“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan
More evidence that the so-called “peasant diet” (basically, what people eat in places where they eat real food, no access to processed junk food, and no access to Taco Bell or 7-Eleven) is the way to go.
We (read: Americans, Westerners), on the other hand, love chasing the fountain of youth. You can read up on “Blue Zones” and see that people all over the world eat (or don’t eat) such and such (fermented products, sourdough bread, no cow’s milk) that is, in theory, good and may help ward some more modern human problems like Adult-Onset Diabetes (Type 2), or certain [potentially] avoidable autoimmune diseases, or constant inflammation issues, or IBS, and so forth… plus, give you a better shot at becoming a centenarian.
I’ve heard of a few new diet trends (MIND, DASH) recently and they tend to be discussed in a more highbrow sense… but they are still diets and that typically involves elimination of foods and other questionable ways of eating. I’ve personally had to do (and am in the process of doing) an elimination diet… for actual health reasons. This is different. I’m trying to avoid negative consequences—I’m not seeking out dramatic weight loss or believing this will help me live forever.
What about Time-Restricted Eating or Intermittent Fasting?
Narrowing your eating window is something that I, personally, think is worthy of consideration. But don’t listen to me. The jury is out. Some scientists believe there are no benefits to time-restricted eating. Others will tell you intermittent fasting works.
“Intermittent fasting can take different forms. One approach — called time-restricted eating — limits when people eat to a specific window of time, often around six to eight hours.” This is a small window for all your meals though, if I understand correctly, Buddhist monks do this and they’re fine (insofar as health). Of course, they’re monks. What does their day look like? Well, here’s the Dalai Lama’s Routine Day. Notice, no dinner. Notice, too, going to sleep at 7pm. Notice, waking at 3am. This sure doesn’t look like your average American’s day.
Intuitive eating is a practical approach to being responsible for what you put in your body.
Personally, I’d recommend trying to stop eating at a certain time of night. Say, at least two hours before you intend to go to bed. I haven’t been much of a breakfast person for a long time. With this in mind, I sometimes go a long time, probably too long, without eating. I’m not recommending that part. You should eat something for breakfast to get your metabolism going. Still, waiting a little for your body to naturally wake up might be reasonable—it seems good for me personally. I typically drink a few cups of tea before eating any solid foods in the morning. This means I often haven’t eaten anything of substance for a solid 10-12 hours. Sometimes I simply wait for lunch. Again, not recommended. If I do this, I’ve narrowed the eating window—but not in a healthy way. Your body probably doesn’t want or like this.
Be nice to your body since, in spite of my frequent frustrations that this is the case, it does in fact have a deep connection with your cognitive functions.
Know when you have a problem: