Maintaining a healthy nutrient-dense diet is something we all need to strive for. However, many need to first change the way they think about food. It is fuel for our bodies and we can find much enjoyment in putting good things into our body.
What do our bodies need to grow and heal? Real foods.
Healthy Glucose
Fruits are 90% efficient to the human body, meaning, if there are 100 calories in a banana, it only takes 10 of the calories to digest and process that food. The other 90 calories are for usable, life maintaining energy. The primary reason we eat food is for glucose, our main energy supply. Fruits are high in sugar.
When to eat fruits: Early in the day so that your body has time to use up the energy in an effective, healthy way.
Protein
Nuts are a good source of protein. Vegetable source proteins are also great for the body and easy to digest. (Try tofu or tempeh.) Cooked animal sourced proteins have the highest protein content ounce per ounce but they are difficult for the body to break down- you must add digestive enzymes. Does that mean you shouldn’t eat cooked foods? Of course not! Just make sure to supplement with a high quality vegetarian digestive enzyme to help break down your foods and give your body the fullest nutritional value possible.
When to eat protein: With every meal.
Vegetables
Vegetables are also a positive energy food, but not quite as efficient, in that it takes roughly 90% calories of a vegetable to digest and process it, leaving only 10 calories for usable energy. However, that means we can FILL UP on veggies and not worry about counting calories.
When to eat vegetables: There is no upper limit on eating vegetables! Snack on them all day long!
Limit junk foods
When a food takes more energy to digest and process than they give in return we call that eating “empty calories”. Our bodies get little nutrition from these foods