Could the key to nutrition and a healthy life be as easy as simply eating real foods? Wellness coach, Jason Gootman thinks so. What’s your take?
Eat real food.
It wasn’t until about 100 years ago that we had anything other than whole, natural, real food. Major sociological changes such as the two world wars, women leaving the home for the workplace, and oil becoming very inexpensive have all led to major changes in what is available for us to eat. Namely, the culmination of these changes led to the advent of food products (a.k.a. processed foods), many of which our ancestors would not recognize.
There’s something very, very interesting about the distinction between food and processed food: You literally cannot overeat real food! This is fascinating. One of the major things people have worried about in the past few decades is how to not eat too much. This is the premise behind nearly every diet created. They are all based on a system devised to make sure you don’t eat too much.
And here’s where it gets even more fascinating: all of our focus on diets and limiting portion control has actually been created as a result of the advent of processed foods in the first place! When you eat processed food, you don’t get full like you do when you eat real food, because many of the nutrients have been stripped away in the processes of processing the food.
Don’t believe that you can’t overeat real food? Do these 5 experiments:
- Eat five apples.
- Eat one pound of baby spinach.
- Eat half of a jar of peanut butter.
- Drink a cup of olive oil.
- Have 12 scrambled eggs.
You won’t be able to do it. You will either become nauseous or else the food will simply stop tasting good. Isn’t this amazing? With real food, it tastes great when you need the nutrients and it stops tasting great when you’ve got the nutrients you need! Consider the five-apple experiment. That first apple will taste great. The second one pretty good. The third one okay. Then the thought of eating another apple will be kind of disgusting. Your body has natural mechanisms for hunger and satiety. These natural mechanisms work perfectly when you eat real food. It’s only when you eat a diet heavy in processed food that overeating even becomes a consideration.
I’m aware that this is a radical thought. But if you really think about it (and if you really try some of these experiments), I think you will find it to be true for you.
My experience as well as that of thousands of people I’ve coached throughout the years is that this works both short-term, but it works even better long-term. That is, even the first time you try to eat five apples, you won’t be able to do it. But even better, when you eat a real-food diet over a number of weeks, any tendency you have to overeat in the first place will become completely obliterated and you will never think about it again. You will simply eat meals when you are hungry and you will naturally and effortlessly eat an amount that is right for you, without having to think about it.
Doesn’t that sound great?
—
Originally appeared on IThrive.com
Photo credit: Flickr/JessicaSpengler
—
About Jason Gootman
Jason Gootman is a wellness coach and leads the I THRIVE movement and community where fellow THRIVERS nourish themselves with movement, food, and a wellness lifestyle.