The Human Vessel & Balanced Diet Basics

“Get out and play”

“Get out and be a player”

Hands down they were catchy and for a moment you felt a little motivated to go out to the park…but then the commercial break was over and you were watching CatDog.

Let’s break down the Balanced Meal and Balanced Diet Talk:

A healthy diet allows for your body to receive the necessary nutrients, both macro and micro, it needs to be at its overall best. Each nutrient has its own role and impact on your body’s overall wellbeing. The only difference between these two is that your body needs higher quantities of Macronutrients, than Micronutrients. BOTH are essential!

Macronutrients are needed for ENERGY! Your bodily functions need energy to keep the body in top shape. Amount wise we Need more macronutrients!

Micronutrients are needed for energy production and promote the health of your body’s systems. Amount wise we need less micronutrients.

When it comes down to what these nutrients are and how much do we need it becomes confusing so let’s break it down

Macronutrients: For energy and Repair Protein: Maintain mechanical and structural function Think of it as, The Frame and Mechanics Carbohydrates: Energy, Digestive Health, and Immune function Think of it as, The Power Flow Fats (Lipids): Energy Storage, Protect your organs Think of it as The Cushions and Reserves

Micronutrients: Vitamins & Minerals The Engineers of the Body Vitamins: Cell functions in both growth, development, and help you absorb the other nutrients! I call them, The Cell Engineers Minerals: Support Bone, muscular and cardiovascular health. Enzyme and hormone production. I call them, Infrastructure Engineers Phytochemicals: Assist in the prevention of chronic diseases, through anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidants effects. I call them, Regulatory Engineers Fluids ONE NOTE: WATER IS BETTER THAN ANY DRINK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!

Action Plan: Now that you know a little bit about nutrition, Here is my take: There are 3 Essential Actions we can take to make our meals and diets a little more balanced:

1. Portion Sizes and Plate Design: Take time to design your plate, make it presentable. We tend to do better at measuring our portions when we know how our plate looks. Similar to how are mind perceives the nice fit you plan out before an interview. You want to eat better so dress up the plate.

A Tip founded in the Muslim tradition relays back to both modesty and wellness is to split the stomach into parts. One for food, one for water, and one for air. ‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 3349]

Think About it! Have you ever felt completely lethargic and gross after a hefty meal? It’s almost exhausting to just breathe. So! Just eat a little less and leave some air, you can be the most attentive and comfortable person in the room.

Harvard School of Public Health published this little guide about setting the plate and it does a good job of outlining what the plate should generally have. Again the food only takes 1/3 of your stomach!

2. Nutrition Facts! The essential skill we need to get used to is looking at Nutrition Facts. These labels have been mandated through the FDA since 1990! So get used to looking at your labels when you go shopping. Here is a quick guide I found from RealFoodSeminars.com

3. Do not miss Meals! I hear a lot about missing meals, such as skipping breakfast or dinner. Research has shown time and time again that missing meals makes your health worse! Track your calories with any phone app or paper chart but do not skip your meals. According to a study published in 2020, “Skipping meals (particularly dinner) reduces daily energy intake, but the reduction in daily diet quality (particularly when skipping breakfast) may impact health negatively over time.” [Zeballos E, et.al, 2020] This would not mean to have 6 major meals a day or “periodic snack time”…that end up becoming meals. Let’s limit the meals to at least 2–3 nutrition-filled meals and light low carb healthy snacks for the OCCASIONAL munchies.

Bottom Line: When it comes to Halal Holistic mindset, Feel Good while Doing Good! Goodness is contagious and can bring out the best in you and others. Suppose you take up these tips today and go out and set your mind up for this small step. We are not trying to take away the sweetness in your life, especially if you are a Foodie. Small steps are STILL STEPS!

If you walk up a staircase, even if it’s one step, you are a step closer to the top.

1. Zeballos E, Todd JE. The effects of skipping a meal on daily energy intake and diet quality. Public Health Nutr. 2020 Dec;23(18):3346–3355. doi: 10.1017/S1368980020000683. Epub 2020 May 13. PMID: 32398192.

2. To Label or Not to Label, https://realfoodseminars.com/2018/01/19/farm-to-table-2/

3. CDC, Healthy Eating Tips 2020 https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/healthy-eating-tips/index.html

4. Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA’s MyPlate, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate-vs-usda-myplate/

5. Factual Food Labels: A Closer Look at the History, https://he.utexas.edu/ntr-news-list/food-labels-history#:~:text=In%201990%2C%20the%20USDA%20mandated,products%20intended%20to%20be%20sold.

6. Karolina Zaremba, CNP, What are Macronutrients and Micronutrients? https://fullscript.com/blog/macronutrients-and-micronutrients

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