A Mindful Approach to Eating Well
When it comes to nutrition, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of different diets and trends. However, the foundation of a nourishing diet can be distilled into a few guiding principles that help simplify healthy eating: 1) focusing on the Daily Dozen, 2) minimizing processed foods/toxins, and 3) practicing what we call mindful meat consumption. These concepts are the cornerstone of how we think about nutrition. Let’s explore each of them in more detail.
The Daily Dozen: Your Foundation for Balanced Eating
The Daily Dozen is not about rigid meal plans or counting every calorie. Instead, it’s a set of principles designed to guide your daily food choices. Think of it as a checklist of nutrient-rich foods that you want to incorporate into your meals as often as possible. These are the foods that provide the most essential vitamins, minerals, and overall nourishment.
Here’s what the Daily Dozen includes:
Beans and Legumes - Protein and fiber powerhouses that are versatile and essential for staying full and energized.
Berries - Antioxidant-rich and naturally sweet, berries add a burst of flavor without the sugar crash.
Other Fruits - Fruits provide variety, color, and a wide range of vitamins, making your meals both nutritious and enjoyable.
Cruciferous Vegetables - Nutrient-dense vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts that offer robust health benefits.
Greens - Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens that are low in calories but high in vitamins.
Other Vegetables - A variety of vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes that contribute unique flavors to your daily menu.
Flaxseeds - Tiny but powerful, flaxseeds are loaded with omega-3s and fiber, a staple for GI health.
Nuts and Seeds - These are rich in healthy fats and protein, helping to keep you satisfied and energized.
Herbs and Spices - Small but impactful, herbs and spices can elevate and transform a meal.
Whole Grains - Brown rice, oats, and quinoa provide complex carbs that offer lasting energy without spikes in blood sugar.
Beverages - Water is essential, but green tea and herbal infusions are great ways to spice things up as well.
Exercise - While not a food, daily movement complements your diet and keeps your body in top shape.
The beauty of the Daily Dozen is its flexibility. It’s about striving to include these nutrient-dense foods in your diet as often as possible, helping you build a balanced, health-supportive diet without feeling restrictive.
Minimizing Processed Foods: Simplify and Clean Up Your Diet
The second guiding principle is to minimize processed foods. Processed foods often come with added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients that are best avoided. We also include sugary drinks, especially those made with high fructose corn syrup, in this category. Minimizing processed foods is about simplifying your diet and focusing on whole, cleaner options that nourish your body.
(As a sidebar, we also attempt to be very selective with our alcohol intake, as it is a toxin, and so we group it here as a “processed food” that you should limit your exposure to).
A helpful strategy when grocery shopping is to stick to the perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll find fresh produce, as opposed to the processed, packaged options that typically fill the center aisles. This approach naturally guides you toward healthier choices.
Of course, it’s not always possible to avoid processed foods entirely. The key is to make progress, not strive for perfection. Whenever possible, choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible—fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes should make up the bulk of your diet. These whole foods provide the nourishment your body needs to function at its best.
Mindful Meat Consumption: Prioritize Quality
Mindful meat consumption is about being thoughtful about the types and sources of meat you include in your diet. Not all meat is created equal, and factory-based meats, in particular, often come with harmful additives, antibiotics, and other concerns. If you choose to include meat in your diet, prioritize quality over quantity. Opt for hormone-free, locally-sourced, and humanely-raised options. These choices in general tend to be the better option.
Reducing meat consumption altogether is another option worth considering. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains can provide all the building blocks your body needs while reducing your exposure to risks associated with meat consumption, such as inflammation and potential carcinogens. That said, the goal here is not to shoehorn everyone into the exact same eating patterns—we don’t waive a particular flag here—but rather to make sure what you eat is serving your specific nutritional and longevity goals.
If you are cutting back on meat, ensure you’re getting enough protein from other sources like beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. And if you’re still including meat or animal protein in your diet, be mindful of the source. For example, “farm-raised” salmon might seem like a healthy choice, but it often doesn’t meet the same quality standards as other types of farm-raised animal protein. Make informed choices to ensure you’re fueling your body with the best possible options.
Bringing It All Together: Cutting Through the Noise
These are just a few of the principles that have helped us filter out the distractions of overwhelming nutrition fads over the years and make the process of preparing and enjoying delicious, healthy foods simpler. By focusing on the Daily Dozen, minimizing processed foods, and being thoughtful about your meat consumption, you create a straightforward approach to eating well that’s both nourishing and sustainable.