Step Into Healthy - Diet
The other day, I wrote about what the word "healthy" truly means. I discussed how "healthy" is far more than just a look or the images we create in our heads—it's a verb. It's the sum of various aspects of health and the continuous accumulation of choices you make in life. But what are these choices? What distinguishes a healthy choice from an unhealthy one? With the overwhelming amount of health information out there, how can we be sure of what we actually need to do? And do we need to be "healthy" 100% of the time?
At Resolute, we believe that "healthy" is very achievable, and we break it down into a simple equation with some complex situations thrown in.
Here’s the equation:
Good (Diet + Sleep + Exercise + Mental Status) x 80% = Healthy
Now, let’s break this down, starting with the most contentious part: Diet.
Diet
Diet is one of the most debated components of health. In fact, I hate the word "diet" because it often conjures images of restriction or "dieting," which seems counterproductive. Should you follow the Mediterranean diet? Should you fast? Go low-carb? Paleo? Vegan? Is meat bad? What about sugar or fat? Here’s the short answer: No one should be "dieting." We should all just be eating.
Following a structured eating plan can help create boundaries, which can be magical for some people, but sticking rigidly to a "diet" can also lead to problems.
In my experience, eating should be both strict and fluid. That sounds confusing, but when you put yourself on a strict "diet," it often removes the freedom of choice, which can negatively impact the mental status part of the equation. Your eating should be strict in terms of including whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and high-quality protein, but fluid enough that you don’t panic every time a cookie tray shows up at work. Everyone’s needs and goals are different, so eating plans should reflect that.
Caloric Intake
Calories are simply units of energy, neither good nor bad. Think of calories like gasoline in a car. If you have 2 gallons of gas, you can only go about 60 miles. With a full tank, you can go much farther. The same is true for food: if you under-eat, your body can’t function optimally, but if you overeat, you’ll store excess energy as fat. We’ll touch on the issues with overeating later.
Food scientists calculate calories by burning food and measuring how much heat it gives off, or by calculating the macronutrients in a food item. Here’s the breakdown:
Carbohydrates = 4 cal/gram
Protein = 4 cal/gram
Fat = 9 cal/gram
For example, a caramel candy with 5 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fat contains:
(5g x 4 cal/g) + (3g x 9 cal/g) = 47 calories.
The bad reputation of calories comes from consuming more than you expend, which results in fat storage. This is also why fats are often demonized—they contain more calories per gram than carbs or proteins.
I’m not a fan of counting calories obsessively, but it’s helpful to have a general idea of your daily caloric intake to achieve your health goals.
Caloric Goals
There are three main caloric goals you should consider:
Caloric Deficit: Fewer calories in than used = weight loss.
Caloric Maintenance: Calories in equal to calories used = weight maintenance.
Caloric Surplus: More calories in than used = weight gain.
Identifying which category you fall into can help guide your daily food choices. For example, I’m in a weight maintenance stage where I want to stay at my ideal weight, so I eat based on what my body naturally expends. My husband, on the other hand, is trying to gain weight, so he eats more calories than he burns, especially on days he doesn’t exercise.
Food Choices
This is where the "80%" rule from our equation comes in. On any given day, aim to eat 80% clean, whole foods—fruits, vegetables, and high-quality protein. I recommend buying organic when possible, especially for meats, eggs, dairy, and the "Dirty Dozen," but non-organic fresh produce is still a good option if you’re on a budget.
That other 20%? It’s reserved for life’s indulgences. If you’ve eaten well throughout the day, that slice of cake at a party won’t derail your progress. In fact, allowing yourself some flexibility can support the mental aspect of health. You’ll soon notice which foods make you feel good and which don’t, and your body will naturally guide you toward balance.
Protein
Finally, let’s talk about protein. Most people—especially women—drastically under-consume protein. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of your ideal body weight. For example, if someone weighs 180 pounds but wants to drop to 160 pounds, they should aim to eat 160 grams of protein daily.
Here’s how that math works:
160g of protein = 640 calories (because protein is 4 cal/g).
If that person needs to eat 1600-1800 calories per day to be in a caloric deficit, they’ll have about 960-1160 calories left for the rest of their food.
Make sure to focus your meals around protein, aiming for 30 grams per meal to promote muscle growth. Snacking on 10g protein here and there won’t cut it unless you can triple or quadruple up in one sitting.
Wrapping Up
Diet and nutrition are vast topics, but this is a solid blueprint for achieving health. There are many paths to "healthy," but if you follow this formula—balancing structure with flexibility—you’ll be well on your way.