If you are reading this, you are a human. As humans, we are hard-wired to eat. The only way we can survive in this world is to eat food. Now this is where it gets tricky....the word "food". Your great-grandparents only had food that was grown, picked, caught, or hunted for, period. There weren't boxes of cereal, bags of chips, cans of anything, or food-like substances. Their choices were minimal, found in nature, and usually required "work" to consume it.
How did a simple process that we must do to survive become so complex?? We live in a world where convenience is king. Our lives are so busy, that we often must choose between a meal made at home or the convenient drive-through window at your favorite fast food restaurant. Food has been engineered to be addictive with artificial flavors, preservatives, and flavorings, and stopping at just one is impossible! (thank you Pringles) not to mention the dopamine hits from every bite of sugary salty goodness that can be packed into a bite of a Snickers.
You are going to take charge and eat better! You win the battle and avoid the snack aisle, pass on the fast food drive-through window, and uninstall the Uber Eats app on your phone, you have won, right?? Hold up....what do I eat??
There is so much confusion over all the "diet" worlds. Vegans, carnivores, keto, paleo, Whole 30, and macros all claim to be the cure-all for whatever health challenge someone has experienced. Each person is so convinced that their way of eating is the best that you are left spinning in circles and asking why am I doing this anyway??
Talk about confusion!! We get so caught up in which "diet" or hitting our macros that we lose sight and awareness of what the purpose of food is anyway!!
Food is instructions for our cells, building blocks for our bones and muscles, and the backbones of the chemical reactions occurring in your body at all times. Our bodies are made of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, found in "real food".
Our thousands of year-old genes do not know what to do with man-made chemicals, food-like substances, or preservatives. Our bodies are constantly rebuilding through cellular turnover. Your body now will be all different cells, aka a new body within a few months to a year. Your new cells are made of what you eat and absorb! Food is the only thing we ingest that can give our body the building blocks to make new cells. This is why it is never too late to start healing your body through the power of nutrition. How your cells communicate with one another is the first level for keeping a powerful metabolism.
New science is revealing many of our chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers, and obesity, are all a direct result of our metabolic health. Making small changes to prioritize better nutrition is more important than ever.
Now, I am not advocating that you have to move out to the country, buy a cow, or grow a 3-acre garden yet, but I do propose we look at food from a "nutrient density" perspective. Huh?? What does nutrient density mean?
Nutrient density is defined as the nutrition in the form of vitamins and minerals available per calorie. When we see food as the parts for our newest model of our bodies do we really want the cheap, knock-off versions or the OEM parts?? This is why your nutrition is more than just hitting our "calories for the day" or "it fits my macros". Your body is looking for instructions to rebuild and replicate what needs remodeling.
Real foods come without labels and are not found in a box. Looking for high-quality meats that are pasture-raised, wild-caught seafood, quality dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans. Each fruit and vegetable is a different color which represents different antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. This is why variety is so key in our diet. We need an assortment of foods with various flavors, textures, and nutrient profiles to give our bodies the best chance to rebuild.
You do not have to slave away in the kitchen every night to eat nutrient-dense whole food. Menu prepping, grocery services, and batch cooking are key tools enabling you to deliver a home-cooked meal that takes as long as running to the local restaurant can take. Take this on as a new challenge for yourself. See yourself as someone who can figure this out.
Knowing why we must eat in a way that provides nourishment is half of the battle. Keep following as we dive deeper into ways to make grocery shopping, cooking, and focusing on nutrient density easy to do!
You are meant to thrive!
Jess
Comentários