Whether you are at your ideal weight or striving to reach your weight goal is it simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in?
The answer, I suggest, is no!
Overall body health improvement as well as weight gain or loss must be factored into the equation or you could be heading for problems.
Correct nutrition can help to reduce the risk of a myriad of health-related problems, the most frightening of which are surely heart disease and cancer.
Proper nutrition, however, entails eating many different foods, monitoring your consumption of some food and beverage items, and counting calories
.
Good diets offer balanced nutrition that reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps with weight control.
To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:
📍Carbohydrates: They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.
📍Proteins: Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones. Like carbohydrates, excess protein is stored as fat.
Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. Too much animal protein can cause high cholesterol, as it is high in saturated fat.
📍Fat: Strange as it may seem; fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated fat.
📍Vitamins: These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.
For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls.
Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth.
Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium.
Vitamin K helps your blood clot.
Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.
You should follow several guidelines to create a well balanced, nutritional diet.
First, try to consume two and one half cups of vegetables and two cups of fiber rich fruit each day.
When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.
Second, Water should also be part of a healthy diet. Consume at least half your body weight in ounces of filtered water a day. If that seems like a mighty feat or causes you anxiety, start with forty-eight ounces of filtered water on a daily basis.
Third, you should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based.
Fourth, Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories. Most of the fats you consume should be HEALTHY fats such as:
📍Olive Oil:
Good source of monounsaturated fat, which keeps arteries flexible and lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular events [1,2]
✅High in antioxidants like polyphenols and vitamin E.
✅Helps support absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
✅Great for dressings and low- or medium-heat cooking but may start to
break down and create free radicals at temperatures over 380°F (193°C).
✅Look for extra-virgin, cold, or expeller-pressed oils in dark containers that
include a “harvest” date rather than a “best by” date.
📍Nuts and seeds"
Almonds, cashews, pine nuts, tahini, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts are good sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, protein, magnesium, and iron.
✅Store in cool, dark places to protect them from going stale and their oils
from oxidizing (going rancid).
✅Very nutritious but are high in calories when consumed in excess.
Be mindful of serving size – one serving of nuts is typically one ounce,
or one small handful.
📍Wild caught fish and seafood
Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and mackerel, are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation.[3]
✅High in protein and a natural dietary source of vitamin D.
✅Stick to simple preparations to preserve nutritional values.
✅When caught using responsible methods, wild seafood provides a sustainable source of both heart-healthy fats and protein.
Olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds are some of the highest quality fat sources you can include in your diet.
In addition to being heart healthy, these foods may also support a healthy weight, a reduced risk of diabetes, and improved neurological function. To optimize the positive impact these healthy fats have to offer, choose fresh, properly stored, and properly sourced products.
Finally, Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.
Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy diet.
Take a moment to reflect on your own unique plate and ask yourself the following questions:
How closely does my current diet and lifestyle reflect the Integrative Nutrition Plate pictured above❓
What similarities do you notice❓
What differences do you notice❓
References:
1| Kris-Etherton, P. M. (1999). AHA science advisory: Monounsaturated
fatty acids and risk of cardiovascular disease. J Nutr 129(12), 2280–2284.
Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10484550
2| Perona, J. S., Cañizares, J., Montero, E., Sanchez-Dominguez, J. M.,
Catala, A., & Ruiz-Gutierrez, V. (2004). Virgin olive oil reduces blood
pressure in hypertensive elderly subjects. Clin Nutr 23(5), 1113–1121.
Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15380903
3| Chan, E. J., Cho, L. (2009). What can we expect from omega-3 fatty
acids? CCJM 76(4), 245–251.
Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19339640
ACTION STEP: Curious about how my health coaching can help you make your own healthy LIFESTYLE changes? Let’s talk! Schedule a Your Health is Your Wealth consultation today or pass this offer on to someone you care about!❗
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I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
Learn more about my training and my unique approach to health coaching.
DISCLAIMER:
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Kryshonda Torres is not a physician and the relationship between Kryshonda and her clients is not of a prescriber and patient, but as Health Coach and client.
It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Kryshonda presents.
OT&E Inc. and Kryshonda Torres cannot guarantee any specific outcome and your individual results may vary.
Before beginning or adding any named supplement to your health routine or regime, please consult with your Naturopathic or Functional Medicine Doctor.
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