Nutrition and Your Health

You really are what you eat!

Most of the cells in your body are constantly regenerating.

The human body is producing 3.8 million cells every second … 330 billion cells are replaced every day … 30 trillion cells will have been replenished after 100 days … mind-blowing ….

Your body uses the nutrients in the foods you eat to build these new cells. Due to this rapid cell turnover, and the production of new cells, you really are what you eat.

To keep your body healthy:

• Eat more fruits and veggies

• Eat more nuts, beans, lentils, and fish

• Eat more whole and ancient grains- quinoa, couscous, oats, barley, amaranth, millet, kamut, sorghum, teff, farro

• Drink more water

• Eat less sugar

• Eat less processed food

• Eat less beef and pork

Foods that Reduce Inflammation

-Eat more of these foods to reduce inflammation:

• Nuts and seeds, especially chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts

• Berries

• Kale, swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, sprouts, bok choy, brussel sprouts, turnip, radish, cauliflower

• Salmon

• Spices, garlic, turmeric, ginger

• Olive oil

• Omega 3s: spinach, red lentils, navy beans, soy beans, tofu, herring, salmon, mackerel, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts

-Keeping your gut healthy reduces inflammation.

Eat Fiber, Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Polyphenols for a healthy gut. (To learn more, see the Gut Health section under the Learn More tab of this website)

• Fiber - Avocado, Blackberries, Broccoli, Carrots, Green peas, Pear, Raspberries, Sweet potato, Turnip greens, Winter squash, Apples, Beans (black, green beans, lima, lentil, navy beans, pinto, soy beans), Brussel sprouts, Oats, Peach, Peas (black eye pea, chickpea)

• Prebiotics - Onion, Leeks, Artichokes, Asparagus, Apples, Oats, Legumes, Quinoa

• Probiotics - Yogurt, Miso, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kefir

• Polyphenols - Olive oil, Citrus fruits, Apples, Berries, Herbs/spices, Nuts, Flaxseed, Olives, Coffee, Tea, Green tea, Dark chocolate

-Cut back on sugar. Sugar increases inflammation.

• Use cinnamon as a sweetener

• Eat fruit with nuts as a dessert

-Eat like a Glucose Goddess to reduce sugar spikes. Sugar increases inflammation.

• Eating protein, healthy fats, and fiber with meals prevents sugar spikes. Eat these foods before the carbs/starches in your meal. This will prevent sugar spikes. Sugar spikes increase inflammation.

• Healthy proteins - Salmon, Seafood, Eggs, Beans, and Ancient grains: quinoa, couscous, spelt, freekeh, millet, teff, sorghum, farro, amaranth, kamut

• Healthy fats - Olive oil, Avocado, Olives, Salmon, Seeds, Nuts

• Include Vegetables with your meals. Vegetables contain fiber which helps prevent sugar spikes. Sugar spikes increase inflammation.

Foods that Increase Inflammation

Try to limit these foods in your diet:

1. Added sugars - Cookies, Candy, most Cereals, Granola bars, Salad dressings, some Breads, Crackers

   (Check food labels)

   Ingredient list: avoid/limit foods if sugar or some form of syrup is listed among the first three ingredients

   Nutrition facts: Look for foods that have less than 4 grams of added sugars per serving

2. Trans Fats

   (Check food labels)

   Ingredient list: avoid/limit foods with hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list

3. Red and processed meats - Beef, Pork, Bacon, Hot dogs, Meat jerkies, Pepperoni, Salami, Sausage

   Eat more chicken, turkey, and fish

   Eat more plant-based: have a meatless meal once or twice per week, limit meals with meat to one per day, treat meat like a side dish/make vegetables the main event

4. Canola oil, Corn oil, Mayonnaise, Safflower oil, Sunflower oil, Peanut oil

   Use olive oil when cooking

   Use cooking spray to grease pans when cooking

5. Refined carbs - Breads and rolls, Crackers, French fries, Sugary cereals, White rice

   Eat more 100% whole-grain

   Eat ancient grains - quinoa, couscous, oats