Alas, it is that time of year again! That time of year when children go back to school and back to knowledge.

Naturopathic medicine is all about getting back to the basics, back to nature.  I suggest we get back to the elements of health by revisiting what we learned in Elementary school.  I had the pleasure of guest speaking at some kid camps over the summer about the ever so important topic of nutrition.  And after those talks, I realized that we need to bring nutrition back to its basics, before we confused it with gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, anti-inflammatory foods, anti-oxidant rich foods, high carb diets, low carb diets, high protein diets, low protein diets, low fat diets, and blood type diets.  If we follow the simple rules we learned about nutrition in Elementary school, we are doing enough for our health.  Then if necessary, we can augment the diet from there depending on the individual concerns.

So – what are these simple rules we learned in Elementary school?

It’s easy as 1…2…3!

1. Eat small frequent meals.

2. Eat a rainbow diet.  Veggies and fruits are naturally colourful, the more colourful your plate, the better!  Try to eat each colour of the rainbow every day to ensure you are having a nutrient rich diet.

3. Proper portions – 1/2 plate veggies/fruits, 1/4 plate protein, 1/4 plate carbohydrates.  Dairy can be a small add on the side if necessary.  This plate portions (see image below) reminds me of the plastic divider plate we all used as children – we knew what proper portions were back when we were toddlers! Perhaps we need to bring back the plastic divider plate in an adult version?

Incorporate this 3 simple guidelines, and you are on your way to health!  Important also is drinking water (2-3L) and sleep (6-8 hours for adults, 10 hours for kids).  No need to over complicate.  Sometimes, the best things we learn are the simple basics we learned in school.

Happy back to school season everyone! Happy eating!