Eating for health is a way of living and eating that encourages the body to remain in balance, it is not intended to be a way to start eating and living only when we become sick and imbalanced. If the body becomes out of balance within this model, it is much easier to get back on track by using the food and lifestyle tools provided.
The goal of the eating for health model is “to provide optimal amounts of macronutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), phytonutrients (plant alkaloids with protective value) and other vital factors (enzymes, tastes, energetic properties) (Eating 4 Health, handbook Bauman, 70). This goal is obtained by eating a whole foods diet that focuses on local, seasonal, chemical free and nutrient rich foods. Pure water, fresh juices, teas, mineral broths, seasonal fruits and vegetables, unrefined starches, healthy fats and oils, and protein are all considered necessary areas from which we can obtain the nutrients for a healthy system. The Eating for Health model also includes a particularly important category of foods called booster foods. Examples of booster foods are: seaweeds, spices, algae, nutritional yeast and spirulina. The booster foods are foods that are nutrient dense, providing high quality concentrations of minerals that our bodies need.
One tool that a nutrition consultant can use when working with a client, within the Eating for Health Model, is the personal (mental, diet and physical) and social (family, work and community) health triads. The personal health triad and the social health triad allow the nutrition educator and the client to take into consideration all important aspects of life. “One size does not fit all when it comes to proper nourishment” (Eating 4 Health, handbook Bauman, 69). This holistic approach reveals that the Eating for Health Model is not a cookie cutter diet; rather it accepts that everything affects everything else in the life of an individual.
The eating for health model promotes three different diet directions: building (anabolic), balancing and cleansing (catabolic). (PowerPoint Bauman, 10) The three diet directions are composed of different macronutrient guidelines: Building: Carbohydrates 30-45%/Fat 25-30%/Protein 30-40% - this diet may be suitable for growing children and adolescents, pre and postnatal women, athletes and body builders and people recovering from illness or surgery. Balancing: Carbohydrates 50-70%/Fats 15-25%/ Protein 15-25% - this diet may be suitable for individuals trying to maintain a healthy weight and have a balanced metabolism. Cleansing: Carbohydrates 70-80%/Fats 10-15%/ Protein 10-15% - this diet direction may be suitable for individuals who are trying to rid the body of toxins, are a bit congested or have an inflammatory condition. (11-13) An individual’s diet can be tailored to their individual nutritional needs, which may vary from month to month, day to day or even meal to meal.
Diet direction for an individual is determined by many needs and factors. The use of the four C’s is one tool used to help determine an individual’s personal diet direction and needs. The four C’s are: Constitution, Context, Condition and Commitment A person’s constitution is their basic nature, that which they are born with, and is partially defined by their rate of metabolism: slow, fast or balanced. When evaluating context, one looks at an individual’s immediate circumstances and health. Context considers what is going on in their life at the current moment regarding how they feel and what kind of situations they are involved in regarding the basics such as work, family, diet, lifestyle and stress level. An individual’s condition is their current state of health and vitality. Whether they are in a state of health that is deficient (hypo), excessive (hyper) or balanced helps define their condition. The last, and most important, aspect is the commitment level. What is the individual’s level of willingness to make improvements toward better health, what are their intentions. (16-21)
Another tool that is useful in determining diet direction is a food journal. An individual’s daily food journal for at least a week, if not more, will provide a great deal of information about where there may be excess and/or deficient nutrients. Information on how an individual feels after and before eating, their activity level and food and lifestyle choices can expose possible food allergies and irritants. Using the four C’s in conjunction with a diet journal one would be able to discover the correct diet direction to begin with when working with a client. Foods to possibly avoid or limit and which foods to incorporate into their diet may also be revealed.
The Eating for Health model puts health in the hands of the individual. The individual is encouraged to pay mindful attention to the foods eaten and how they make them feel. By making cleaner and healthier food choices, the ones that make us feel good, we are investing in the future of our health.
Bauman, Ed. Bauman College Nutrition Educator Handbook: Bauman College, 2010
Bauman, Edward. Bauman College Lecture for Eating for Health, 2010.
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