Nutrition 101

Over the last 3-4 years i have read 100's of books about nutrition.
The large majority have used bad science, which usually led me down the wrong path. But the books i have found most helpful in maintaining health in the body through nutrition are:
Good calories, bad calories by Gary Taubes, The diet delusion by Gary Taubes, Protein power by Dr Michael Eades, The glucose revolution and Your bodies many cries for water.
There are a number of important points that i have learned, that are vital to living a healthy life:

1- Chew food slowly and thoroughly 25+ is optimal. This allows the enzymes in the saliva to start to digest the food and means that the food will be easier to extract nutrients from and break down in the later part of the process.

2- Listen to your innate body intelligence for feelings of fullness. Watching TV or reading while eating could stop this happening and you end up stuffing yourself. Whenever you can try to eat with family or outside in the sun.

3- Eat Protein. Many studies have shown that things like saturated fat are not directly linked to heart disease and that the real villains are grains, sugars and tubers (potatoes).
Get your protein from eggs, nuts, meats and fish. Whenever possible by organic, much less steroids, hormones and pesticides. As well as increasing satiety protein is important for building muscle and burning fat.

4- Eat less carbohydrates. Or just eat the good ones. Carbs are very misunderstood. Here is my opinion based on what i have learned and tried for myself. Any grains, potatoes and sugars can cause excess fat accumulation and
can have crazy effects on levels of insulin in the body which can lead to diabetes and you've guessed it, Fat gain. The best carbs are the most naturally found Beans (black eyed, kidney, Lentils), sweet potatoes, squash, low sugar fruits - coconut, avocados, nectarines etc.
A good idea for carbohydrates is not to eat any carbohydrate which is or could be white.
Also search glycemic index on Google and research a bit about it. It has huge implications.

5- Don't be scared of fat. One of the oldest myths is that fat makes you fat. We now know that this is complete rubbish. So try to get as many omega 3 fats as possible. Cod liver oil, Coconuts, avocados, grass fed beef and nuts (particularly walnuts) are great sources of EFAs. Diets which are comprised primarily of omega 6's can have major health consequences. So omega 3 fats should be emphasized. small tip - switch to cooking with cold pressed olive or coconut oil.

6- Drink water. You should aim for about 2-3 litres of water per day depending on your body weight. Drink filtered is possible.
Water is important for regulating all the functions of our body and metabolism.
When we do not get enough water we dehydrate, which can be a contributing factor to many kinds of diseases. For more info See "Your bodies many cries for water"

7- Eat your vegetables - We are just beginning to realise the importance of all the antioxidants and vitamins in vegetables. So load up on the veggies, fresh if possible. Some important ones to
include are Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and red, yellow and green peppers. Try to have as many different colours as possible.

Until next time
Stay healthy

Tom