004 - Eat From Nature's Plate

Mother Nature and the speaker discuss the importance of eating from nature's plate, which means consuming whole, natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and proteins. They emphasize the need for non-starchy vegetables to fill half of the plate, with proteins and carbs taking up the other half. They also mention the importance of fiber and protein in creating filling meals that are low in calories. They suggest experimenting with different types of breakfasts and emphasize the importance of drinking plenty of water. They caution against consuming calories through drinks and remind listeners to be mindful of their body weight. Overall, the goal is to have a diverse range of food types at each meal and to eat in a way that promotes health and well-being. Hello, and welcome to our conversations with Mother Nature. This week we're talking diet, which may be a touchy subject for some, and possibly one that you may well be well and truly bored of hearing about too. But please bear with me, because Mother Nature and I are going to try and make this as simple and as inspiring as possible. So let me start off with a broad statement. Nutrition has become an overwhelmingly complex topic over the years. Everyone has an opinion, and there seem to be more don'ts than dos about what you should and shouldn't eat these days too. Before starting to record this, I took a quick look on Amazon and found well over 100,000 books to choose from on a single search topic for healthy nutrition book, each one looking for a new and unique selling point to market themselves to. So how can we start to unravel all this? And more importantly, how can we simplify what a healthy diet really means? Well fortunately, Mother Nature doesn't do diet hacks, celebrity endorsements, or posing half naked on Instagram just to promote her nutritional advice. She prefers instead to keep things much, much more simple. So let's find out what she has to say as we discuss with Mother Nature her second rule for vibrant wellbeing, eating from nature's plate. Welcome back to the show Mother Nature. It's good to be back Chris. Today Mother Nature, I'd like to cover your second guideline for wellbeing about food choices, the rule of eating from nature's plate. This, for me, is probably the most difficult subject for us to discuss because, well, we all have such diverse likes and dislikes when it comes to food and drink. And, let's face it, much of diet advice is wrapped up in the negativity of body image. More than anything though, I'm cautious that we don't fall into the name and shame kind of advice that seems to be common these days. So, do you have any thoughts on how we can approach this subject in a compassionate way, one that's not dismissive of people's personal choices? That's certainly a difficult place to start Chris. I'd probably start by saying this. To eat from nature's plate isn't a rule. It's a guideline that promotes health. A person's body shape actually doesn't come into it. If you follow the guideline then your natural healthy body shape will emerge from the process. Are you saying that optimal health is built into nature's plate? Yes, absolutely. But please remember that it's not about being perfect. Just do your best within the guidelines and people can always start small if need be. That's really good advice because changing diet can be challenging for even the most motivated people. We should remember that the guidelines are just pointers towards what works, not strict rules that everyone should meet. With that said, tell me, what does eating from nature's plate actually mean? Thank you for this question Chris. I do think it's important to have a starting reference point. Nature's plate means to build as much of your diet from whole, natural foods as possible. Foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and, if you so choose, animal and seafood proteins. How you choose to do that really is a matter of personal taste. Okay, thanks. So nature's plate refers to the raw ingredients before they've been processed? Yes. Okay, great. So what might nature's plate actually look like on my plate? That's a very good question Chris. Nature's plate can take any form you like, from a beef burger to vegan sushi. It's more important to think about how your meal looks in terms of the quantities of each type of food on your plate. There are many ways to visualize this, but here's one that's quite easy to understand. Half your plate should be non-starchy, fibrous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, bell peppers, etc. A quarter of the plate can be starchy vegetables like sweet potato or grains like rice or pasta. The other quarter should be a protein source like meat, fish or tofu. And finally, there should be about one or two tablespoons of fat spread across the plate. Mostly from the cooking process or found in the meats, nuts or seeds already on your plate. You don't need to add extra for most meals. I have to say that's quite a shift in perspective for many of us. I remember when I first learned this and I started looking at the meals I was eating at the time. Take pasta bolognese for example, which I ate regularly as a bachelor. If I made it at home, two thirds of my plate would be spaghetti and the other third would be meat with a scattering of onions, maybe some mushrooms and the tomato sauce that was running through it. If I went to a restaurant, that meal would look more like 95% pasta with a thin scattering of sauce and meat and onions through it too. It was a pretty big shift in my thinking to rearrange those ingredients on my plate into the quantities that you've suggested. When I make pasta bolognese now, you'd mostly see vegetables in sauce, maybe half a cup of spaghetti and about the same of meat. I also try to get the leanest meat that I can to cut down on the fat. Maybe because I like to put the cheese on top and I don't want to feel guilty about that. So it still tastes great, but it's completely different now and it's actually way more filling. Perfect Chris, that's great. You emphasise the fibrous vegetables and minimise the grain in the form of spaghetti and when you can, you've kept the meat lean too. And just so that our listeners are all on the same page, when we say lean meat, we're talking about the cuts that don't really release a lot of fatty oils during the cooking process, right? Exactly. The fattier meats will take you over that one or two tablespoons of fat per serving very easily. Okay, great. So let me recap where we are so far so we can stay on track. Sure Chris. Eating from nature's plate means to eat whole foods like fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans and meats etc. Try to emphasise non-starchy vegetables so that they fill up about half your plate. Protein and carbs can equally take up the other half and fat should come naturally from cooking and what's already in the food sources itself. From there, you can create any meal you like. So a burger meal might currently be a burger in a brioche bun, a half plate of deep fried junky chips and a scattering of salad. So heavy on the carbs and fats and pretty light on the veggies. You might change that now to a large salad with roasted or stir-fried vegetables, lean beef or chicken or veggie burger and a small handful of oven-baked chips because you're already getting your carb quota from the brioche bun. This kind of tweak allows you to keep to the kind of meals that you really like but helps you balance it nearer to nature's plate. Perfect. Now, I can imagine meals that fit this kind of guidance for lunch or dinner but how about breakfast? Most people don't really crave broccoli first thing in the morning do they? Be careful Chris about taking me too literally. It's just about having a more diverse meal than just cereal or toast. So something like a slice of whole grain bread with avocado and maybe a couple of eggs would be good? Absolutely. It's not important that you get the division of food types perfect for every meal. Just try to eat something that looks like it came from a broad spectrum of nature. So some fruit, nuts and Greek yogurt would work equally well? Exactly. Remember, everyone has their preferences. If people use the governing rule of playful curiosity, they can experiment with different types of breakfast to find one that's nutritious and enjoyable for them too. I guess that's the point isn't it? Eating from nature's plate is a guideline that means you have a diversity of food types from fruit and veg to meat, nuts and grains at each meal. So in that case, how do we avoid overeating? It seems like we're going to be eating a lot more to me now. That's an excellent question Chris. When you build a meal with a lot of non-starchy vegetables or even fruit, you consume a lot of fiber. Fiber fills you up because it creates volume. When you couple this with protein, which is also filling and slow to digest, you build a meal that is filling yet low in calories. You only actually need a small amount of carbohydrate to give you the energy you need until the next meal. Yeah, that makes so much sense. Hunger comes quickly when you eat foods that have minimal fiber or protein, so they move quickly through your stomach. So if we do consume more slow to digest fiber and protein, then we are actually consuming less calories at the same time. And we snack less too because we're fuller for longer. And that is why nature doesn't worry about your body shape. If you eat from nature's plate, then you are unlikely to gain weight. Sure, I see this time and time again, that people actually quickly lose weight when they switch to this simple way of eating. That's also very true. Now, we haven't mentioned drinks yet, so do you have any comments there too? Sure. Water is as important as the air you breathe. Good fresh water is all you need, and plenty of it. That makes sense, thanks. So if people are curious about how much is plenty, I tend to say it's about 3% of your body weight, or at least it is if your sums work in kilograms. So to do the sums yourself, take your body weight in kilograms and times it by 0.03. That will give you how many liters of water that is ideal for you. I'm about 75 kilograms, so that's about 2.25 liters of water a day. Thank you for that, Chris. It's good to have a sum to work to, as people often mistake thirst for hunger these days. I would just add that if you're concerned about your body weight, then please be careful of consuming calories through your drinks. By which you mean adding milks and sugars or cordials to your drinks adds calories that often go unaccounted for. Yes, and remember that fruit juices and specialist drinks like sodas, milkshakes, and of course alcohol can be a meal's worth of calories in themselves. Oh yeah, thank you for that reminder. I often see that people in coffee shops go buying like a big hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, and I always think there's at least 500 calories there. 500 calories is all you want for an entire lunch. That's very true, Chris. But remember, no judgment. People are allowed their indulgences. As long as they are informed enough to consider that their calorie count for the day is likely to go over, they can always make adjustments tomorrow. Nicely put, Mother Nature. Thank you. Now before I do a roundup, is there anything else that you think that we should cover to help people simplify their nutritional health? Actually, Chris, yes there is. Nutrition itself really is as simple as we just spoke about. It's just about eating whole foods. But what I would like to add is that nutrition doesn't stand alone from the other four guidelines in creating wellness. It actually glues them together. In fact, if you eat according to each of the guidelines, you'd be hard-pressed to do better for your overall well-being. So to live slowly in the context of a diet means not to rush your food. Take your time, eat slowly, and allow your body the opportunity to digest. To sleep deeply means to not overeat in the evening or eat too close to going to bed. Digesting your food whilst trying to sleep creates additional work for your body to do before it can get on with the actual processes that sleep is designed for. Now, diet in the context of exercise means to feed your workouts. Protein helps your muscles to recover stronger, whilst carbohydrates restore depleted energy reserves. Diet and socializing go hand-in-hand too. Sharing meals with other people is a core part of what makes humans human. And finally, being kind to yourself around food is so important. No food should cause you to feel guilty or ashamed. I designed your body shape, and I don't make mistakes. So be kind to yourself. My only wish for you is to treat yourself with the utmost respect and compassion. So if you notice a particular food is making you feel uncomfortable, lethargic, bloated, or sick, then the kindest thing to do is to remove it from your diet for a while and see if you feel better. Wow, Mother Nature, thank you so much for that insight. We all think that nutrition is purely what we eat, but food itself is just part of the overall picture of well-being. In fact, as you've shown us, food can play an integral part of gluing all elements of wellness together. I'm glad to see you're finally understanding that, Chris. Thank you, Mother Nature. Would it be okay if I did a quick summary of what we covered today now? Please, be my guest. Mother Nature created countless opportunities for us to feed ourselves, from nuts and seeds to fruit, veg, meat, and fish, etc. We call this nature's plate, and that plate is full of diversity. Nature is nothing if not diverse. So, if we take a leaf out of a book, we would see that our plate should be diverse too. We don't need to get complicated. Any meal will work to feed us. But if we want to redesign those meals, we would do well to visualise nature's plate. Half your meal should consist of non-starchy, fibrous vegetables, like green leaves, bell peppers, broccoli, etc. I like to think about eating the rainbow here. Pick as many colours as you can and bring life to your meals. A quarter of your plate should be carbohydrate in the form of starches, like sweet potatoes or white potatoes, or grains like rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, etc. The other quarter of your plate should come from lean protein sources, like chicken breast, fish, or vegetarian sources like tofu. And finally, fats will come from cooking oils, or through other food sources like meat, seeds, and nuts that are already on your plate. Wash all that down with about 3% of your body weight in water each day, if you work in kilograms, that is. What you may find surprising, though, is how Mother Nature emphasises the other four guidelines of wellbeing here too. She showed us that the way you eat is just as important as what you eat. So, eat slowly and mindfully, and not too close to bedtime. Feed yourself for exercise, and for the recovery from that exercise too. Try to share meals with other people whenever possible, because humans evolved to eat in social groups. And finally, be kind to yourself around food. We'll be covering the guideline around being kind to yourself soon, and in that session you're going to really see the benefits that kindness can have on your wellbeing. So in general, just keep the diet nice and simple, and really just try to enjoy it. Another great summary, Chris. It's certainly not an easy job to summarise nutrition. Thank you, Mother Nature. It's been a pleasure as always to gain from your wisdom. You're welcome, Chris. I look forward to speaking with you next time. I hope you enjoyed this episode on nutrition. The goal really was to unravel the simplicity within the natural diet. Please, leave your comments or questions below for the options available to you. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. If you want a deeper dive into your own diet or wellbeing, I have a free course available on my website. And for those who want to get more personalised guidance, or learn what diet works best for them, or discover their own unique path to wellbeing, then I offer a personalised coaching there too. Just follow the link in the description for more. In the next episode, we'll be discussing with Mother Nature her views on exercise, which I think will turn out to be another enlightening conversation. So, until then, remember, great health emerges quite naturally when you allow Mother Nature to guide you.