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  • jules

Food is more than just calories

Updated: Sep 25, 2019

Think about food differently!!!


I was talking to my son today about food and reading labels. He was quick to point out he knows an adult that has a job that requires extensive movement and walking everyday so it doesn’t matter what they eat, because, they will burn it all off.


Oh, contrer……


Food is more than just calories!


It is a way to INVEST in your health!!


I explained to him that food is like gas in a car. You put the good fuel in and your engine runs smooth and stays clean. If you put old or bad fuel in your car, the engine gets dunked up, sluggish and might even stop working. SAME STORY WITH FOOD. QUALITY MATTERS.


Do we know people that are thin and appear healthy on the outside but possibly suffer on the inside? The food we eat influences the cells in our body. Our cells are the building blocks for all our organs and systems. If our cells are unhealthy or broken, we are unhealthy and broken. BOTTOM LINE!!!!! Our health happens from the inside out. Food can control gene expression and metabolism. It can also influence your hormone levels that influence chemical and metabolic processes throughout the body.


The American College of Preventative Medicine found that despite dietary recommendations of eating fruits and vegetables only 25% actually do. More disappointing is that of these respondents, only one third ever received dietary advice from a physician on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. And, in 2015, the CDC reported that less than 10% of Americans eat the recommended amount of vegetables.


Why does it matter???


FOOD CAN EFFECT:

  • Mood

  • Weight

  • Sleep

  • Focus & Concentration

  • Productivity & Energy levels

  • Level of Inflammation and pain

  • GI discomfort

  • Immune System

  • Risk for developing diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, and more


A recent study in the British Medical Journal found that “Ultra-processed food intake was associated with higher overall cancer risk.”


More and more information is being unraveled every day that links lifestyle choices to chronic disease as opposed to genetic makeup.


So……. Eating is not just about the calories (energy) it provides.


FOOD IS ENERGY

FOOD IS INFORMATION FOR OUR CELLS

FOOD SUPPORTS OUR MICROBIOME





In addition to the wealth of information about the food-disease correlation, the missing link that is being widely studied that connects many dots is our microbiome health.

What is your “MICROBIOME?”


It is the population of good and bad bacteria that populate your intestinal tract. It was not generally recognized until the 1990s. The diversity of gut flora in our microbiome numbers in the trillions, with over 1000 different species. Those species all have their own genes that total near 3 million. THAT’S A LOT OF NUMBERS.


It can be confusing. So when you think about genes and your own health, you aren’t just keeping your own genes and system healthy - but also all of those of the little microorganisms too. All that bacteria can weigh as much as five pounds. The composition of our microbiome is unique to each of us, just like a fingerprint.


Some of the functions of our microbiome include:

  • Digestion

  • Production of vitamins

  • Create a barrier from external threats

  • Plays an important role in the immune system


It has been linked to:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease

  • Irritable bowel syndrome

  • Autoimmune diseases

  • Obesity

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Allergies

  • Mood disorders

  • Fatigue

  • Inflammation


Striking a balance between the good bacteria and bad bacteria in your microbiome can support overall wellness and reduce the risk for disease.


All of the systems in our body are linked together. So creating health can be achieved by making good lifestyle choices. YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINK. Health is not just by chance or bad luck.


There is not one “perfect” diet. Different approaches work for different people. We as humans, have a tendency to let the pendulum swing drastically from one side to the other by overcorrecting. There are some fairly straightforward ideas that go a long way in cleaning up your food intake and will ultimately make a different for your energy level, your waistline, and your disease risk. These guidelines will also promote a healthy hormone response and minimize inflammation. Remember, quality matters.


BASIC FOOD GUIDELINES

  • Increase your water intake, eliminate/decrease ANY drink with sugar or artificial sweeteners

  • Fill half your plate every meal with low-starch vegetables

  • Eat five colors of the rainbow everyday from produce sources

  • Cut back on animal protein. Make sure you source the animal protein you do consume as well as you can afford…..pasture raised, organic, grass-fed, wild caught

  • Practice micro-fasts…… don’t eat after 8pm or before 8am

  • Eliminate fried foods

  • De-normalize sugar - eliminate processed sugar and grains (Chaterjee)

  • Eat what is in season and source local when possible

  • Stay away from pesticides, GMO, antibiotics and hormones

  • Limit dairy and fruits

  • Eat healthy fats such as avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds, coconut oil/butter, grass-fed butter, ghee

  • Reduce portion size

  • Use more herbs and spices to flavor food

  • Explore new recipes and cooking techniques - HAVE FUN


Changing your eating and habits can be HARD! Pick one thing and focus on that one thing for a week. Then add another to the list and repeat.


Keep some perspective….. eating healthy might be little more expensive - BUT - managing disease and discomfort can be far more expensive

.

Working with a coach to learn and understand new information, discover obstacles, devise a plan towards creating change, work through lifestyle strategies, provide guidance and holding you accountable can be the difference between success and failure. To learn more about options to work with me as a coach and schedule your FREE 30 minute consultation - click here.


References:

“How to Make Disease Disappear” - Dr. Rangan Chaterjee

”Food, What the Heck should I eat” - Dr. Mark Hyman

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