Now that you have comprehended the necessity and issues of modern diets and how can the three lifestyles improve our wellbeing, it's time to discuss the topics you are most interested in.
Topic #1: If I am to follow any of these life-styles, how can I fit it into my daily social life?
Iza: Eating an unconventional diet can sometimes create tension in our social circles. Sometimes, you will hear comments, “Why can’t you just have a piece of cake to celebrate with us?” or “Is this not good enough for you?” Of course, nobody wants to be regarded as high-maintenance, but at the same time you don’t want to give up your diet and conform to peer pressure. Remember you don’t owe the naysayers an explanation, and your dietary choices are based on your own health goals.
Bianca: But, if going out for dinner, choose meat and vegetables as an option and ask for additional fat sources such as olive oil or butter. Brunch always has Keto options so opt for going out with people for this meal.
Crystyl: I always tell people “Enlist your friends.” Tell them you are avoiding processed foods, fried foods and alcohol. Have them be your allies, not your peer pressure circle. If you are intermittent fasting, tell them you would love their support. (I often have coffee catchups rather than lunch dates.) This makes a huge difference. Have confidence about your decisions: I'm doing this so I can be healthy and resilient.
Iza: Also, it is worth remembering that staying aligned with healthy living is about doing your best and aiming for at least 80 percent success, as no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. And sometimes the ‘mistake’ isn’t even a mistake. Sometimes we just want to eat that slice of pizza, have a glass of wine with our friends and stay up late singing at KTV. That’s fine. You may not feel great the next morning, but if you’re enjoying yourself then that’s OK.
Bianca: That’s true, but if you do choose to drink, go for the low sugar options such as vodka or gin with soda, or a glass of red wine. Or you can order a soda water with lime and people will just assume that you’re drinking.
Tanja: Food is often related to emotions and closely linked to our culture, and that’s why it’s so hard to change our habits. A lot of people roll their eyes when they hear the concept of healthy eating as they assume it’s inconvenient, unsocial and unpalatable, which is an age-old misconception. Your diet should be your lifestyle and therefore it’s important that whatever you do, you should enjoy and maintain it. Research has proven that it’s the daily, long-term effort that counts to your dietary health. Therefore, it’s important that we eat as clean as possible, as close as what nature provides, non-GMO foods, non-pesticides, non-processed or fried foods, no added sugar. Also, your relationships, exercise, job and mindset contribute to your health. It’s not only what you eat that matters, other elements separate from your plate can be equally important to living a healthy life.
Topic #2: Raising a child on these lifestyles.
Bianca: Children need a substantial amount of quality fat to grow and develop healthy bodies and brains. Feeding a child a variety of nutrient dense foods will ensure they not only receive optimal nutrition for their development, but they will also cultivate a diverse palate for foods. What’s also key is to influence your child so they love whole foods, this way, when they are older, they understand how to make healthy choices and can instinctively feel the difference in their body once they consume sugary products.
Iza: I agree, there is a period in the first two to three years of life when humans acquire a basic knowledge of what foods are safe to eat. If you can continue to include a substantial amount of vegetables for family meals, then one day, your child will go for the greens themselves.
Crystyl: I've found it remarkably easy to raise my 5-year-old daughter on a Bulletproof-leaning diet. Although I am not strict with her – for example, she eats the regular school lunch and bread or noodles at restaurants occasionally – from the time she could stand, she has been in the kitchen cooking with me and my husband. She holds the knife and stands at the stove with me, with her little apron on and a spatula in hand. She learns quickly and intuitively: cooking is just part of normal daily life.
Iza: Apart from the early state fostering, I think the parental guidance in later life is equally important. Eating with our children is funda-mental for role modeling healthy eating behaviors and lowering conflict specific to diet. There is a clear link between parents’ eating behav-iors and how children both think and behave around food.
Crystyl: I have just the perfect example here to support your point. My daughter is fanatically obsessed with vegetables. Seriously, she is a vacuum cleaner for bitter dark greens and this is because vegetables are our normal ‘main course’ at home. Her favorite afterschool snack is a can of sardines in organic olive oil (could this be any easier?) or an egg, fried in lots of butter with plenty of sea salt.
Bianca: Talking about role modeling from a negative standpoint, if we allow ourselves and our children to have sweet treats on a regular basis we can mislead our kids to have positive associations with sugary goods, for instance, “If I eat all the (gross) veggies first, then Mom will let me have some (delicious) ice-cream.” The good intention is there, but the method is all wrong.
Iza: And we have to forgo the concept of healthy food doesn’t taste good. If your children are older, then find the Primal food they enjoy and make some healthy treats like Primal muffins, cakes and cookies.
Bianca: I can’t agree more. Not only is fat important for nutrient absorption in vegetables, it is delicious. Adding a dollop of butter to vegetables makes them more appetizing and appealing to children.
Crystyl: Once in a while we make treats of gluten-free pancakes or desserts. For her birthday, she gets incredibly rich Bulletproof cakes like organic orange essence, raw chocolate mudcake enriched with butter and eggs and frosted with whipped cream. She is not suffering! Almost everything she eats at home, she helps to cook or prepare. Healthy cooking together is a joyful activity, as well as a lifelong gift to kids.
Tanja: Healthy foods are so important for children. But we can only teach them what we know ourselves. They need healthy foods for their body, brain and muscles growth. Food additives and preservatives can have a bigger impact on children then adults, and these days are often associated with syndromes like ADHD and Autism, although we don’t often recognize the symptoms. A healthy school lunch can also make a big difference in their concentration in class. The earlier we correct our children’s dietary habits – teach them how to cook, inform them where their food comes from (not from the shop) and lead by example – the more we can keep away the harm from the modern city life.
UF: Interestingly, all of you agree on much of what has been said; healthy food can be simple and tasty, exercise is important in moderation, processed foods and oils are bad for a healthy diet and we should all avoid processed sugars.
“All roads lead to Rome,” though the names may be different, the intention and where the theories are founded for Bulletproof, Primal and Keto is not so different after all. As long as we can find the common voice from the many different beliefs on health, we have reached the purpose of our discussion. Thank you all for that in-depth talk – I’m sure there’s a lot more to say about healthy living, and hopefully our readers will be inspired to read more on the topic.
