Humans require three things to survive; Oxygen, water, and food. We can live only a few minutes without the oxygen, and only few days without the water. We can live much longer without food. But quality of the food we eat and most importantly, nutrients it contains-is determines whether we simply survive, or thrive.
There are two types of nutrients in food :
Macronutrients : protein, carbohydrates, and fat, Micronutrients : minerals, vitamins
Human body require about forty different micronutrients to function properly. Unfortunately, nutrient deficiency is widespread in industrialised world. Most of us are deficient in zinc, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, Vitamin B6, vitamin E. Approximately one -third of western world are also deficient in Vitamin B, B1, B2, C and iron..
Nutrient deficiency affects literally every cell, organ, and tissue, including, weakening immune function, Premature ageing, cancer, cellular damage, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol abnormalities, depression, anxiety, and infertility.
The key is to nourishing our body is to maximise our intake of bioavailable nutrients.
The nutrient density and bioavailability of foods high in ,organ meat, wild game meat poultry, fish shellfish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. medium in whole grain, legumes, plants fats oils, dairy product. low in refined grains, sugar, industrial oils, processed food and snacks, sugar sweetened beverages, artificial ingredients, alcohol, natural sweeteners.
First, all of the most nutrient foods are real, whole foods, and all of the least nutrient-dense foods are processed and refined foods.
Second, you might be surprised to see that organ meats, meat, fish and shellfish are in highest category of nutrient dense than fruits and vegetables. Nutrients in meat are highly bioavailable when compared to foods like cereal grains, nuts, and seeds and legumes. The bioavailability of zinc, for example, is four times higher in meat than it is in grain.
Third, while neither animal nor plants fats are especially nutrient dense, they do play other important roles in the diet. Perhaps most importantly, they help us to absorb the nutrients that are present in other foods. I will cover healthy fats in my next blog.
Finally, whole grains and legumes are not the nutritional powerhouses you may have been led to believe they are. We need to be aware , they lack of important nutrients, also contain substances called nutrient inhibitors that make it more difficult for us to absorb some of the nutrients they do contain.
Traditional cultures who ate a lot of grains and legumes went to great lengths to breakdown these nutrient inhibitors so they could better absorb the nutrients in these foods, like soaking, sprouting, fermenting and leavening. If you have time and you can tolerate them there is no reason why they should not be part of your diet, If you eat nuts and seeds you should soak and dehydrate or roast them first in order to increase bioavailability of the nutrients they contain.
Action Summary:
Emphasize; Nutrient-dense, whole foods like organ meat, fish ,shellfish, eggs, fruits, vegetables , nuts, seeds, herb and spices.
MInimize; Intake of flour, sugar and other sweeteners, industrial seed oils, processed/refined food and snacks of all kinds.
Eat Healthy Fats, Though fats aren't especially nutrient-dense, healthy fats are an important part of the diet because they play several other important roles, including helping us to absorb nutrients we get from other foods.
If you choose to eat nuts, grains, legumes, it is best to soak them prior to cooking to maximize nutrient bioavailability.
