Rethink Your Dinner Plate

Today, I would like us to rethink our dinner plate. If we look at the food pyramid that is given to us by our government, we see something that looks like this...

A rising health concern in America is the increasing number of type 2 diabetes cases along with obesity. What causes type 2 diabetes? Mainly, diet. I know a number of people with type 2 diabetes. When they changed their diets and start getting the proper nutrition their diabetes was reversed as quickly as one week. Isn't that crazy?? No drugs, no surgery. Mainly, a balanced diet and sometimes added nutritional support with natural supplements. 

So what is a balanced diet and why is this pyramid leading us astray? In my opinion, and others with many more credentials than I, believe that there is a need for restructuring of the food pyramid. Dr. Bob Rakowski came up with a plate that I believe will help you achieve optimal health. 

As you can see, this plate is very different than the food pyramid above. I believe this approach to your daily eating will do a couple of things for you:

1. It will increase your intake of plant nutrients. This will feed your cells, promote gut health (keep your regular), and they are fat burning foods.
2. Increased protein will give your body the fuel it needs to balance your blood sugar and nourish your body. 
3. This diet has a low glycemic index. When you eat grains, even when they are "whole wheat," your body quickly converts them into sugar. When you get too much sugar in your diet from eating sugar OR grains you may become insulin resistant. This is where a number of health problems start.

Let me revisit insulin resistance for my previous post Too Much Good?:

The relationship between your blood sugar and insulin is sensitive. Let me introduce insulin resistance to you--this happens when you continually eat foods that spike your blood sugar (soda, donuts, candy, bread, etc.). When you eat these foods you actually down regulate your blood sugar receptors (they become desensitized)--making your body produce excess insulin. Here is the problem, insulin is your main fat storing hormone.  When your body produces too much of any hormone it stores in your fat, because there is no use for it. Ever looked in the mirror and noticed your love handles or that you might have some excess upper back fat? Yep, that is the favorite place for your excess insulin to dwell.

In conclusion, increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables and protein you consume and decreasing the amount of "carby" foods you eat with promote health and help shrink your waistline. Who doesn't want that? Hopefully, this post will help you load up your plate differently and help you see the results you're looking for!

Until Next Time,

Hope

xoxo