What does “good nutrition” mean to you?
You may have heard the saying “food is fuel” which to a certain point is true. Food is energy and when broken down provides our body with the energy we need. However food is much more than just fuel because our bodies are much more than machines. The food you eat is made up of Macronutrients and Micronutrients. If you body’s missing any of these key components no matter how much “fuel” is in the tank your body isn’t going to function properly.
So, seeing as how food is more than fuel-our body’s are much more than machines. For example when you leave town for a road trip and stop at the gas station to fill up the tank you know exactly how far you are going to get before you need to fill the tank up again. Switch that thinking over to how you “fuel” your body. There may have been a time where you ate less but still gained weight. Or, conversely, started eating breakfast and your jeans fit a bit better. We are much more than calorie in/calorie out machines. The human body is much more of a self regulating, complex, and dynamically responsive system than most machines!
So with that in mind and thinking about what good nutrition means to you. I’d like you to consider energy balance: When the body doesn’t get enough energy it starts to shut down and will try to conserve energy by shutting down processes we don’t absolutely need, including some parts of metabolism, reproduction, and brain function. We've all had an evening when you’re at work feeling extremely sluggish, you get home, have some dinner and feel refreshed. Your body needed some energy!
On the other side too much energy coming into the body can also cause problems. Inflammation may increase, plaques can form on vessels, and we can become resistant to important hormones such as insulin. Having an appropriate energy balance for good nutrition will help all the body’s processes to perform-Leaving you feeling healthy, fit, and strong.
Throughout the Whole Life Challenge try and push yourself to try new dishes, new flavors, and to look at your food as fuel for your body. The website www.wholelifechallenge.com has wonderful recipes and check out this article for some great food prep ideas!
Let your coaches know if you have any questions during the challenge! We're here to help!
-Ryan, Brad, Elizabeth, and Brian
Buaidh No Bas