best way to slim down is to exercise at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of strenuous exercise. In addition, eat less fat, salt, and sugar, eat more fish (unless you are a vegetarian), read the food labels and know the numbers and remember that scales don’t tell the whole story. Replace the scale with a tape measure.
Daily Goals
- 30 grams of Fiber
- 50 grams of Fat (less animal, more plant)
- 4 ½ cups of Fruit/Vegetables
- Exercise 150 min moderate per week or 75 min intensive per week
- 1500mg of Sodium
Sugar is not endorsed because we can live without it. Eat less sugar if you can’t live without it especially less processed sugar – get your sugar from your food not put it in your food. Frequency and Quantity – how much and how often make the difference.   The main thing that he said over and over again is
EAT CLOSER TO THE WAY IT GROWS!
This seminar was very informative to me and has changed how my family is eating (although my husband is less then excited about some of the changes). I hope that these blogs have helped to pass this information on to you. Our main goal is to keep you living a long and healthy life.
