Eat a Varied Diet...But Why?

Boy, you can sure learn a lot being in a dietetic internship!

I figured it's been too long since my last blog post, and I'd like to get back to regular postings. This way I can share a lot of the information I'm learning, but also I can continue doing something I love: writing!

A lot has changed in my life since my last blog post in April of 2013. I am currently completing my dietetic internship in order to qualify for the registered dietitian exam. Basically, this is the work experience hours required after any undergraduate, accredited program before being allowed to become licensed. I was fortunate enough to get accepted into my #1 choice program at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital! To keep things brief, this program is only 41 weeks of concentrated, clinically focused material, but still touches all bases like community and food service as well. Here I am about half-way through the experience, and things have gone very well.

A topic came to my attention while studying for my next rotation: the idea of incorporating variation into eating. It's usually just casually thrown in with other words like "moderation" and "wholesome." But when I boiled down what it's talking about, I realized that it such a mandatory part of diet's ultimate goal.

What's that ultimate goal, you say? Preventing disease. Think about it, that's exactly why we eat and especially why we try to eat healthy.

When you were a kid and mom or dad tried to get you to eat all different kinds of vegetables, fruits, and crazy meatloafs it wasn't to show authority and add another miserable thing that your family made you do. It was because the idea of incorporating multiple different types of food provides multiple different types of nutrients. I can most likely find something beneficial about any food you question, but the message here is that each food is different to its core in providing a rainbow of vitamins and minerals.

So what should you do? Try new things! I'm glad that chicken, eggs, and bagged salad works for you. It's cheap, nutritious, and quick. Your body is asking you for more! Choose simple new things like a new color of pepper or switching from pasta to brown rice. Eventually you can upgrade to buying a fruit that you can't even pronounce just because you want to try it or by ordering kimchi for the first time not because it sounds appetizing, but because it could be that new thing you love!

So get more out of your diet by eating more variety. Your body will thank you.