Why I HATE Diets
Since I was a child, I deeply disliked being told what to do. Even though I’ve matured along the way, I still sense my deep-seeded push back in the face of firm boundaries. I guess you can say I’m rebellious by nature, haha! (Oh, thanks be to Jesus, whose precepts I freely submit to!)
Diets, to me, are another set of rules and regulations which just seem too tedious to follow to the “letter of the law.” I don’t like to think that hard, or measure and count that diligently, when it comes to food intake. For me, it takes all the fun and pleasure out of the eating experience.
That said, there are broader principles to dietary intake which I (and you) would be foolish to ignore. Study after study have hailed the benefits of two “diets” in particular: the Mediterranean and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plans. Upon analysis, these two food plans have many overlapping components, which when extracted and taken together, are now being referred to as the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay).
You see, whatever is good for the cardiovascular system is good for the brain, and both “diets” are great for overall health and longevity. If you and I are serious about wanting to age well, live long, and serve strong, we’d be remiss not to incorporate these critical components and their recommended portions/week into our eating plans.
Here are the top 10 foods represented in each of the three diet plans above:
- Berries: blue-, black-, straw-, and raspberries
Quantity: 2, 1/2 cup servings/week
- Green leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, collard, etc. (The darker the pigment the better.)
Quantity: 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked/day
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, nut butters
Quantity: 1 serving/day (nuts: 1/3 cup, seeds: 2 TBS, butters: 2 TBS=one serving)
- Legumes (beans): chickpeas, black, red, white, pink, lentils, hummus
Quantity: 3-4, 1/2 cup servings/week
- Cold water fish: salmon, tuna, sardines, etc.
Quantity: 1, 3 oz serving/week
- Other brightly colored, non-starchy veggies: bell peppers, broccoli, eggplant (skin on)
Quantity: ½ cup raw or cooked/day
- Greek yogurt
Quantity: 1 serving/day (1 cup=one serving)
- Whole grains: oatmeal, quinoa, barley, farro
Quantity: 3 servings/day (1/2 cup cooked=one serving, or one, 1 oz. slice of bread)
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Quantity: 1 tsp, twice/day
- Poultry: chicken and turkey
Quantity: 2, 3oz. servings/week
