Best Food For Energy Power
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This topic could invariable go on for days, but let’s try to boil it down to a few simple rules to follow in order to optimize your nutrition for healing and overall wellbeing. Of course just like anything else, you need to find what works for you.
Eat More Like This:
- Balance of macronutrients at each meal (carbs, fats and protein in combination, never in isolation)
- It will take some practice to find the right ratios for you
- Carbs=fruits and veggies
- Fats and protein=animal products (meats and cooking fats/oils)
- Food your great-grandparents would recognize and eat
Avoid These (all can be very inflammatory):
- Industrial Seed Oils (canola, soybean, peanut, sunflower, safflower, corn oil, cottonseed oil): These are often used to cook with and are easily damaged by heat, thus causing increased oxidation (you need more anti-oxidants). Since they are a polyunsaturated fat they turn rancid even at room temperature. Finally, they are very high in omega-6 fatty acids throwing off the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
- Beware of grains: The whole gluten craze has taken the world by storm. Whether a grain contains gluten or not, it can still be problematic. This is because of the phytic acid that robs the body of minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorus=higher incedence of osteoporosis) as well as grains being nearly void of them to begin with and most grain products must be fortified with minerals or they are not allowed to be produced.
- That being said, if you can tolerate grains well and eat them after being properly prepared, they can be a good addition to the diet.
- Non-Fermented Soy: similar to grains, soy also has high levels of phytic acid robbing the body of minerals. Soy can have both endocrine disrupting effects as well as act as an anti-thyroid agent, throwing off your hormones and slowing your metabolism.
- Pasteurized Dairy: Once dairy is pasteurized it is basically “dead.” This is because many of the enzymes (lactase-think lactose intolerant), vitamins (A, C, B6, B12) and beneficial bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus) are destroyed in the heating process. Some of the fats and many amino acids can also become damaged
So What Can I Eat
- Carbs: fruits, veggies (both above and below ground) are great as well as packed with nutrients
- Fats: butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard and olive oil are all excellent choices
- Proteins: beef, lamb, goat, chicken, pork, fish and eggs are all loaded with quality protein
- Reach for locally raised, Organic, grass-fed (meats) and wild caught (fish) as your first choice as they will have fewer or no pesticides, herbicides, toxins and hormones used.