A few guiding principles around food …
Chad Aschtgen, N.D.As a naturopathic physician one of the most common questions I get from my patients is, “What do you eat at home?”
Instead of sharing what I specifically eat, I think it’s more important to share the guiding principles I follow when feeding my family and myself.
First, the majority of my diet consists of whole foods. This doesn’t mean you have to shop at a specialty store to find them. Whole food is food in its natural state, and it contains a whole host of nutrients that the body can use to enhance health. If you can’t picture the food in nature, chances are there is a significant portion of it that’s not real food. (Have you ever seen a Twinkie tree or a TV dinner plant?)
In contrast to whole foods, processed and refined foods lose many of their healthy nutrients during the manufacturing process. Additionally, other components – such as sugar and fat – are often added.
Second, I try to get my basic vitamins and minerals from my diet, not from a supplement. That’s not to say that supplements are bad, because many can be useful and therapeutic. However, supplements cannot replace the vitamins and minerals found in a nutritious diet.
Finally, I make sure to get the appropriate amount of calories. I tell my patients all the time, your body needs calories to function – especially if you’re undergoing treatment for cancer and you need to keep your strength up.
- Eat a well-balanced diet. Your diet should include:
- Whole foods
- Plenty of vegetables (6-8 servings) and fruits (2-3 servings)
- A variety of grains, beans, nuts and seeds
- Protein spread throughout the day (not all in one meal) - Your diet should not include:
- Fast food, junk food, soda pop and any foods high in refined sugar/simple carbohydrates
- A lot of bread—shoot for no more than one serving daily (this includes pastries, pasta and potatoes)
- A lot of alcohol—limit your intake to no more than 3-4 drinks per week
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