What's on your Plate? Mindful Eating

These days, I am very intentional about my diet. A few years back, my doctor told me I was showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. That shook me. I changed my diet, hoping to slow the progression—and to my amazement, I reversed the worst of my symptoms. Yay!

Along the way, I discovered that what worked for my brain also worked for my overall health. And yours.

Diet is the foundation for good health, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned.

Taste used to be my only criterion for food. No longer. But it still matters! I never eat anything that isn’t delicious. Enjoying what you eat makes it easier to stick with healthy choices for the long haul.

Let’s agree on what “nutrition” means. For me, it starts with protein and fat—essential building blocks for our bodies. I aim for 30+ grams of protein per meal with an equal or greater amount of fat.

While I enjoy non-starchy vegetables for variety, taste, and texture, they’re not the centerpiece of my plate.

Protein and natural fat leave me feeling satisfied and calm for hours. That’s because natural fat supports hormone function, which helps stabilize mood and quiet the mind.

Unlike protein and fat, carbs can wreak havoc. They spike blood sugar, triggering a flood of insulin to clear the excess. Insulin pushes the extra blood sugar into fat cells for later use. With all the insulin circulating, you can experience a blood sugar crash, leaving you craving more carbs.

Unlike protein and fat, carbs don’t signal your brain to stop eating. It’s no wonder we struggle with hunger and cravings on a high-carb diet!

By the way, did you know that protein and fat don’t make you fat? Only carbs feed fat cells. Ice cream is fattening not from the cream, but from the sugar. But I digress.

I confess, this was never a consideration until dementia crept in and I did my research. I am no longer naive. Whether by ignorance, negligence, or evil design, our foods absolutely contain ingredients and additives that can be damaging.

I think of this in two lanes: ingredients and additives.

• Sugar: Yes, it’s natural—like dirt or arsenic. Processed sugar, however, is not. It’s derived from beets or sugarcane and appears in food at far higher concentrations than found in nature, stripped of the protective fiber it originally had. Sugar goes by many names, and almost any ingredient label will list a few. It’s highly addictive. Limit sugar.

• Grains: Highly processed and not a natural food for humans. Think about what’s required to turn wheat into pasta or bread. Grains are not naturally nutritious and are a known cause of chronic inflammation, according to Dr. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly. Limit grains.

• Seed Oils: These sound wholesome—Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Oil—but they’re poison in a bottle. Dr. Cate Shanahan explains, “Seed oils destroy our metabolism…Any amount of seed oil is worse than small amounts of sugar.” Seed oils are cheap and ubiquitous. Stick to natural fats like butter, lard, tallow, olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. Avoid seed oils.

Additives like dyes, emulsifiers, and preservatives are added to improve appearance, texture, or shelf life. Many are banned in other countries due to health concerns but remain allowed in the U.S. My solution? Avoid ultra-processed foods and stick to whole, simple ingredients.

When I began my clean low-carb life, I spent a lot of time reading labels. These days, I don’t bother much. My shortcut is simple: anything pre-made and packaged—anything from a food manufacturing plant—is likely an ultra-processed food (UPF). Studies show that UPFs are linked to chronic inflammation, which contributes to anxiety, mood disorders, and diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and some cancers.

What does this look like in practice? My grocery cart is full of meat, eggs, cheese, cream, non-starchy vegetables, berries, nuts, and minimally processed foods like almond flour.

If you’re eating carbs, you’re eating often. Because you’re hungry. Because you’re eating carbs. Yeah, it's a viscious circle.

The good news? When you switch over to high-protein, high-fat, clean low-carb meals, this changes. I know it is hard to believe, but you will not be hungry, not for hours.

But let’s be honest. Even without hunger, we snack. Snacking has become an all-American habit. Snacks are a break, a reward, a comfort.

Unfortunately for us snackers, the goal is not to snack.

For me, this is because my brain functions better on ketones.I When I eat, my body will ditch ketones and use glucose instead. I don't want that.

For those with weight loss goals, this is because when we eat, the insulin kicks in. Remember what insulin does? Adds to our fat cells. We don't want that.

My advice? Swap to clean low-carb snacks like cheese or nuts in the short term. Then gradually work on replacing snacking habits with non-food habits like taking a walk on a break or knitting during a Netflix binge. Give yourself a little grace in this transition. You developed these habits over years; don't expect them to evaporate in days.

Mindful eating isn’t about trends or rules. It’s about taking control and understanding the impact of your choices on your body and mind. By focusing on foods that nourish, satisfy, and support long-term health, we can break free from the cycle of cravings, fatigue, and inflammation caused by ultra-processed foods.

If you’re just starting this journey, begin with small, intentional changes—one meal, one ingredient, one label at a time. Your health is in your hands, and every bite you take is a step toward or away from it.

Looking for guidance? We have a few resources: a one-week dinner plan, an ebook with 30 baby steps to clean low-carb eating, and a weekly newsletter.

So, what’s on your plate? Choose wisely, because your future self is counting on you.

Thank you for your time today.

And as always,

Stay strong, wise, kind, and good by choosing good food for good health.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, not a scientist, not a nutritionist. I am just a late boomer sharing what I’ve learned on my journey to good health through good food.

Subscribe? Click here for tips delivered to your email each week.