All About Health
Health is not just determined by the foods we eat or how many hours we put in at the gym; it can be affected by our attitudes, our environment, and how we view the world. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stress accounts for over 75% of all doctors visits. Poor nutrition and lack of exercise accounts for 60% percent of all deaths world wide, according to World Health Organization (WHO). Periodically we will explore different ways to improve our overall health through diet, exercise, meditation, or the like.
Nutrients - Essential to Life
Nutrients by definition, are the components in foods that provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life. Think of nutrients as individual players on team; each of them have a specific job and function. If one is missing or out of place, the body cannot function as well.
There are 2 classes of nutrients, macronutrients and micronutrients. These 2 classes can be broken down into 6 classes; carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals; consuming adequate amounts of each are necessary for optimal health.
You may be wondering where and how to get adequate nutrients; the simple answer is, diet. For vitamins and minerals, be sure to eat at least 9 servings of fresh fruits and veggies each day. A really quick way to get in a quick five is to make a smoothie. Water is pretty straight forward; the standard is the drink the equivalent of half your body weight in ounces each day. You will automatically get sufficient carbohydrates from all of the fruits and veggies you eat. For fat, stick to whole foods like nuts, seeds, and avocado. And finally, protein; it is the one thing that most people are always worried about, though I'm not sure why. I don't think we've seen anyone in the U.S. die of protein deficiency in centuries. Everything that grows from the ground has some protein. I will get into the best plant based sources of protein in next week's article where we break down macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat)
Most are concerned with supplementing, since we may not always get what we need in our daily diets. There are a lot of multi-vitamins out there to choose from, I personally opt for a cold pressed juice; I drink 16oz daily. I don't have anything against vitamins if it's what you prefer. If I take a vitamin I don't use vitamins, I try to stick to those that have been labeled "USP" to ensure stability, potency, and purity. Below you will find the recipe to my favorite juice. Don't forget to check out my blog for more health tips and tasty recipes :).
Gimme A Beet
1 medium golden beet
4 carrots
4 Fuji or Pink Lady Apples
1/2 of a large pineapple
1 inch knob of ginger
1/2 in piece of turmeric
This juice is a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals. Possible benefits include, but are not limited to: improved digestion, the lowering of cholesterol, improved heart health, weight loss, improved vision, softer skin, improved circulation, the building of blood, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial, and loads of other benefits.