Easy to Digest

In journalism, a few fundamentals hold true: You have to know the who, what, when, where, why, and how if you’re going to craft a compelling story.

Most of us learned the five Ws and one H early in our English language arts education. Consciously or not, we’ve likely referred to them countless times throughout our lives; they support reading comprehension and serve as helpful writing tools, whether we’re crafting an email, an article, a paper, or a book.

They’re also good for summing up complex topics. As I ­reviewed this edition of Experience Life — our eighth annual Food Issue — I ­realized that the five Ws and one H made it easy to abridge our food and nutrition philosophy. With that in mind, and in an order that makes sense to me, here’s what we stand for, in a nutshell:

WHO:
We all need to eat, and the better we understand food’s role in our overall well-being, the more likely we are to create habits and behaviors around it that support optimal health and wellness.

WHAT:
As food writer Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Most of those foods, ideally, are the types our ancestors would recognize — vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds — rather than the ultraprocessed and hyperpalatable ones (see “How to Break Free From Hyperpalatable Foods” for more on those) that dominate our modern diets and food culture.

It’s also important to aim for a healthy balance of macronutrients, complemented by essential vitamins and minerals and strategic supplementation. (For our fitness-focused take on this, see “5 Foundational Guidelines for Fitness Nutrition.”)

WHY:
The food we eat influences every aspect of our health — physical, mental, emotional, and social. It’s a source of pleasure and a tool for healing, as integrative physician Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, explains in “How Food Can Be Medicine.” For instance, food intimately affects gut health — which has body-wide ramifications for cardiovascular and respiratory function, skin health, cognitive wellness, and more (see “9 Ways the Gut Microbiome Influences Health”). It affects hormone and reproductive health, too (see “4 Recipes to Help Improve Hormonal Balance and Fertility”).

WHEN:
Fueling our bodies is a daily necessity for survival, and prioritizing eating healthy and nutritiously most of the time helps us thrive. There are also periods when specific dietary interventions can drive health improvements. For example, protein builds not only muscle but also neurotransmitters, which may provide relief from depression and anxiety (see “How Protein Affects Mental Health”).

WHERE:
Cooking and eating the majority of our meals at home is one of the best ways to control the quality — and the quantity — of our food. When we dine out, we don’t ­always know the specific ingredients being used, and we may eat more because portion sizes tend to be bigger. (Of note: Restaurants are the most common setting for exposure to foodborne illness; more on that at “What You Need to Know About Food Recalls.”)

HOW:
Eating mindfully and without distraction encourages us to slow down and take pleasure in food while also supporting digestion and metabolism. Set devices aside, step away from the desk, take a few deep breaths, and tune in.

Dining with family and friends has benefits, too (see “5 Surprising Reasons Why Eating With Others Is Good for Your Health”). Beyond enhancing various aspects of our health, it’s an opportunity to create shared experiences that are the foundation for memories, traditions, and deeper, more meaningful connections — and those are the kinds of seconds that really matter.

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