Why do you eat food?
I’d love to know what you are thinking about when you choose what you are going to eat. As I see it, there are really 2 main reasons to eat food, and how you think about what food you are going to eat will help you discover why you eat it.
Food as Fuel
I reckon the most common reason that we eat food is to fuel our body. When we choose what to eat, for breakfast, for example, there are a few main things most people are looking for …
- It’s fast
- It’s tasty
- It gets me through to lunchtime
Does this sound like you?
If so, I’m going to guess that you see food as a fuel source. It’s the thing that will get you going. There’s only one problem with seeing food this way. The quality of the food might be terrible, and although it may get you through to lunchtime, you might be starving by the time you get there.
Generally speaking, foods that are just a good fuel source might not provide you much in the way of nutrients, and it’s nutrients that you really need. Good nutrients can stop you from being hungry, having food cravings, and actually can help you get healthier.
Food as Nutrients
You might have guessed that this is the other reason to eat food … as a source of nutrients. The cool thing here is that, not only do you get the nutrients I’m talking about, you’ll also get all the energy you need (and possibly even a whole lot more).
So what am I talking about …
… to be honest, I’m going to keep it simple.
There is so much information out there about food, it can get pretty confusing. This guy says this, another girl says something else, this fad-diet, that fad-diet. Keto. Paleo. Atkins. Detox. Organic. AARRRGHHHH! STOP! Just hand me a burger … Ever feel like that?
As I said, let's keep it really simple.
Nutrient-rich will give you the following benefits:
- all the energy you need
- nourishment to your body
- a boost to your brain function
- a stronger immune system
- better hormones
- better mental health and mental clarity
- better sleep
- and so much more.
What are these nutrient-dense foods?
To start with, they look pretty close to the way they were when they were growing. They haven’t been changed too much by processing, packaging, and refining.
If it doesn’t walk on the earth, swim in the ocean, grow on a tree/bush, or grow underground, you should probably give it a miss.
Buy fresh foods.
Buy organic and from your local markets where possible.
And add in some superfoods … Wait. What are these?? I hear you say
… More on this another week.