Food choices have the potential to heal the body.
The emerging science of nutrigenomics, which explores how nutrition influences gene expression, is an exciting and rapidly developing field.
"...in large part our biology is driven through the nutrients we eat and through vitamins and minerals and other factors in food that are dietary signaling molecules...food is actually information, it's instructions. And it has the ability with every bite, in real time, to change gene expression to affect epigenetics, to alter the function of protein networks, to change our hormones, to change our immune system..."
-Dr. Mark Hyman
FOOD ACTS AS INFORMATION FOR THE BODY.
When you eat natural, whole foods, your body’s receptors can recognize and interpret the nutrients they contain. This "information" is used to support and build healthy body systems. However, the body struggles to process unfamiliar substances like food additives, preservatives, herbicides, and fungicides. It also can't properly respond to the chemical changes in deep-fried and highly processed foods, which can disrupt its ability to function optimally.
"That is what nutrigenomics is all about. Understanding how nutrition can power genes to create function that then leads to a long healthy life, not the fear of disease, but the presence of wellness."
-Jeffrey Bland, PHD
When using food as healing, focus on a plant-based, whole food diet—real food sourced directly from nature. Build your diet around whole vegetables, fruits, grains, and raw nuts and seeds for optimal health and healing.
5 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR HEALTH TODAY
1) IDENTIFY COMMON FOODS YOU EAT AND TRADE UNHEALTHY INGREDIENTS FOR WHOLE FOODS.
Look in your cupboards and fridge, examine what you eat in a day and in a week...this is a good first step in food awareness. You may think you eat pretty healthy, but if you look well, you will likely find a lot of packaged and processed food.
Food swaps:
breakfast cereal oatmeal
white pasta buckwheat pasta or quinoa
mayonnaise avocado
red meat lentils, beans or tempeh
sugar raw honey
cow milk nut milk
jello/pudding chia pudding
sweet treats fresh fruit
fries baked potato
2) COMMIT TO ONE WHOLE FOOD MEAL PER DAY
This doesn't have to be time consuming. But it will start to transform your habits.
Here are some ideas:
Oatmeal, with fresh fruit and hemp seeds.
Baked potato over a salad of arugula, avocado, tomato, parsley and shredded root vegetables.
Black beans and sweet potato cooked in onions, garlic and tomatoes.
A green smoothie with mixed greens, fruit of your choice, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or hemp seeds, spirulina, ginger, turmeric, etc.
Creamy quinoa mixed together with tahini and miso, topped with steamed greens, shredded carrot and ginger.
3) CHANGE YOUR COOKING METHOD
Frying is bad for your body, try to avoid it. If sauteing or roasting, choose oils that have a high smoke point, such as avocado oil. It can better maintain its molecular structure creating less free radical damage when heated. You can also experiment sauteing with water or in a light miso broth. Try alternative cooking methods such as steaming.
4) SWAP A MEAT PROTEIN FOR A VEGETABLE PROTEIN DAILY
There are an abundance of tasty vegetable proteins. All plants contain protein. Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak and spinach is about equal to chicken and fish. If you eat a whole food plant based diet, you will more than meet the body's requirement for protein. Beans and legumes are very high in protein, as are raw nuts and seeds.
5) BRING ON THE SUPERFOODS
All fresh vegetables and fruits are actually superfoods, especially leafy greens. However, the term "superfoods" has been used to define nutritionally dense foods, often in the form of powders that can be added onto and into many foods. This is an easy way to super charge your food and increase your daily nutrients. Some great ones to try include:
Chlorella: a green algae that can chelate heavy metals (pull them out of your body) and is high in minerals, anti-oxidants, b-complex and amino acids. This article highlights the benefits of chlorella.
Spirulina: anutritionally dense blue green algae. Gram for gram has more protein than red meat, contains all the essential fatty acids, and is full of anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins.
Hemp seeds - high in two essential fatty acids: linoleic acid (omega 6) and alpha- linolenic acid (omega 3). Great source of complete protein, just 3 tbsp provide 10 g of protein. They are high in manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron and thiamine.
Amla powder: also known as the Indian gooseberry, high in vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains high levels of folic acid and minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, and magnesium
Moringa powder: A green leaf high in vitamins and minerals. Has anti-oxidant and anti- inflammatory effects. The science is not clear if it is safe for pregnant women as it can make the uterus contract.
Mixed green powders: There are numerous green powders on the market, they often combine various ingredients such as wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina and chlorella mixed with powdered fruits, vegetables, herbs, enzymes and probiotics.
Give your body the information of healing by choosing nutrient dense whole food plant-based options.
Yorumlar