Serving Up Health

 Serving Up Health – an explanation

Brown means these foods contain fiber.

Blue means these foods contain protein.

Red means these foods contain carbohydrates.

Yellow means these foods contain fats.

Remember back to elementary school and review your secondary colors:

Purple means these foods contain a combination of carbs and proteins.

Green means these foods contain a combination of proteins and fats.

Virtually every food contains a combination of protein, fat and carb.

The fruits and veggies are arranged in glycemic order, kale having the lowest glycemic index and carrot having the highest.  This means when you eat carrots you are getting a lot of sugar in a hurry.  When you eat kale you are getting some sugar in less of a hurry.  Pineapple will infuse your blood stream with more sugar at a faster rate than blueberries. You can use common sense here.  If a veggie or fruit tastes sweet it probably has a high glycemic index.  And the opposite is true.  Your goal is to avoid giving your body a sugar rush.  If you find yourself eating a high glycemic index food, have some protein with it like nut butter and carrot sticks or yams and walnuts or pears and goat cheese.  Your default is to eat whole grains.  Save white flour or processed grains for the rare occasion.

Generally I want you to think of this diagram as your breakfast, lunch and dinner plate.  The majority of it should be filled with fresh whole vegetables and fruits that contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and much needed carbohydrates.  Smaller portions of grains, legumes (beans and peas), fish, beef, chicken, nuts, seeds, and dairy should complete your plate in approximate portions I’ve listed.  

Avoid the things on this plate that you know you react adversely to.  This is a general guideline.  Notice I did not include coffee, alcohol, processed foods of any kind or sweets.  Avoid them.  Your beverage of choice should be clean water.