Fuel your body or fill your belly?

For many, the mind-set behind meal time is to merely just fill the belly or to tide the hunger over until the next meal time. A mere shift in perception for those who eat to feel full can make a large difference in the health, well-being and energy levels of their lives. Awareness and a change in mind-set, from eating to feel full to eating to fuel and nourish the body, will have you noticing great benefits in no time! Eating to fuel and nourish the body does not need to be difficult! Ensure that your meals contain balance between the following:

Complex Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel.  These carbs make you feel full for longer! They include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. Whole grains, including whole-wheat bread or whole-grain pasta, have staying power because you digest them more slowly than refined grains, and they also keep blood sugar levels stabilized so you don’t feel like you’re losing your energy. Get your carbs in during breakfast or lunch to sustain your energy throughout the day!

Protein

Protein is necessary to help fuel the building of new cells.  Protein also helps regulate body processes, such as keeping blood vessels open, and it supplies energy if you aren’t eating enough carbohydrates. A typical adult needs between 0.6 and 0.8 grams of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight. If you weigh 140 pounds, that means you need about 44 grams a day; if you weigh 200 pounds, you need about 63 grams a day. A serving of chicken or beef (which is approximately the size of a deck of cards) contains roughly 21 grams of protein. A cup of yogurt contains approximately 11 grams, and an egg contains about seven.

Essential Iron

Iron is a mineral that we literally can’t live without. Iron’s main job is to carry oxygen in the hemoglobin of red blood cells. In turn, the hemoglobin takes oxygen to all the cells in your body. That’s why if you’re not getting enough iron, you feel weak and fatigued. Iron from animal sources (called heme iron) is better absorbed by the body than iron from plant sources (nonheme iron). Some good nonheme iron sources are: seeds, soybean nuts, leafy greens such as kale, prune juice and bran; many varieties of beans are also good sources of iron.

Good Fats

The best sources of the fats we need are fish (salmon, anchovies and sardines are especially good) and oils such as olive, canola, sunflower and safflower, avocado and nuts. The recommended daily limit for fat, is 30 percent of our daily calories.

 

Like all else, organization and being accountable to change are the most important factors to a healthier mind-set and implementation of meals. Shop with healthy meals in mind, cook extra portions for the following day's lunch, be creative and spend time packing your food for the following day! A few simple steps to get you into a balanced meal time routine so that no last minute food grabs will alter your healthier meals that have you eating to fuel your body for long lasting energy and nutrition.

If you have any questions, comments or training enquires contact Kasie at [email protected]

 

 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.