You wear in public what you do in private.
I firmly believe all of us intuitively know what we ought to be eating, and what not. However, to ensure everyone here is on the same page, I thought I’d best share my overview of nutrition for optimal health.
If you’re walking through a desert, you will eat anything that contains nutrition, especially bugs. But you’re not in a desert. You’re living in a land that flows with milk and honey, and it’s very easy to overindulge.
The Bible says, “When you find honey, eat just enough unless you get sick and vomit.” – Proverbs
Let’s start at the beginning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s this meal that sets you up for the day. Corn Flakes became popular in the 1900’s due to the added sugars and marketing done.
This changed the way many families woke up, but at what cost?
Nutrition Tip #1 – Blood Sugar Control
Maintaining a homeostatic environment within the body is very important for us to thrive, and when we experience big shifts in this harmonious balance, things start to change, and there are consequences.
From what we know now we can say breakfast cereals with added sugar will disrupt blood sugar levels, trigger the release of insulin, and have a cascading effect. This is how easily type 2 diabetes develops.
We can also see from peer reviewed publications that repetitive sugar spikes have the potential to trigger attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents. This can affect mood and learning potential.
You can counter this and prevent insulin resistance by removing excess sugars from your diet, at least for 5 consecutive days of the week. You can also ensure your meals contain protein and fats to slow digestion.
Nutrition Tip #2 – Gut Health Matters
Are you constipated? Do you have a bloated gut? Perhaps you get cramps after eating certain foods? Nutrition goes beyond the foods we eat. Nutrition also involves the internal environment of the body.
If you can’t absorb nutrients well you will get malnourished, even if you eat healthily. Strong alcohol will kill the good bacteria in your gut. Bacteria that’s responsible for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.
Eating fibre from fruits and vegetables will also help you improve the internal environment of your gut. Fibre found in grains like wholegrain low GI bread can also aid digestion to alleviate constipation.
Certain products like Keffer can also help you to boost the good bacteria in your gut, and this has been shown to improve mood, combat depression, reduce cravings, and even aid weight-loss. Amazing!
Nutrition Tip #3 – Saying I’ve Had Enough
Wise words. Learning to be content, and happy with less, full on more, and blessed with the self-control to say “I’ve had enough. I’m 80% full.” Learning to eat like this is intuitive, and it removes many restrictions.
Most stressed individuals eat too fast, or they mindlessly guzzle down food and booze while staring at a screen. This is a recipe for disaster. You’re not even connecting with your food, tasting, savouring, eating.
Gluttony is a sin. Unfortunately, we can’t get away with murder. If you’re going to eat like a pig you will likely look like one too. Mean of me to say I know, but each of us will need to take a long hard look in the mirror.
Overeating can be a sign that you need to be comforted. Perhaps you have not dealt with trauma from your past, or maybe you find yourself alone every night. It’s not okay to suffer in silence. Reach out to someone.
Nutrition Tip #4 – Eating More Protein
Protein is essential for us to thrive. Without the 9 essential amino acids found in animal protein sources like meat we cannot function at our optimal capacity. We will have less muscle and less neurotransmitters like serotonin. This can be problematic. It’s why we need to prioritise protein.
Try to consume a double serving of protein at every main meal. You will have to cut back on bread, cereal, pastries, and sugar for the next few weeks. But doing so will yield CRAZY results.
Eating quality lean protein will increase your metabolic rate (Thermic Effect) through a variety of pathways which will boost your bodies natural ability to get redefined. But be warned, too much protein can also give you constipation, and that’s why it’s important to eat fruits and drink water.
The bible says, “One man’s faith allows him to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.” – Romans 14:2