You Are What You Eat…But What Exactly is that?

When I first heard the phrase “You are what you eat” in 5th grade. It was directed towards me because I was eating Nerds. Well, I shot back at her that if that statement is true then she is a “Cow’s tail” since she was in fact eating a cow tail candy rope. She set herself up for that one.

Nowadays, that statement has a little more to it in my head. It can be boiled down as simply as possible. For example: if you eat fatty foods, you are most likely fat; if you eat lean, healthy foods then you most likely are lean and healthy. I think though, that with the amount of confusion surrounding our diets it is a lot more complex than just healthy vs unhealthy. In the book, “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan, he states that everyone at least has a passing knowledge of the words “antioxidant”, “saturated fat”, “omega-3 fatty acids”, “Polyphenols”, “gluten”, and “probiotics”. You’ve heard of ”good” fats and “bad” fats and super-foods and artificial sweeteners and whether carbs are bad since they make you fat….and so on. So many things to distract us from what we should be eating. Companies seem to be trying to tell us that if a big word is involved it’s healthy and since you don’t know what it means then you should probably just buy it because it might be good for you.

I love nutrition. I have done extensive research on my own to learn about different foods and their uses in the body. That knowledge has helped me overlook those business ploys and marketing schemes that just want my buck in their wallet. I would like to share with you some information and tips that I have found helpful, and hopefully you will too, when it comes to deciding what to eat.

• Rule 1: If you cannot pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t eat it. If the ingredients on the back of your can, bag, or package say things that normal people don’t have in their cupboards then stay away from it. These are a few common items’ ingredients that a lot of people have in their cupboards:

1.        Fiber One granola bars: (first several ingredients are normal grains and sweeteners) maltodextrin, Glycerin, Tricalcium Phosphate, soy lecithin, mixed tocopherols, cocoa processed with alkali. This brand claims that these are healthy because the amount of fiber  is about 35% DV and only contains 4 grams of fat. But what the crud are all those other ingredients doing in there? Click here for a healthy granola bar recipe that contains the same nutrients without the added “stuff”.
2.         Ann’s House “Good Health Energy” mix: contains soybeans, cranberries, almonds, and pumpkin kernels. I thought this stuff was fantastic! There isn’t anything unpronouncable added into it and I thought it tasted good. Cody was of a different opinion.
3.          Lay’s Wavy Original Potato chips: Potatoes, sunflower oil and/or corn oil, and salt. I’m not sure what the “and/or” is about since they are the ones who would determine which oil is used. But I was pleasantly surprised that these chips stick to the basic essentials. Eleven of them have 150 calories and 15% fat. A healthy alternative would be carrot sticks, but I wouldn’t feel bad about eating a small handful of these at a BBQ.
4.          Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: This stuff is horrible. Only one serving (a cup) is 410 calories and there are about 3 cups per box. I don’t know about you but I can eat a whole box by myself. The ingredient list consists of enriched macaroni product, cheese sauce packet (contains a lot of unpronouncable things) and then you add butter and milk. I have made homemade mac and cheese before and it tastes a lot better than the boxed kind. If you are going to eat something fattening, eat it right. Basic ingredients are elbow noodles, lots of cheese, milk and maybe some salt and pepper. I can pronounce all those ingredients.

• Rule 2:  Try to eat as close the natural product as possible. What is better for you? White bread or whole graind bread? Canned peaches in syrup or a fresh peach? The answers are obvious when you look at it in terms of what the product originally started out as. The farther you get from that, the more unnecessary ingredients are added in along with fats, sugar, and salt. Most products that are on the shelf imply that they have fruits or vegetables or whole grains, when actually they have “enriched” or added in vitamins and minerals because there is barely enough natural ingredients left to provide any significant nutrients. Check your bread. You want the first ingredient to be Whole grain wheat. If you like white bread then you’re just eating unnecessary calories.
• Rule 3: If it comes in a bag and is handed to you through a window then it isn’t healthy. If you think about the statement “You are what you eat” in reference to fast food then you might become a little bit depressed. Next time you order out of your car try tracing the ingredients in your fast food back to it originations. Take a cheeseburger. Bun comes from flour, meat comes from a cow, cheese comes from a cow- cows that were most likely not grass fed but fed grains like corn which is just a fattening food with no nutrients for cows. The fried were most likely fried in corn oil. So you are just eating empty calories that came from a corn field in Iowa or somewhere. All that processing, and effort, and labor to get you your $3.00 value meal that is unrecognizable from it’s original product. I’ll admit that it does taste good, though.
• Rule 4: Try to support local farmers by going to farmer’s markets as well as buying organic whenever financially possible. Supporting your local economy by purchasing foods locally helps the environment as well as your health. You are getting the freshest foods that haven’t lost significant vitamins and nutrients. Buying organic also eliminates those pesticides. If you are on a strict budget and can’t afford to go fully organic then only buy organic products where you would eat the outside as well the inside- like apples, carrots, pears. Things like that. Anything with a peel would have most the poisons on the part you wouldn’t eat.
• Rule 5: Cook at home as much as possible. That way you know what’s in your food and can monitor your diet. If you go out to eat a lot, then you are putting someone else in control of what goes into your body. Try interesting recipes with varied ingredients.
• Rule 6: Keep fresh veggies and fruits in stock instead of junk foods. If you don’t have it, you won’t eat it. You cannot eat too many vegetables. If you find it hard to eat them raw, then get a low fat dressing to dip them in or find a happy medium.

I am reading up on baby food and what things to feed my 7 month old, and the “What to Expect” book on the first year offered good advice that everyone can follow- not just your baby. The book said you should feed your baby a variety of foods but nothing with added sugar or salt. So, in short, eat a variety of foods (consisting mostly of fresh produce and whole grains), limit your intake of processed and fatty foods, and enjoy what you eat.

I got most of my information from Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules” and “What to Eat”  by Marion Nestle. Both amazing good books that I would recommend to anyone.