Nutrition -- The Game Changer

I have a few questions for you!

1. Do you believe that the health of your body and mind is directly influenced by the food items you consistently consume?
2. Do you believe that the food you regularly eat can create stress, inflammation, and disease in your body?
3. If you knew that you had the power to change your life so that you felt and looked better, would you take the necessary steps to make those changes?

We are in a new age, where the lifestyles we craft for ourselves contributes to many of the diseases that have become so commonplace in our society -- high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, and heart disease. We now come to expect that as we age, we will develop at least one of these diseases simply because we are older or because our genetics have predetermined our outcome!  What if these diseases develop or accelerate as a result of the foods we eat?  If you knew that food contributed to you becoming ill, would you change how and what you ate?  If your answer is ‘no’ you can stop reading this now!  If your answer is ‘yes’, let’s continue!

It is easy to minimize the significance good nutrition plays in our lives, after all, it is up to the individual to implement a healthy nutrition plan, and that takes time and effort, and can be a tremendous struggle.  Furthermore, we are literally surrounded by foods that entice us with their over-abundance of fat, sugar, and salt, but are lacking in the actual nutrients that our bodies need to function!

Fortunately, a single change can be the impetus to a whole new, and better, world!  Pick one of the suggestions below to implement into your life and see what you can do!

• Increase fiber (from apple, raspberries, lentils, collards, beans). Fiber will help normalize and keep your gut healthy. There is a direct correlation between gut health and brain health!  A happy gut equals a happier brain!  Build up to 25-50 grams of fiber per day.

• Don’t be afraid to eat nuts (walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds)! If you are struggling to find healthy snacks, nuts are your solution!  Nuts and legumes are power houses for nutrition including fiber, zinc, and iron.  A handful of nuts each day contributes to an increase in BDNF- a brain factor that supports brain cell hardiness and health!

• Cut your fast-food intake! Fast-food is ripe with sugar, salt and inflammatory oils but lacking in nutrition. If you want to feel better and lose weight, it may be time to find healthier alternatives to the drive-thru!  If you eat fast-food 5 days per week, cut down your visits to 3 days per week and see how you feel! Have a plan for substitutions to help yourself with this change!

Food is your fuel;  it can help you fight a virus, decrease inflammation, increase immunity, turn genetic markers for disease on or off. To coin a long-lived phrase, "dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es" or “You are what you eat” and the food you eat directly impacts your state of mind and health.  While this is no easy task, you can create and influence the health of your brain and body, leading you to a happier life!  Trust this, it is well worth the effort.

Candice Poor

www.emeryfit.com

www.candicepoor.com