Seven Universal Laws of Healthy Eating

Are you feeling tired?

Do you have a hard time losing weight?

Just not feeling like the best version of yourself?

A good way to start trying to feel better is by improving your daily food habits and moving toward what I call the Seven Universal Laws of healthy eating.

There is a lot of confusion regarding health and nutrition--low carb, paleo, vegan, raw food, macrobiotic, gluten-free, hypoallergenic…and the list goes on and on! However, despite the obvious contradictions between these divergent food plans, there are a lot of similarities. These are what I refer to as the Seven Universal Laws.

The Seven Universal Laws are those elements that benefit all of us. If you are looking to getting started on optimizing your health, start here. See how you feel. You may need to dive a little deeper or you may require a more personalized plan, but start with the basics first.

1. Eat Real Food

Real food is the kind of food that has been around since the beginning of time. It is food that you can recognize as coming from the garden, tree, forest, field, plant, etc.

Before you eat, stop and ask yourself if this is the kind of food that your great-great-great grandparents would have eaten? If not, then it’s probably not something you should eat on a regular basis.

Real food generally isn’t packaged and doesn’t have a label. Read your labels and if there is something on that label that is difficult to pronounce, you’re not sure what it means, or has more than three syllables--DON’T EAT IT!

2. Eat Vegetables and Fruit Daily

Packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals such as antioxidants--these are nature’s health food. Aim for variety and for a half-plate of plants at each meal. They are also an integral part of maintaining a healthy weight, boosting the immune system, and preventing chronic illness.

3. Minimize Your Intake of Added Sugar

Excess sugar consumption is linked to many disease processes. A sugar-laden diet increases your risk of dying prematurely from; heart disease (even if you are not overweight!), diabetes, cancer, and obesity. It promotes belly fat and can affect the liver similar to alcohol. It can also adversely impact brain and immune health. The World Health Organization recommends less than 10% of calories come from sugar. But they say further health benefits are seen if we can limit it to no more than 5%. That is equivalent to 6 teaspoons of added sugar. Sugar added to beverages is particularly detrimental because it is really easy to consume a lot of sugar mindlessly. A single can of soda may contain 40 grams of sugar (10 tsp of sugar). Sugar is also added to things that we don’t even consider sweet, for example pasta sauce. However, it all adds up which is another reason why it is so important to read your labels.

4. Reduce Your Consumption of Refined Carbohydrates

A refined carbohydrate is one that has been highly processed and has had most of the fiber removed. It includes most things made with added sugar and flour. A refined carbohydrate has a higher glycemic index than whole-food carbohydrates. That means it converts into sugar more quickly and can cause too much insulin to be released. This process in turn promotes inflammation, diabetes, and obesity.

5. Choose Healthy Fats

Fats help us feel satisfied and play an important role in maintaining blood sugar levels. The fats found in nuts, seeds, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, fish, and flax are particularly healthy. I also recommend butter/ghee (organic is best) and/or coconut oil in moderation--I feel most comfortable with traditional foods that have been around for a long time! Stay away from hydrogenated foods, fried foods, and vegetable oils in general. Oils should be cold and or expeller-pressed.

6. Get Enough Protein

Protein is essential for maintaining our health. Most of us need a minimum of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. Protein is important for a healthy immune system. It helps to lower blood sugar and promote weight loss and positive body composition changes. Determining the best type of protein to consume (animal vs vegetable) is an individualized decision. It varies based on genetic makeup, religious/cultural background, and the type of heath condition(s). If you rely on vegetable proteins (legumes, nuts, and seeds) focus on a variety of sources. For people who consume meat (eggs, fish, poultry, red meat, dairy), grass-fed, organic, wild and/or local is ideal.

7. Moderation is Best

Last but not least, we generally eat too much. And yes, you can have too much of a good thing! Watch your portions.

These are the Seven Universal Laws of healthy eating. We can all benefit from adhering to them. They provide the foundations of good health. Whether you need to eliminate gluten or adopt a vegan or keto diet--well, that is where nutrition needs to get personalized. There is not one plan that fits all. First get started with the basics and then determine whether you need to try a particular approach; see how you feel and listen to your body--just pay attention. Your body’s infinite wisdom will guide you!

The Seven Universal Laws are a great place to start. If you become overwhelmed or find that these principles do not help enough, let’s work together and I can help you on your journey to better health and improved well-being.

Rachel Oppitz, ND