The Best Diet for Chronic Disease

Posted on 26 September, 2018

Chronic diseases are the major killers of Australian adults.

Unlike communicable diseases that you can catch (like measles), chronic disease is the accumulative result of our long-term lifestyle choices, like your eating habits. Chronic diseases include cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

There is a huge debate over which ‘diet’ is best for reducing a person’s risk of chronic disease and staying healthy as long as possible. The problem with the debate is that each diet claims that their approach is the best. Paleo, low carb, keto, low fat, vegan, raw… it can all get quite confusing.

It’s actually not as complicated as it seems, and I’d like to offer an alternative perspective. It’s more probable that all approaches are right… and wrong – all at the same time.

The truth is that a healthy diet, particularly one that reduces the risk of chronic disease, can take a variety of different forms. In other words, healthy eating applies to everyone but looks different for everyone. This is because once your diet meets the basic principles of good nutrition, it can be structured however you need it to be. It can accomodate your likes and dislikes, your daily routine and lifestyle and even eating at your favourite restaurants and cafes.

If you can nail the nutrition basics, you can eat however you want!

The reason this is true is that long-term overall health is all about your overall diet quality, not about the individual foods and nutrients. It’s about eating a variety of foods, rich in nutrients and finding a pattern that you can stick to long-term. You may have downloaded an apparently ‘perfect’ meal plan to follow, but if you can’t stick to it or it contains foods you don’t like, how do you expect to follow it long-term? You won’t. And healthy eating only benefits you if you do it every day.

Here are the basics of nutrition, based on evidence, that will keep your body in tip-top condition. Get these right and you’ll be doing just fine:

Swap refined, processed grains for whole grains and legumes

Much of the dietary debate around heart disease is focused on blaming carbohydrate. Rather than singling in on the nutrient itself, the research suggests that dietary patterns of choosing carbohydrate-rich foods are the best place to focus.

Patterns of eating that regularly include cakes, biscuits, chips, French fries, pastry, white bread. and other processed foods have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease. Swapping these foods for whole foods and creating a dietary pattern that regularly includes lentils, beans, chickpeas, grainy breads, and minimally processed grains has been shown to decrease the risk of chronic disease.

Choose healthy fats

These are fats that come from minimally processed or whole foods. The great thing about choosing whole food sources of healthy fat is that they also offer you lots of other heart healthy nutrients like fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Include these foods daily if you can:

• Avocado – about ¼ is a good portion size
• Raw nuts (cashews, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, brazil nuts, etc) – about a small handful is a good portion
• Seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, linseed, chia, etc) – about one tablespoon is a good portion
• Olives – a small handful is a good portion

Processed fats or products where the fat has been concentrated (vegetable oils, coconut oil, butter, cream, etc) are fine to be included, but keep your portion small and try not to eat them every day.

Don’t forget omega 3 fats

These particular fats have been well researched and offer lots of health benefits. The best source of omega 3s are from marine animals – fish and seafood. Including two or more servings per week has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease. Omega 3s are also found in some nuts and seeds and fatty acids found in some vegetable oils can be converted into omega 3 by the body.

Not a fan of seafood? An omega 3 supplement may be a good idea.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy diet and a huge amount of research points to the fact that high intake is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. In particular, green leafy vegetables and vitamin C rich fruit and vegetables seem to have the most protective effect.

Adults should aim to include five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day.

• One serve vegetables = half a cup of cooked vegetables or one cup of raw (salad) vegetables
• One serve fruit = one large piece or two small pieces or one cup berries/melon

There are lots of ways you can include fruit and vegetables in your day – here are some tips to get you started.

So, if you’re tired of trying to find the ‘right’ diet for you, you can try no more. If you focus on including the advice above, into your diet in a way that suits you, you’ll be well on your way to good health and a happy heart! If you need help, The Healthy Eating Hub can help.