What Is Nutrition?

What Is Nutrition?

 

Nutrition is the process of providing and obtaining the nutrients necessary for optimum wellness and continued growth.

 

It is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food nutrients to support its growth and life functions. It includes ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, assimilation and excretion of waste.

 

It is about eating a healthy and balanced meal each time you sit down to eat. Understanding this entire process will help you make better food choices and combinations each time.

 

Nutrition is the process of taking food and drinks and using it for growth ,metabolism and repair..

 

There are seven major classes of nutrients that our body needs :-

 1.CARBOHYDRATES

2.FATS (ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS)

3.FIBRE (SOLUBLE & INSOLUBLE)

4.PROTEIN

5.MINERALS (MACRO & MICRO )

6.VITAMINS (MACRO & MICRO)

7.WATER & OTHER LIQUIDS LIKE COCONUT WATER

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION

 

It is important to ensure that everything we consume is of optimum quality as this is fuel for our body systems.

 

Good nutrition greatly reduces the risk of many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes, some cancers, some tumours, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis .

 

It can also reduce high blood pressure, lower high LDL cholesterol, strengthen the immune system which will improve your ability to recover from illness.

 

It is also an important factor in increasing your energy level.

 

WHICH ARE THE MOST NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS?

 Some of these would include :

 

AVOCADOS

They are loaded with healthy fats instead of carbohydrates .Experienced nutritionists call the  avocado NATURE’S BUTTER .

 

BANANAS

They are amongst the world”s best sources of Potassium ,it is also high in Vitamin B6 and fibre .It is convenient and portable for example whilst travelling long distance or hiking .

 

BLUEBERRIES

They are packed with antioxidants and anthocyanins despite their small size. We have had great results with vision retention and improvement in using blueberries regularly.

 

BROCCOLI

This is a member of the cruciferous family  packed with nutrients including antioxidants and fibre .It is also known for its anti cancer fighting properties.

 

COCONUTS

They are loaded with fibre and powerful fatty acids called medium chain triglycerides (MCT)

The coconut water is refreshing and the closest thing to blood plasma

 

CUCUMBERS

These are very low in carbohydrates and calories .Their water consists mainly of vitamins and minerals. Cucumber skin is very high in chlorophyll very beneficial for the liver, gallbladder and kidneys.

 

EGGS

These have more nutrients per calorie than most other foods .ORGANIC & FREE RANGE EGGS each contain 6 grams of highly assimilable protein.

 

GARLIC

This is high in Vitamins B1,B6 ,C and the minerals Calcium, Copper, Manganese, Potassium and Selenium. Garlic is a revered member of the sulphur family of plants and helps improve the immune function.

 

KALE

It is known as the king of leafy greens .It is loaded with vitamins ,minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Cavolo Nero kale is one of its highest in nutrient quality.

 

MUSHROOMS

These are fat free ,low sodium, low calorie & low calorie and cholesterol free.

 

OILY FISH

Salmon and other types of fish like sardines preserved in extra virgin olive oil contain the greatest amount of OMEGA3 fatty acids.

This is important for the optimal function of your body including full cognitive function of the brain, It helps improve wellbeing and lowers the risk of many serious diseases such as

Dementia and Alzheimer’s .

 

SARDINES are small oily fish which can be eaten whole. Make sure the sardines have retained their spinal column .

AMONGST the best fish for protein and Omega3 are sea bass, monkfish, cod, organic red salmon fished in the wild waters of Alaska.

 

SEAWEED

This is high in iodine which is vital for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

In many cases, seaweed is even more nutritious than land grown vegetables.

Okinawans who are the natives of OKINAWA are well known for their high consumption of fresh seaweed. The average Okinawan consumes an average of 450 grams of fresh seaweed DAILY. That is 1 lb of seaweed daily.

As a result Okinawans enjoy amazing LONGEVITY because they eat so much fresh seaweed. We have seen 25 years of continuous research on the Okinawans and their lifespan is often 100 to 110 years. Japanese life span is around 70. Amongst the most popular seaweeds Okinawans eat are HIJIKI, WAKAME,NORI & BULL KELP. Other types of seaweeds are ARAME, DULSE & KOMBU.

 

GOATS MILK & GOATS CHEESE

Both above products are easily digested by most people unlike COWS MILK & COWS CHEESE.

Goats milk and cheese are ALKALINE whereas Cows milk and cheese are ACIDIC.

 

THE HUMAN BODY is designed to be 80% ALKALINE & 20% ACIDIC.

Any changes in that delicate balance of  chemistry will cause problems in the 11 body systems of the human body.

 

In addition to the above proven foods, it is very beneficial to intake 10,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily, especially in cold weather conditions.

 

The eminent and respected Dr Joseph MICOZZI has had great results with destroying the flu virus by prescribing 20,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily for 2 days.

 

             IS IT POSSIBLE to obtain all our nutrients from our food?

           

 

There is a school of thought that eating organic food is better than chemically commercially grown foods, thus giving us more chances of getting nutrients from that source of food .

Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more difficult for a variety of reasons:-

 

SOIL DEGRADATION

 

The quality of the soil that conventional produce is grown from even if it is organically grown is DECLINING fast. If nutrients are not in the soil where the plants are then the nutrients cannot be in the food. As the soil becomes increasingly deficient so does the food grown there .

 

In a typical conventional farming location, ONLY 3 nutrients are fertilised back in the soil after cropping. Those 3 nutrients are Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium also known as NPK. This means there are some 78 other key nutrients that are missing in the food in that field grown only with 3 nutrients.

 

We cannot argue against the body’s requirement for 80 plus nutrients  yet people wantonly choose deliberately to eat large amounts of junk food like pizzas, hamburgers, white flour cakes and bread  and junk fizzy drinks like heavily marketed sugar filled sodas.

 

Unfortunately, this junk binging becomes a daily bad habit ,

 

HIGHER NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

 

There are times in our lives where some nutrients like the B Complex vitamins ,Vitamin C complex, and key minerals like Calcium, Magnesium ,  Molybdenum, Selenium ,Manganese are absolutely required for that period of stress.

 

For example during times of exceptional stress, the body has to make extra units of stress hormones like Cortisol.

 

As this process is designed in saving your life ,it takes priority and therefore other parts of your body can miss out on vital nutrients they need.

 

Your anti oxidant requirements are also significantly increased in times of stress.

 

Organs being stressed create more free radicals hence the extra need for antioxidants to neutralise them.

 

RDI  recommended daily intake

 

There is a massive difference between the minimum intakes required to prevent nutritional deficiencies  versus optimal nutrients intake for outstanding wellness results.

 

Unfortunately the RDIS are set at the minimum amounts required to cope with minimal demands from human cells.

 

They are most assuredly not designed at the level required to obtain peak levels of wellness and energy.

 

Supplements as the word implies , gives us the clue that it is designed to supplement not replace a nourishing and nutritious meal.

 

REMEMBER 

 

That when it comes to supplements and type of food intake, QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT.

 

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