The 5A rule to eat healthier and have more energy in the spring

The secret to healthy eating according to nutritionists? Follows the 5A rule

The pandemic has radically changed our relationship with food, which is now healthier and more in tune with the body’s natural needs. More concerned about our health, motivated by the pursuit of small pleasures, we spend significantly more time than in the past cooking meals. There has also been an increase in those preparing staple foods, such as the pane e lo yogurt. This is good news, considering that, as Dr Olivier Courtin-ClarinsChairman of the Board of Directors of the Clarins Group, as well as the author of Beautiful on my plate (2017) e Beautiful in my recipes (2020), a balanced diet is based on:

1. the quality of the products;
2. the relationship between full calories and empty calories (the former are those that contain macronutrients, such as vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants, while the latter mainly bring calories and are poor in food principles);
3. the amount ingested;
4. the proportions on the plate. “’Without, without, without’ doesn’t make sense to me, and that’s where it comes in the balance between fats, carbohydrates and proteins. This is why it is necessary to avoid industrial preparations, often enriched with preservatives and additives, and to be able to decipher the labels”, underlines the expert.

The importance of the origin of what we eat

The rules of a balanced diet according to Courtin-Clarins? Respect the 3V:

1. Vmainly vegetable;
2. Vair, to multiply nutrients;
3. Vvat, i.e. seasonal, raw or lightly cooked, to preserve vitamins, trace elements and antioxidants.

And naturally, respectful of man and nature. This idea is taking root in consumers, for whom consuming local products has never been more important. More and more people verify the origin of what they eat and those who cultivate their own gardens are on the rise.

The 5 A’s of well-being

Since it provides the nutrients that promote the proper functioning of our immune system, nutrition plays a decisive role in health. As he explains Veronique Liessedietitian, nutritionist and micronutritionist, “uAn unbalanced diet activates innate immunity and weakens acquired immunity, which can lead to a chronic inflammatory state and an alteration of our defenses”. There are five factors, all interconnected, that can impact immunity: inflammation, oxidative stress, hyperinsulinism, dysbiosis and intoxication. “We saw this in the case of the covid 19 epidemic, when there was much talk of the ‘cytokine storm’, protein molecules messengers of inflammation”. Hence the importance of keeping these 5 factors under control. This requires a diet based on 5 A’s:

1. Anti-inflammatory (foods rich in omega-3 and phytonutrients, spices).
2. Antioxidant (vegetables, fruit, cereals, legumes, oilseeds, seeds).
3. Anti-hyperglycemic (foods with a low glycemic index, high in fiber, solid and wholemeal, with an acid taste and rich in omega-3 of animal origin).
4. Antidisbiosi (foods rich in probiotics, such as yoghurt, lacto-fermented vegetables, raw milk cheeses, etc., and in prebiotics, such as vegetables, fruit, tubers, seeds, etc.).
5. Antitoxic (organic food, fresh, well preserved and cooked at low temperature).

Regulate hormones through diet

The positive effects of nutrition on hormones are a still little known field of study. It would be a mistake to think that some foods can directly boost hormones (the exceptions, in this case, areinsulin, serotonin and dopamine), but the lack of some nutrients can undeniably cause a drop in hormone production. “Don’t expect your hormones to reproduce, function and communicate with each other properly if you don’t eat anything.”, warns Véronique Liesse. A balanced diet is essential to optimize the hormones that control our emotions and our state of well-being. The micronutritionist highlights the importance of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), less known than dopamine or serotonin, but more abundant in the brain and therefore the subject of growing interest in scientific research. “It is now established that GABA can be made or used by our microbiota. In the hippocampus, GABA-producing neurons help control anxieties, recurring negative thoughts, and traumatic memories.” Taking foods that stimulate GABA production would help calm and relaxation, recovery and regeneration of the body, muscle relaxation and stabilization of blood pressure. In practice, this requires:

1. a sufficient intake of glutamine (foods rich in proteins: meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, cereals, legumes);
2. fruit consumption e raw vegetables;
3. watch over the balance of microbiota. Although there are as many hormones as there are ways to boost them, a balanced diet based on the 5A rule is already a good start to modulate their production.

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This article was originally published on Vogue France.