Welcome back to our conversations with Mother Nature.
This week we’re talking ‘diet’. Which may be a touchy subject for some. And possibly one you may be well and truly bored of hearing about too.
But please, bear with me because Mother Nature and I are going to make this as simple and 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 DO’s about how and what you should eat these days too.
Before starting this recording I took a quick look on Amazon and found over 100,000 books to choose from in a single search for “Healthy Nutrition Book”. Each one looking for a new and unique selling point to market themselves to.
No wonder we’re all confused. It’s information overload!
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 to promote her nutrition advice.
She prefers instead to keep things much, much more simple.
So let’s find out what she has to say as we discuss Mother Nature’s second rule for vibrant wellbeing: Eating from nature’s plate.
Chris: Welcome back to the show Mother Nature.
Mother Nature: It’s good to be back Chris.
Chris: Today 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 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 common these days.
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.
Mother Nature: That’s certainly a difficult place to start Chris.
I’d probably start by saying that 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.
Chris: Are you saying that optimal health is built into Nature’s Plate?
Mother Nature: Yes, absolutely, Chris.
But please remember that it’s not about being perfect.
Just do your best within the guidelines. People can start small if need be.
Chris: That’s good advice. Changing a diet can be challenging for even the most motivated people.
We should remember that guidelines are just pointers towards what works, not strict rules everyone has to meet.
So with that said, tell me, what does “Eat from Nature’s Plate” actually mean?
Mother Nature: Thank you for this question, Chris. I 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.
Chris: Okay, thanks. So Nature’s Plate refers to the raw ingredients before they’ve been processed?
Mother Nature: Yes.
Chris: So what might Nature’s plate look like; on my actual plate?
Mother Nature: 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 visualise this, but here’s one that’s quite easy to understand.
Half your plate should be non-starchy fibrous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peppers etc.
A quarter of the plate can be starchy vegetables or grains, like sweet potato, rice, pasta etc.
The other quarter should be a protein source, like meat, fish or tofu.
And finally there should be about 1-2 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.
Chris: That’s quite a shift in perspective for many of us.
I remember when I first learnt 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, mushrooms and a tomato sauce running through it.
If I went to a restaurant that meal would be more like 95% pasta with a thin scattering of sauce, meat and onions through it.
It was a big shift in thinking to rearrange the ingredients on my plate into the quantities you’ve suggested.
When I make bolognese now you’d see mostly vegetables in the sauce, maybe half a cup of spaghetti and about the same for the meat.
I also try to get the leanest meat I can to cut down on the fat. Mainly so I can add some cheese on top without feeling guilty!
It still tastes great but looks completely different now. And it’s actually way more filling.
Mother Nature: Perfect Chris, that’s great. You emphasise the fibrous veg and minimise (but don’t eliminate) the grain in the form of spaghetti. And when you can, you’ve kept the meat lean too.
Chris: And just so that our listeners are all on the same page, when we say ‘Lean Meat’ we’re talking about cuts that don’t release a load of fatty oil during cooking?
Mother Nature: Exactly. The fattier meats will take you over that 1-2 tablespoons of fat per serving very easily.
Chris: Okay, great. Let me recap where we are so far so we stay on track.
Mother Nature: Sure, Chris.
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 they fill up about half your plate. Protein and carbs equally take up the other half and fat should come naturally from cooking and what is already in the food source itself.
From there you can create any meal you like.
So a burger meal might currently be a burger in a brioche bun, half a plate of deep fried chunky chips and a scattering of salad.
So heavy on the carbs and fats. Light on the veggies.
You might change that now to a large salad with roasted or stir fried vegetables. A lean beef, 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 meals you like, but helps balance it nearer to Nature’s Plate.
Mother Nature: Perfect Chris.
Chris: Now I can imagine meals that fit this guidance for lunch and dinner, but how about breakfast? Most people probably don’t crave broccoli first thing in the morning!
Mother Nature: Be careful, Chris, about taking me too literally.
It’s just about having a more diverse meal than just cereal or toast.
Chris: So something like a slice of whole grain bread with avocado and a couple of eggs would be good?
Mother Nature: 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.
Chris: So some fruit, nuts and greek yoghurt might work equally well?
Mother Nature: 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 is nutritious and enjoyable for them.
Chris: And that’s the point isn’t it. Eating from nature’s plate is a guideline that means to 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?
Mother Nature: 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 fibre.
Fibre 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.
Chris: That makes so much sense. Hunger comes quickly when the foods you eat have minimal fibre or protein, so quickly move through your stomach.
If we do eat slow to digest fibre and protein then we are actually consuming less calories.
And we snack less too because we’re fuller for longer.
Mother Nature: 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.
Chris: Sure. In fact I see time and time again that people quickly lose weight, just from switching to this simple way of eating.
Mother Nature: That’s also very true.
Chris: We haven’t mentioned drinks yet. Do you have any comments there?
Mother Nature: Sure.
Water is as important as the air you breathe. Good fresh water is all you need. And plenty of it.
Chris: If people are curious about how much is “plenty”, I tend to say it’s about 3% of your body weight (at least that sum works when measured in kilograms).
So to do the sums yourself, take your bodyweight in kilograms and times it by 0.03.
That’ll give you how many litres of water that is ideal for you.
I’m about 75kg, so that’s 2.25 litres per day.
Mother Nature: 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’d just add that if you’re concerned about your body weight then please be careful of consuming calories through your drinks.
Chris: By which you mean adding milks, sugar or cordials to your drinks adds calories that often go unaccounted for?
Mother Nature: 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.
Chris: Ah, yes, thank you for that reminder.
I often see people in coffee shops buying hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows and think that’s at least 500 calories there. And 500 calories is all you’d want for your entire lunch.
Mother Nature: That’s very true Chris. But remember, no judgement.
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.
Chris: Nicely put Mother Nature, thank you.
Now, before I do a round up, is there anything else you think we should cover to help people simplify their nutritional health?
Mother Nature: 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.
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 socialising 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.
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.
Chris: Wow. Thank you so much for that insight.
We all think of nutrition as purely WHAT we eat. But food itself is just part of the overall picture of wellbeing.
In fact, as you’ve just shown us, food can play an integral part of glueing all elements of wellness together.
Mother Nature: I’m glad to see you’re finally understanding that, Chris.
Chris: Thank you so much Mother Nature.
Would it be okay to do a quick summary of what we’ve covered today?
Mother Nature: Please, be my guest.
Chris: Mother Nature created countless opportunities for feeding ourselves, from nuts and seeds to fruit, vegetables, meat and fish.
We call this Nature’s Plate, and that plate is full of diversity.
Nature is nothing if not diverse, so if we were to take a leaf out of her book, we would see that our diet 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 to bring life to your meal.
A quarter of the plate should be carbohydrate in the form of starches, like sweet or white potatoes. Or grains like rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa etc.
The other quarter should be some form of lean protein source like chicken breast, fish or vegetarian sources like tofu.
And finally fats will come from cooking oils, or through the other food sources like meats, seeds or nuts already on your plate.
Wash that all down with about 3% of your body weight in water each day (if you work in kilogrammes).
What you may have found surprising though is how Mother Nature emphasised the other four guidelines of wellbeing.
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 to recover from that exercise.
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’re going to cover kindness in a few weeks, and you’ll see then how this guideline alone has powerful effects on one’s wellbeing.
Mother Nature: Another great summary Chris. It’s certainly not an easy job to summarise nutrition.
Chris: Thank you Mother Nature. It’s been a pleasure as always to gain your wisdom.
Mother Nature: 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 a natural diet.
Please leave your comments or questions below if the option is available. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject.
If you want to dive deeper into your own diet or wellbeing I have a free course available on my website.
And for those who want to get personalised guidance, learn what diet works best for them or discover their own unique path to wellbeing, then I offer personal coaching there too.
Just follow the link in the bio for more.
In the next episode we’ll be discussing Mother Nature’s view 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.
