Food for Thought #3 Real Food, Real Life
“You don’t neccessarily have to eat less. You just have to eat real.” – Unknown
One patient told me she followed a diabetic diet and was told to eat lots of fruit. Another said she was told fruit is bad. Someone else cut all carbs and felt amazing. It’s confusing!
Or do we sometimes confuse ourselves? I told Milene this morning that I feel like people need degrees these days just to know what to feed their cats! Yet alone themselves and their kids!
We are surrounded by a lot of food, a lot of amazing food, and a lot of addictive food. It feels like big companies are just out their to make money. We’re not sure who to trust anymore. It’s not just about will power.
When it comes to eating and food, I think it’s about finding what works for you—for your health, your goals and priorities, for your budget, your body, your culture, and your phase of life. Sometimes figuring this out needs some time and effort.
But Before we dive into the big debates (low-fat vs low-carb, plant-based, fasting, etc.), let’s take a deep breath and look at what almost everyone—experts, doctors, researchers—agree on when it comes to preventing or managing conditions like diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
- Real food is best. The closer to nature, the better.
- Avoid processed and ultra-processed stuff. (If it has a list of ingredients longer than your shopping list, maybe skip it.)
- Refined carbs = not very healthy. Think white bread, white pap (with all the fibre sifted out), sugary cereals, and fizzy drinks.
- Water is what we should drink. Coke Zero might be popular, but your gut microbes prefer good ol’ H₂O. Fruit juice has a lot of sugar and no fibre. (Patients are usually very disgusted when I recommend they only drink water.)
- Fiber is your friend. It slows down sugar absorption, feeds your good gut bugs, and keeps things moving. Beans, greens, yellow maize meal.
- Movement matters ALOT. Even a 10-minute walk after a meal can lower your blood sugar. I’ve seen it for real.
- We’re often overfed but undernourished. It’s not always about eating less—it’s about eating right.
While I’ll explore different dietary approaches, this remains important: real food and movement are foundational no matter what path you choose.
Why I care (and why you might too)
I’ve seen too many patients get diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis before they even turn 50. Yes, genetics and other factors play a role, but diet and exercise play a HUGE role, and it’s actually something we have some control over.
I think the confusion about what to eat does make it more difficult. Also, making healthy, unprocessed foods does take effort. Also, it’s difficult choosing to say no to that dopamine hit that a lot of foods give us. Our gut microbes also control what foods we (and they) eat. (More about those microbes later.)
I think children should be taught about healthy food from a young age so that it’s not that difficult to choose healthy. But instead they get rewarded with sweets! Reinforcing the ‘sweets are good’ veggies are not nice idea.
Let’s not underestimate the power of small changes and small habits! Like drinking more water. Taking a walk. Chewing slowly instead of shoveling down your food. These are not Instagram-worthy health hacks—they’re gentle revolutions. And they work. Consistency is key.
I think we should first educate ourselves and others about what is truly healthy for us…then the next step, which I think is even more tricky: Once you know what you should eat and do, you should stick to it. But we all know when life gets going, it’s not always easy to stick to these plans.
Can we do real life and real food in an unreal world?
I’m exploring and writing this to figure it all out for myself too!
Are you confused by what to eat at all? Are you able to avoid processed foods. Please comment any suggestions or thoughts…
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
Here’s to real food, walking after lunch, and getting back in touch with the wisdom of our bodies. Maybe we can do more than just survive—maybe we can thrive.
