The “3 V Rule”, the best diet for you and the planet

Let’s start with a double observation. First, the food we consume, its production and waste have a big impact on it planet. Then, some of our eating habits are bad for our health. Too sweet, too rich in bad fats and consists mainly ofultra-processed food… “In 2030, 50% of the world’s population could suffer from overweight and obesity, warns Émilie Steinbach (1), neuroscientist and doctor of integrative biology. It is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and cognitive decline.”

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“Can we feed a future population of 10 billion people with a healthy diet within planetary constraints?” This question needs to be answered Commission for EAT-Lancet was trained. In 2019, 37 experts in health, nutrition, environmental sustainability, food systems, and economic and political governance, coming from 16 different countries, presented “global diet», a diet that is able to respect sustainable planetary limitations, while being based on in-depth nutrition analyses. How can we integrate these recommendations into our daily lives? How to eat healthy and sustainably? Following the “3 V rule”, developed by Anthony Fardet, doctor of human nutrition, researcher of preventive and sustainable nutrition (2) and Edmond Rock, director of research at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE). It consists of a “real, plant-based and varied” diet

Eat right

Eating “right” simply means cutting back on consumptionultra-processed food, that is, designed by food manufacturers – with cosmetic agents to modify the taste, color, smell and/or texture – and many of them do not exist as such in the natural state. “These products, overall, provide our body with little fiber, vitamins and micronutrients, they are often too sweet and contain cosmetic additives,” emphasizes Anthony Fardet. Excessive consumption is harmful to overall health, i.e. human and planetary.” Most of the 210 epidemiological studies conducted on ultra-processed foods actually reported a significant link between excessive consumption of such products and an increased risk of many chronic diseases and early mortality.

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Not forgetting that “ultra-processing is linked to unsustainable food systems that reduce biological diversity and promote monocultures and intensive livestock farming,” adds the expert. The amounts of plastic waste and waste involved in these productions are also colossal. This is why Anthony Fardet recommends limiting the consumption of such foods to one or two a day.

To eat “right”, Anthony Fardet recommends three other rules for health. Prefer solid foods over liquids “to promote chewing and satiety.” Actually, eating a whole orange instead of one squeezed orange juice it ensures, for example, a better intake of fiber and vitamins, while better regulating the glycemic response. In addition, he advises to “eat whole starchy foods but their refined version, and to avoid overloading with added salt, sugar and fat during cooking.

Eat plant-based foods

It is inevitable for the good of the Earth reduce the consumption of foods of animal origin. “Vegetating our plates drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and the overall footprint on the environment,” insists Anthony Fardet. There are simply no other solutions for preserving our planet.” For comparison, the production of one kilogram of beef emits 99 kilograms of CO^₂ equivalently, a kilogram of legumes emits less than a kilogram of CO^₂ equivalent.

The benefits are also found on our health. “For example, it has been shown that the MIND diet, which combines Mediterranean diet traditionally in DASH (diet against hypertension), which mainly consists of plant foods (whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds), is associated with a reduction in the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and a slowing down of cognitive decline”, assures neuroscientist Émilie Steinbach. In contrast, consumption of red meat is associated with risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

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There is no question of reducing total protein intake here. “It involves replacing a certain amount of meat with protein food of plant origin“, the neuroscientist points out. Among them we find dried beans, lentils, oilseeds, nuts and even soy-based products… “Contrary to popular opinion, these foods do not always have a lower protein intake than meat,” explains Émilie Steinbach. Numerous studies show that a vegetarian diet is generally of better nutritional quality than that of an omnivore, since it offers a greater variety of foods, and thus a better variety of nutrients.

Eat a variety

And that’s the whole purpose of last dimension 3 vs. Varying our diet is actually essential for encouraging biodiversity, polyculture and supporting different ecosystems. “Today, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) reports that there are only 12 species of animals and plants that provide more than 50% of the daily calories for the 8 billion people on Earth, notes researcher Anthony Fardet. However, there are thousands of plant and animal habitats on the planet.” Hence the importance of changing eating habits.

Diversifying our plates will also promote better health. “The more diverse foods we eat, the more we provide a complex array of different molecules that feed our diversity microbiotawhich helps to improve our gut and overall health,” informs Émilie Steinbach.

In practice, experts recommend consuming between 35 and 40 different foods per week. “Which equates to roughly three different products per food category,” explains Anthony Fardet. Thus, in the group of cereals, we can consume whole wheat, whole rice and corn. From legumes, you choose to eat lentils, beans and chickpeas. From fruit, we can turn to bananas, apples and pears… “Thus, we ensure the satisfaction of all our nutritional needs thanks to the intake of antioxidants, fibers, minerals and vitamins”, continues the doctor nutritionist. At the end, the latter invites you to consume fruits and vegetables from agroecology, local and seasonal.

(1) Émilie Steinbach runs an Instagram account @TheBrainGutScientistwhere he popularizes scientific knowledge about the impact of our lifestyle on our brain.

(2) Anthony Fardet is also the author of the book Why complicate everything, it’s so simple to eat wellpublished by Thierry Souccar, 270 pages, €19.90.