Healthy eating requires discipline. Our food landscape is laden with oversized portions rich in saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. For some, the holidays bring waves of anxiety about the foods that come with them. Before jumping onto the latest diet trend, consider a case for common-sense nutrition.
Not only is dieting difficult, but it is also hard to determine which diets are worth following. Popular diets today include intermittent fasting, low-carb and ketogenic diets. All of these could be described as extreme, requiring a total denial of food based on the time of day or type of food in question. While these diets can be effective for short-term weight loss, definitive evidence does not endorse them as sustainable, healthful ways of life or successful in reducing the risk for chronic disease. None of these popular diet trends improve adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.
Ironically, while 80% of Americans have been on a diet at some point, only 10% meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. The average American diet scores 59 out of 100 on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which measures how closely a diet aligns with the Dietary Guidelines. Research shows that higher HEI scores improve Americans' health.
Diets are not one-size-fits-all. Thankfully, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans do not provide a specific list of dos and don’ts. Instead, they recommend a balanced eating pattern incorporating more fruits, vegetables and plant-based proteins, less alcohol and red meat, and more activity. The guidelines are holistic and customizable to many lifestyles and food preferences. What would happen if we stopped zeroing in on minute details (like supplements and fad diets) and tried to mirror the Dietary Guidelines more closely? Rather than feeling daunted by the challenge of maintaining a strict diet, incorporate a simple habit that will benefit you all season long.
There is a wealth of research regarding the benefits of eating behaviors and weight management. Cooking and eating family meals increase the diet quality of both parents and children. Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. More frequent cooking at home is associated with better diet quality overall among lower- and higher-income adults. Choosing more nutrient-dense foods can also help mental health during seasons with minimal daytime sun exposure.
Everyday healthy habits such as these often go unrecognized in favor of new technology or calculators that can spit out numbers to track. Still, these more “gentle” nutrition approaches help reduce stress, tune into hunger and fullness and make smart decisions about food.
Re-familiarize yourself with the basics and put aside the minute concerns that media can cause you to obsess over. Ask yourself — would I benefit from following such strict rules? How many fruits and vegetables do I typically eat in a day? How can I realistically increase that average by one?
Whether your health goals relate to a chronic condition or simply a desire to be more physically fit, pursuing health goals does not have to feel clinical. Instead of focusing on “avoid eating until noon,” aim for “choose foods in the grocery store that have more fiber per serving.”
Fad diets and extreme strategies that cut out major food groups are unsustainable. For long-term weight maintenance and overall health, follow sensible approaches to a healthy diet.
Find more nutrition tips from Northside Hospital.
Resources:
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Top 10 Things You Need to Know." Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Accessed November 25, 2024. dietaryguidelines.gov/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials/top-10-things-you-need-know.
- Lim, Jung Eun, and Hyun Jin. "Impact of Dieting Habits on Long-Term Health." Public Library of Science (May 2022): Article PMC9110493. Accessed November 25, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9110493.
- Within Health. "Study Reveals Americans' Dieting Habits in 2022." Accessed November 25, 2024. withinhealth.com/explore-articles/study-reveals-americans-dieting-habits-in-2022#:~:text=Our%20survey%20finds%20almost%20half,of%20diet%20in%20the%20past.
- Aune, Dagfinn, Edward Giovannucci, Paolo Boffetta, et al. "Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies." PubMed. Accessed November 25, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30429124.
- Wolfson, Julia A., and Sara N. Bleich. "More Frequent Cooking at Home Is Associated with Higher Healthy Eating Index-2015 Score." PubMed. Accessed November 25, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30826602.
