By KARISSA WINKEL
Cottonwood Extension District
There always seems to be a new diet on the market. One to lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, or help you lose “x” amount of weight.
While some of these eating styles may be good for health, others may be unsustainable trends. So, how do you decipher the two?
There are many factors to consider when choosing an eating plan that is right for you. According to Harvard Health, ask yourself these questions before changing your nutritional habits:
· What goals are most important? Consider what you want to achieve. Is it weight loss, improved health, preventative medicine, or something else?
· What health problems do you have? One diet may improve symptoms of a specific disease while another may exacerbate it.
· Which foods do you like best? Your cultural preferences strongly influence whether you stick with a specific diet or not.
No matter the eating plan you choose, one with a variety of colors, fruits, and vegetables is likely to boost your well-being.
Similarly, the Portfolio Diet is a blend of diets that improve health such as the Mediterranean Diet and DASH eating plan. This eating style is full of diverse foods and focuses on what you can add to your menu. Therefore, the diet is a “portfolio” of foods to choose from. This flexible approach is proven to lower cholesterol, reduce stroke risk, lower inflammation, and improve overall heart health.
So, what foods are included in the Portfolio Diet?
· High-fiber foods like whole grains, berries, apples, oats, and eggplant. These help to clear LDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and keep the digestive system functioning properly.
· Unsaturated fats like olive oil, avocados, walnuts, and pecans. Using these heart-healthy fats reduces inflammation and improves vascular health.
· Finally, plant-based proteins like beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and soy play a valuable role in this eating style due to their fiber content and lack of saturated fats.
Making room for lots of fiber, unsaturated fat, and plant-based protein can help you reduce the amount of refined and processed products that can have the opposite effect on health.
However, the Portfolio Diet is not an “all or nothing” approach. The goal is to introduce one food to your diet, make it routine, and build from there.
Dr. David Jenkins, creator of the Portfolio Diet puts it best, “It’s for real people, in the real world.” I encourage you to be adventurous. Add new, healthy ingredients to your menu every month. This can make a big difference over time because for any eating plan, consistency, not perfection, is key.
Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 620-793-1910 or [email protected].