Today is a topic that I needed to bring up and should have done so a long time ago. After all, my goal is to help reduce the confusion and give you more clarity about health, fitness, and longevity. While making things easier, more convenient, and FUN at the same time.
And today’s topic is from a viewer question:
“Doc, I’m going insane. I have no idea what I should or shouldn’t eat. What diet to follow or avoid. High or low this… or eliminate that … so on and so forth. It’s all so confusing and at the end of the day, I feel like I can’t eat anything. Can you please give me some foods that my family and I can eat, that’s just safe and healthy for all of us, regardless of our goals?”
This is a great question and one that I’ve asked myself and researched for years. It seems the older I get, the simpler I want my life to be.
And today, I’m going to give you the best foods to eat regardless of your health, age, or sex.
I’m not going to tell you how much to eat or any of that stuff. I’m just going to quickly list them for each of the main macronutrients.
And I’ll also list what I eat most of the time as well.
Carbohydrates
Everyone’s favorite food is probably carbohydrates. And this is one of the most controversial macronutrients. Some say you should never eat them and be zero or low carbs – like the keto or meat-eaters.
Then we have vegans and plant-based diets that have very high carbohydrates and are also very healthy.
First, I do NOT believe you should eliminate any macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, or fats.
You should have to make good decisions based on the TYPE and QUANTITY.
Vegetables
The best source of carbohydrates is from plants and vegetables. Eat them as much as you want. The best would be
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Bok choy
- Celery
- Cucumber
You can eat the last two raws and the first ones should be lightly steamed.
ME: I eat mainly broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, and cucumbers, along with mixed greens in a salad.
Starches
Of course, most of us can’t live only on vegetables. And if you’re an athlete or exercise a lot, you’ll need higher carbohydrates. The best would be:
- Yams
- Sweet Potatoes
- White rice
- Butternut squash
- Lentils (soaked/washed for 24 hours or pressure cooked)
ME: My main source of carbs is yams and white rice. I do have some lentils, but no matter how I cook them, I just don’t digest legumes very well and many people are the same.
Fruit
I know people scare you into NOT eating fruit because of the fructose, but that’s just silly.
YES, high fructose corn syrup and fruit juice must be avoided. Dried fruits should be limited. But fruit is mainly water and fiber. It’s fine, eat it.
However, the best fruits are:
- Berries: Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries
- Lemons & Limes
- Pomegranate (NOT the juice and eat the seeds)
- Avocados (yes, this is technically a fruit, even though I categorize it as a “fat”)
- Grapefruit
- Pineapples
- Kiwifruit
Other fruits are pretty good as well, but these are the best and have the least issues.
ME: I mainly just eat lemons daily, blueberries year-round, and pineapples occasionally.
Protein
Of course, everyone loves protein and eats as much as they can. Personally, I believe most people are eating too much protein and most definitely the WRONG kinds.
I think out of all the proteins, low-mercury fish is the best, and wild-caught, sockeye Salmon, anchovies, and sardines are ideal.
The next best is grass-fed bison. It’s much better than a cow.
Both of these protein sources are expensive, but quality is far more important than quantity. If you need more protein in your diet, add in vegetable protein sources such as organic rice or hemp protein.
ME: I primarily eat:
- Grass-fed bison
- Wild-caught salmon
- Rice and hemp
- Some pastured-raised whole eggs
I have small amounts of grass-fed, cold filtration, whey isolate during my workouts.
No pork, chicken, or shellfish.
Fats
And the final category is fats. This one people really screw up. They have the wrong fats all the time, this includes all the ketogenic people.
The best and safest are
- Avocados – it’s mainly fat, even though it’s technically a “fruit”
- Raw Nuts: walnuts are the best. Macadamia, almond, and pistachios are second in line.
- OILS: Extra virgin olive oil (you better pick a good brand because most are fake), Macadamia nut, Udo’s Blend, fish, hemp
Ideally, you should NOT heat your fats. Eat them raw.
I did not list animal fats, seeds, or vegetable oils. These aren’t good for you and can be very bad, especially when fried in.
ME: I mainly have fish oil, extra virgin olive, and Udo’s oil the majority of the time.
Summary
Are there other good foods that I didn’t list, yes. However, I listed the ones I feel are the best and can be utilized by almost everyone, at any age.
And these are the foods I eat.
Yes, I know it’s limited and boring. However, if you eat these foods 80-90% of the time, you can also enjoy other foods without worrying about any negative issues.