I you haven’t had a chance to read part one of my “where do you start,” posts you can check it out here. Once you have checked out that post you will now be able to move on to this post. As a blogger I wouldn’t want you to miss anything of importance!
Hopefully now you have had the chance to try to find a way to consume more water. If you have tried it for a couple weeks or so, I hope you have been able to notice a difference in the way you feel. I find that if I am having a busy day at work and I start to get a little tired, I drink a big glass of water and it helps me focus. Try it out!
Today I wanted to talk about a couple topics that revolve around nutrient consumption. From the articles I have read online, I have learned a great deal about how to consume food so that you get the best possible amount of nutrients in your food. Even if you do eat healthy food, there are a few tips to help you get more out of the food you eat.
The main topic is all about being under stress and taking your time. When a body is under a lot of stress, this can seriously inhibit how you absorb nutrients. Not breathing enough, or being under a lot of stress at work can make this worse. I watched a good video the other day by Dr. John Berardi over at Precision Nutrition about the 20 minute rule. The next time you eat a meal, take 20 minutes to eat it. It sounds crazy, but if you can train yourself to do it, it can seriously help. When you take the time to chew your food, and take breaths in between each bite, your body will absorb more of the nutrients as you are more calm. Take your time during your work break. Resist the urge to chow down your food super fast and get back to the grind. How would you feel if you made yourself a really big delicious salad with all kinds of nutrient dense greens and a delicious dressing and slam it down because you are running behind at work. Your body will be put under stress and you won’t get all of the salads nutrients. What a waste right? Now obviously there are other factors involved when it comes to nutrients, and I’m not saying this is the answer to everything. Over time this can help make a significant difference with your health if you give it a try
I’ve already brought it up but water during your meal is a very important factor. Having a glass of water with each meal aids in the digestion process and helps you absorb more minerals and nutrients. Another great idea with the water is to purchase some high quality Himalayan salt. This salt is very high in essential minerals that your body needs to perform some of its basic functions. Putting a pinch into a liter of water will dramatically help get more essential minerals and nutrients into your system. Again this isn’t the miracle cure for everything, but humans are so incredibly nutrient deficient. If you don’t want to add the salt into the water, add it into your protein shake in the morning, or focus on cooking with it. If you can’t find Himalayan salt in a grocery store you can purchase some Here
One other thing that can help with overall stress is to meditate. All it really takes is a daily practise of 20 minutes finding some time for yourself, put on some relaxing music and practise breathing properly. This sounds ridiculous, but we are so busy these days we don’t take the time to breathe right. I also know that this has nothing directly to do with food, but I think if done more often can help with absorbing nutrients the way you are supposed to.
I think I may have overloaded you with a lot of information here. I am just so passionate about trying to get the most out of your food. I would hate to think you put so much time into a healthy meal for yourself, and then consume it under stress. It’s definitely a waste of your money if you aren’t getting the nutritional benefit.
So where would you start? I hope by now that if you read my earlier post that you have been consuming more water. I would say that as best as you can, try to slow down when you eat. Now, if you eat 6 smaller meals at a time, it may be a little difficult to take 90 minutes out of your day to eat! I would say at least try with lunch and dinner to take 20 minutes to eat each meal. Make sure you are breathing and taking your time to chew your food. Again, I am not saying that this will cure everything, but making these changes takes a little bit of time. This is your life and your health we are talking about so I would like to think you would take this seriously! Let me know if you have tried this and comment on what you think about it. Happy Tuesday everyone!
Fantastic advice! You’re absolutely right–even the most dedicated of healthy eaters are gonna be challenged when they’re under stress. The key is to take a deep breath, and remind yourself of why you made the change in the first place.
Personally, I’ve found that since I’ve been eating better, I’m far less likely to feel overly stressed.
I agree! I find if my stomach is full of healthy, nutrient dense foods I am much happier. I do notice a huge difference after meditating though as I know I don’t focus on my breathing at work. Who does really?!