Since you've already taken my online quiz and have received Your Score, you already know which of the ten healthiest foods you're eating every day and how many of the ten health habits you're practicing to be as healthy as you can be today. But are you combining your foods the right way?

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In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of food combinations and how to create the perfect winning combination for optimal health and well-being.

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Feel Full for 4 Hours

Have you ever eaten what you thought was a “healthy” meal but then found yourself hungry after only 2 hours? It could be because the foods you ate were not properly combined. You can eat a bowl of oatmeal with berries in the morning, which is definitely a great start to a healthy breakfast, but if you’re missing a key food combination in that bowl, you’re going to experience hunger and cravings sooner than we’d like.

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If our goal is to crush hunger, we have to become really good at knowing and understanding effective food combinations. I always make it a goal for my patients to feel full for at least 4 hours after a meal. And to do that, we have to make sure we have everything on our plate at every meal that will keep us full and satisfied with no energy slumps or cravings until the next meal.

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Not to mention heal our overall bodies and minds. Feeling full is only part of the goal here. When we eat properly combined meals, we are also essentially giving ourselves the best medicine that’s out there. So how do you know the best combinations? That’s where The Score and The Plate come in.

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The Score and The Plate

To make it easier to create winning food combinations, I developed The Score, my system for quantifying the food and habit choices we make in our day-to-day lives that impact our health the most. Within The Score framework are the 10 foods that are most effective in healing our bodies in the long run.

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Next, we have The Plate. The Plate is my framework for the food combinations we should be aiming for at every meal. I usually tell my clients to take a paper plate and draw a line down the middle of it. Half of that plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables at every meal. Then, on the other half of the plate, draw a line dividing that half in half. One quarter we fill with whole grains, and the other quarter we fill with healthy plant proteins and healthy plant fats.

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Remember, you don’t have to do this planning alone! For a deeper dive on The Plate, check out “Plan Your Plate” in your Member Dashboard.

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Of course, I always tell my patients that they should also throw in a little bit of their favorite food on that plate, too, because we don’t want to live a life where we never get to eat the foods we truly love.

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So, to break it down again, here’s the winning combination for a plate that  keeps you full for hours:

• 50% fruits and vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, kale, carrots, peppers, blueberries, strawberries, apples, etc.
• 25% plant proteins/healthy fats: Beans, nuts, tofu, nut butter, avocado, seeds, etc.
• 25% whole intact grains: Quinoa, brown rice, etc.

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The Plate: A Summary of the Winning Combination

Ready to transform your health? The winning combination for optimal health and well-being is a balance of whole, minimally processed foods that provide the right balance of nutrients to our cells. To help visualize this, use The Plate as a guide, and focus on incorporating non-starchy vegetables, plant protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates into each meal.

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By focusing on proper food combinations and whole, nutrient-dense foods, you can optimize your health and well-being and feel your best every day. As a member of Dr. Cheryl Wellness, you have access to these frameworks and resources 24/7. To access Your Plate framework and Your Score, just head to your Member Dashboard and get started with planning the right food combinations at every single meal.

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Have questions about the right food combos with your favorite meals? Hop onto our next Live Your Wellness Check Up and Q&A for members only and bring your questions! I’ll be there ready to give you my best ideas to make your meals filling and delicious at the same time.