Good food can be hard to find…
Good nutrition can help to reduce the risk of several diseases and conditions.
However, do you often find yourself at the grocery store staring at a food label?
It’s so easy to get confused by all of the information that is being thrown at us on a regular basis. Let’s go over some basic information about macro and micronutrients.
Let’s talk about 3 tips to help you understand the basics of food:
1. Understanding macro and micronutrients
Macronutrients
We are most familiar with this. Has someone ever asked you if you count your macros?
Think about the following items:
- Carbohydrates
- Used as a fuel source
- Focus on complex carbohydrates
- Fat
- Necessary for bodily function
- Saturated
- Unsaturated fat
- Protein
- Found in multiple sources in the body (hair, skin, muscles)
- Made up of different amino acids
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are our non caloric items that include minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals. Micronutrients provide an additional layer of nutrition that will increase longevity as well as decrease disease. Take a look at this list of micronutrients!
2. Do you know if you truly have a deficiency?
Always consult with your doctor to determine what nutrients are important for you to consume based upon your bloodwork. Remember, the supplement industry is NOT regulated and it doesn’t make sense for you to take a supplement that you don’t need. To get the most out of my meals, I love trying to create a rainbow on my plate.
If you want some guidance on how to build up your plate, try to add these eight types of foods:
- Whole grains and starchy vegetables,
- Berries
- Beans
- Fruit
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Non starchy vegetables leafy greens
- Nuts and
- Seeds
The reason why these foods are so important for us is that they provide our bodies with both macro and micro nutrients. They provide our bodies with antioxidants, which reduces the amount of oxidative stress and strain on our bodies.
In addition, these foods also provide us with dietary fiber (I will talk more about fiber in another post)…
3. Want to read more? Establish some guidelines
Your next goal may be to try to find more information about nutrition…You may notice that there are TONS of different types of information out there…
Here’s what’s important about reviewing information related to food and nutrition especially…
As outlined in the book, “How Not to Die” by Dr. Michael Greger, try these five steps when reviewing information online (or in print):
- Always go to the exact study or source where the information is coming from.
- Understand who has a stake in that research or the information that you’re reviewing.
- How was the study or information designed? Always review the details of the study as well as the actual results to determine if the information is worthy to recommend.
- Look for a backup plan. Always review several studies to determine if they provide similar outcomes.
- Always ensure that you have trusted and reliable sources of information. When in doubt, have a conversation with your doctor.
The key is to start small. With all of the information out there, it can be confusing. Let’s tackle a healthy start together 🙂
Sources
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/sites/lpi.oregonstate.edu/files/pdf/mic/micronutrients_for_health.pdf
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
