Nutrition Basics

What we put in our bodies directly relates to what we get out of it. 

We would never expect to put water into a car’s gas tank and have the car run like normal. The same way our bodies need to have proper fuel to function properly.

So what is the proper fuel for our bodies? 

The best thing to do is get a balanced range of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and other nutrients(vitamins and minerals).

Protein is most often but doesn’t need to be only from meat sources. We can get it from many plant sources as well.

Lentils, chickpeas(garbanzo beans), peanuts, almonds, and quinoa are just a few great alternative sources of plant based proteins.

When choosing to eat proteins that are meats we should also make sure it is responsibly sourced from a healthy environment.  Local purchase of meats is almost always a healthier option than a mass processed meat.

Choosing healthy carbs like fruits are important to make sure our bodies absorb them at a good rate. This way we don’t get a sugar spike and then crash the way we do if we were to eat something like candy.

In addition to protein we can also get healthy fats from the nuts we eat like peanuts and almonds, etc. Other sources of healthy fats are avocados, cheeses, and just overall making healthy choices for the oils we use to cook. (example: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil are great options.)

No matter the foods we are eating, we should try to choose the items that have the least processing, since processing of any food item often removes important nutrients to make it more shelf stable.

Everyone’s bodies are different, so make sure you are listening to what your body really needs and not just eating what it craves because it has become addicted to it.

No matter what, it is always advisable to consult a health care professional when making any major health and dietary changes.

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