Maximizing Your Nutrients

Maximize Your Nutrients

How can you maximize your nutrients better with every meal? Every time we eat should be a chance for you to add nutrients to your body. If we are not adding nutrients than we're depleting our body of health.  
 
Nutrient-dense foods are vibrant and colorful fruits and vegetables, as well as, healthy fats, good quality meats, and whole grains in moderation. When you go to a grocery store, the perimeter of the store has the most nutrient-dense foods. Real whole foods in a varied plethora are the best way to get your daily nutrients. Eating all the colors of the rainbow is the way to do this nutrient-dense intake. 

Take the least nutrient-dense foods such as sugar, unhealthy fats, and alcohol. These foods are just harmful to your gut, digestion, skin, organs, etc... Take fried foods and candy bars and diet coke, for instance. These contain virtually no nutrients for the use of good health and proper bodily functions.

Ask yourself these questions? How do you feel after you are done eating a meal? Do you feel satisfied, nutritionally? Could you be getting more good fats, good carbs, more variety of proteins, more greens with more meals? Do you eat the same meals every day? Could you vary your day's food plan? Do you feel tired and lethargic after lunch? Could you make some better food choices? 

Easy swaps of healthy carbs, proteins or better fats can increase your nutrient intake. Or maybe just cut out so much bread for sandwiches and wraps throughout the day. Unless you make it yourself or it's a great quality bread, so many of them are just processed junk. I would rather spend those extra calories on delicious things like veggies and fruits. Maybe a bit of dark chocolate with some cashew butter, but we all have priorities. Just my thoughts on the matter. More vegetables and fruit, please!  

I love greens of all sorts- kale, arugula, swiss chard, spinach, even romaine; anything that makes my meal denser.  I guess I like eating and when there are two cups or so of greens to chew through, I get more full and satisfied than without. Greens of all sorts have so many nutrients your body needs to run properly, such as Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamins E, C, A, K, and folate. I think we eat way too many bad carbs as a society. All carbs aren't bad but everything in moderation is key. When your days are consistently filled with pastries, bread, pasta, rice, etc., you are not maximizing your nutrients for better health. A good balance in your food choices is best. Mostly good foods and once in a while a treat. 

Surprisingly, the more you eat good wholesome real foods, the less junk you crave. Processed food has a way of keeping you wanting more which in turn makes you sick, overweight, and just feeling plain yucky.

How can you maximize your nutrients, you may ask? Well, a breakfast of oats, fruit and some healthy fats like nut-butter, a bit of hemp hearts for a bit of protein topped with some fruit is better than sugar filled cereal. A couple of eggs and bacon or leftover meat with some veggies from last night's dinner will hit the spot and keep you full for more than an hour. Lunchtime could consist of romaine lettuce leaves filled with some homemade avocado chicken salad and some chopped cucumbers or celery with hummus. Maybe a green protein smoothie for a snack. These are just ideas for you to try, but you do what you want. I just see so many people, either hardly eating food, AND NO, STARVING YOURSELF IS NOT GOOD, or just plain eating like crap. 

We need nutrients to survive and function properly. Carbs like bread, pasta, dough, make me tired and feel like complete crap. I stay away from empty carbs, also because they go right to my hips and thighs and belly. 

Our society eats so many foods that don't do anything for our bodies but feed a craving. Those cravings are probably a sign from your body that you are lacking key minerals or vitamins or need to heal your gut with better nutrition. Or you need to just hydrate with a big glass of water. 

Do you think you get all the required daily essential vitamins and minerals from your diet? No one is perfect but I  strive for this as much as possible. My point here is to just THINK before you eat. That's all. Being mindful with your food choices can make a world of difference. In the process of making a little bit better choices on what you consume, you could get more energy and feel like taking on the world. Cause we need more people to be their best self these days and help combat the losing battle of so much unhealthy everyday bad habits that challenge our society. No one is perfect. But we can do better, I believe.   

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