CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, VOLUME & MICRONUTRIENTS
This week we look at carbohydrates, fat, volume of food, and micronutrients.
It’s a big one so please take some time out to read through this and ask me lots of questions if needed.
FRUIT & VEG
We've been told for years to eat more fruit and vegetables—and for good reason!
The volume you can eat for relatively few calories is incredible.
Just look at this plate showing 800g of fruit and veg—it adds up to around 400 calories.
Now, imagine how full you'd feel if you aimed for 800g of fruit and veg every day.
Not only would you be naturally reducing space for higher-calorie, processed foods, but you'd also be loading up on essential micronutrients.
Micronutrients—like vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals—are crucial for overall health.
In contrast, diets high in processed foods tend to be calorie-dense but low in micronutrients.
That's a lose/lose situation.
Why 800g?
This volume of fruits and veggies was associated with a lower risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease, and death in this study, which is a meta-analysis of 95 other studies!
It also falls in line with NHS guidelines for healthy eating.
So not only will you be healthier and live longer, it’s going to help you keep body fat off and look your best!
Those who eat a low-volume diet will struggle with their hunger levels and ultimately be more likely to not hit their desired goal.
If you fall in the camp of someone who is constantly hungry, volume eating is going to be a lifesaver.
What counts when looking to consume 800g of fruit/veg?
Typical fruit/veg options all count but the list below are things that can be confusing if they count or not:
Avocado: Counts.
Beans: Count.
Coconut: Milks, juices, or dried flakes do not count.
Corn: Corn on the cob or whole kernels, counts.
Dried fruits & veggies: Do not count. Nothing dried counts.
Edamame: If not dried, it counts.
Fermented/pickled foods: If the brine includes sugar, it does not count. Otherwise, these foods count (weigh them drained).
Flours (e.g., chickpea flour): Does not count.
Fried food: Fried anything does not count.
Guacamole: If the entire ingredient list is vegetables, fruit, and/or spices, count it.
Grains (e.g., quinoa, rice, buckwheat, etc.): Do not count.
Hummus: Store-bought variations do not count.
Juices: No juices count, homemade or not.
Legumes (beans): They count and are a great choice.
Mashed potatoes: Mixed with cream and butter do not count.
Nuts: Do not count.
Olives: Count.
Pasta/noodles: Nope.
Peas: Count.
Potatoes: Count, as long as they are not commercially altered e.g Chips.
Salsa: If the entire ingredient list is vegetables, fruit, and/or spices, count it.
Smoothies: Homemade smoothies that you can weigh the contributing items before blending count. Store-bought smoothies do not count.
Soups: Pre-mixed/store-bought soups do not count.
Tofu: Counts.
Tinned tomatoes: Count it.
CARBOHYDRATES
Fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates.
So you can see already that demonising carbs for being unhealthy and the reason for people being overweight is simplistic and outright wrong.
All carbohydrates we consume are digested into monosaccharides or simple sugars before they’re absorbed by the body, regardless of whether the food source is a simple sugar cube or a high-fibre, low glycemic index bowl of vegetables.
It’s just that the “healthier carbs” are digested and absorbed much slower while containing more micronutrients and fibre.
So what’s a healthier carbohydrate that isn’t fruit/veg?
Take a look at the carbohydrate infographic here from your nutrition pack
FATS
There are 3 main types of dietary fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Is there such a thing as healthy fats?
Typically you'll see monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats labeled as "healthy".
Yet early humans evolved eating lots of unprocessed forms of saturated fats.
Such as organ meat, wild game, blubber, coconuts, etc...
So, a better definition of "healthy fat" might be "relatively unprocessed fat from whole food".
You would class unhealthy fats as those that are industrially produced and designed to be nonperishable, like trans-fatty acids.
Since humans evolved by consuming a diet of whole foods, fat intake from mono-, poly-, and saturated sources was distributed evenly.
Scientists estimate that the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in a hunter-gatherer diet is around 1:1.
Humans currently consume a ratio of about 16:1 to even 20:1 – an intake that’s way out of balance.
Much of our omega-6 and saturated fat intake is from refined fat sources, not from whole foods.
Fats also exert powerful effects on the body.
We need adequate fat to support metabolism, cell signaling, the health of various body tissues, immunity, hormone production, and the absorption of many nutrients (such as vitamins A and D).
Having enough fat will also help keep you feeling full between meals.
Remember that fats hold over double the amount of calories vs proteins/carbs, making it easy to go overboard.
Take a look at the fat infographic here from your nutrition pack.
STATS
Unfortunately, most people in the UK end up being overweight.
Take a look at this worrying statistic here.
Almost 3/4 of us end up overweight at the age of 45+.
This problem is multifaceted but one thing is sure.
People are not eating enough high-quality, low-processed foods.
WEEKLY TASK
Don’t get caught up in the specifics of 800g or only eating certain types of carbs/fats.
These principals are your focus this week:
Aim to bump up your fruit/veg amount by a cup amount or a fist. Example: Adding 1 fist of broccoli to your dinner tonight is a win.
Aim to eat choices from the more categories in the carbs/fats infographics in your nutrition pack (or use the links above).
It’s never about being perfect, it’s about making a small choice to be better this week than the last.
Add these to your tracker sheets for those using them.
Resources
Follow the work of EC Synkowski via her YouTube TedTalk and her podcast links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erdk0na5yMI&ab_channel=TEDxTalks