Why you need food – it may not be why you think

What do you think of when you think of the NEED your body has for food? Carbohydrates are for energy for your body and brain, protein is for the structure of tissues and cells, fat is needed for energy and to keep you warm. These are just a few of the very important functions of these macronutrients – the carbs, protein and fats. We need to eat an appropriate balance of each of those macronutrients to maintain good health. Of course, this is why you need food. But when you think about the food you choose each day I encourage you to start thinking about the little stuff, the micronutrients that keep you alive. They are called micronutrients because you only require a very small amount of them in your diet. But the impact they have on your health is tremendous. There are literally trillions of chemical reactions happening simultaneously in your body. Trillions! And your whole body relies on these chemical reactions for proper functioning. How do these chemical reactions keep occurring every second of every day? A very important piece of why they happen is because of the nutrients that you put in your mouth at each meal each day. What you see in this picture are some of the metabolic pathways that require nutrients. You can’t read any of the details because the magnitude of these processes is much more than can visually be listed on a page. Are you surviving or are you thriving? I hear every day in my practice from clients who have gotten so used to being overweight, to having chronic constipation, to feeling exhausted much of the time. What is not always understood is that the quality of your food can improve all of that! It will improve it not just because of the macronutrients, but because of the micronutrients. Story of Janet Janet came to me because she has tried over and over to lose weight and has never been successful at long-term weight management. When digging deeper, though, I learned that so many other things were going on. She wasn’t sleeping well, waking up feeling tired. Her digestion wasn’t optimal – varying between constipation and diarrhea. Her skin wasn’t as clear and glowing as it once was. She had high blood pressure and her blood sugars were considered borderline Diabetic. Janet was consuming the Standard American Diet. She ate out regularly, often “fast food.” She grabbed a sandwich for lunch and rarely consumed fruits and vegetables. She drank Diet Coke to help control calories with little plain water intake. I am happy to say that Janet to date has lost over 30 lbs., is sleeping well and wakes feeling refreshed. Constipation and diarrhea are problems in the past. People have asked her what she has done differently, her skin looks great. Of course blood pressure and blood sugar are both now within normal limits. What did Janet do differently? She didn’t count calories, carbs, proteins or fats. She did eat real food. She focused on food that nourished her body – that gave her a multitude of micronutrients for optimal functioning. And the results have been amazing. What do micronutrients do? Micronutrients not only play a role in healthy growth and development, but consider them a requirement of OPTIMAL function. My goal is for you to not just survive, but to thrive. To thrive you need adequate levels of micronutrients so each of the necessary functions in your body will work optimally, not just hobble along to keep you alive. Just a few examples of important nutrients and their functions include:

• B vitamins – metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat; production of chemical messengers to transport information through your body
• Vitamin C – supports immune function and synthesis of hormones
• Vitamin A – supports immune function and reproductive processes
• Calcium and Vitamin K – promotes bone health and blood clotting
• Magnesium – assists in more than 300 chemical reactions, part of muscle contraction and blood clotting
• Sulfur – assists in liver’s detoxifying pathways
• Iodine – a component of thyroid hormones to regulate metabolic rate
• Selenium – supports immune function and protection of cells from damage

Why do you need to eat real food? Much of the Standard American Diet consists of foods that are highly processed and have been depleted of these important nutrients. And in addition, for so many individuals the need for nutrients is even greater because of illness, poor gut function, excess stress, and poor sleep. When you choose REAL food, food that hasn’t been monkeyed with, food that is closer to its source you are getting a much greater balance of those very important micronutrients. And when your diet is rich in micronutrients, you will feel the difference. Like Janet (see her story in the sidebar) your health will improve, energy will increase, excess weight will come off and digestion will feel normal again. Food can make you sick and food will heal you. I learned it myself in my own life and I see it every day in my clients. Start today – focus on the micronutrients – and experience the benefits.