As mentioned earlier, it is especially important to review your nutrition during seasonal changes to support the body in adapting to shifting conditions. However, for the first time in human history, we are facing a paradox: access to a wide variety of food is available year-round, but its nutritional value is rapidly declining.
- Plastic Food and Decrease in Nutrient Density: Modern food processing technologies cause a loss of nutritional value. For example, grains are treated with glyphosate before harvest to speed up drying. They are then stripped of their beneficial husks and processed at high temperatures, sometimes with the addition of bleaching agents such as titanium dioxide. As a result, flour made from such grains contains mostly carbohydrates and is minimally nutritious.
- Use of Chemical Additives: Pesticides, herbicides, and additives like colorants, preservatives, and thickeners are commonly used in the food industry. These substances damage the gut microbiota, inhibiting the growth of beneficial bacteria and promoting the development of harmful flora. This not only affects digestion but also impacts overall well-being, immunity, and even mood.
- Fast Food and Excess Sugar: The fast pace of modern life forces many people to choose convenient but unhealthy food: ready-made meals, fast food, and frozen dishes. Many of these products, including breakfast cereals and ready-made meals, contain hidden sugars, trans fats, maltodextrin, and synthetic syrups. These ingredients contribute to blood sugar spikes, induce rapid hunger, and may lead to the development of metabolic disorders.
- Food Contamination: Modern agriculture and industry leave their mark in the form of contaminants: pesticide residues, microplastics, heavy metals (such as mercury), and radionuclides. These substances accumulate in food, especially seafood, and can have long-term negative effects on health.
These problems highlight the need for a mindful approach to food choices, especially during seasonal changes when the body needs extra resources to adapt.
One helpful habit can be choosing smaller fish varieties to minimize the accumulation of toxic substances such as heavy metals and maintain health.
The Decline of Food Culture and Its Impact on Digestion: In the past, mealtime was a true ritual: the family gathered around the table, participated in food preparation, and experienced its smells and tastes. This allowed the brain to prepare the body for digestion, releasing enzymes and activating internal secretory glands. Today, many people eat while using gadgets—phones, laptops, televisions—which significantly worsens digestion and leads to nutrient deficiencies.
To avoid these consequences, it is important to stop eating while working or entertaining and focus on the eating process.
Why It’s Important to Choose Whole Foods: The body is built from what we eat, so nutrition should be of the highest quality, rich in both macronutrients and micronutrients. The idea of “eating anything as long as you exercise” is incorrect, as the body’s resources are spent not only on physical activity but also on detoxification, fighting infections, and tissue repair.
To improve nutrition, you can:
- Plan your meals: Cook at home using whole foods, avoiding ready-made meals, sausages, hot dogs, and canned goods.
- Choose natural meats: Replace processed meat products with turkey, beef, lamb, or organ meats. For example, instead of sausage, you can roast a piece of beef, cool it, and use it in sandwiches.
- Switch to whole grains: Replace instant oatmeal with minimally processed grains like buckwheat, rice, or oatmeal. For convenience, they can be soaked overnight.
- Avoid refined oils: Use animal fats, clarified butter, or olive oil (at low temperatures) for cooking. Use nut and seed oils only in raw form and store them in the fridge.
Consideration of Food Intolerances: Food intolerances are becoming more common, affecting nutrient absorption and causing deficiencies. Identifying and eliminating foods that cause these reactions can significantly improve health.
These are simple steps that can help strengthen the body and reduce the risks of nutrient deficiencies, turning food into a source of health and energy.
Food Intolerance and Its Impact on Health: Often, people seek help with health issues that seem complex and disconnected at first glance. However, a closer look often reveals that the root cause is food intolerance. This condition prevents the body from properly absorbing essential nutrients from food.
What is Food Intolerance? Food intolerance is a slowly developing immune response. It differs from food allergies, which manifest immediately and severely, such as in cases of anaphylactic shock after eating fish or hives after consuming strawberries. With food intolerance, symptoms may appear 2-4 days after eating the product. For example, a person may eat pizza or a bun and, after a few days, feel bloated, which can last for weeks.
Other possible symptoms include:- Rash, acne
- Digestive issues (diarrhea or constipation)
- Headaches and migraines
Causes of Food Intolerance:- Genetic Factors: For instance, heterozygous mutations can weaken the function of enzymes responsible for digesting certain foods.
- Enzyme Deficiency: When the body does not produce enough enzymes to digest products such as gluten or lactose.
- Gut Issues: Long-term antibiotic use or other diseases can damage the intestinal lining. As a result, the villi, which are responsible for nutrient absorption, "stick together," worsening digestion and causing microbial imbalance.
Most Common Types of Food Intolerance:- Gluten: Symptoms range from bloating to migraines.
- Casein: A protein found in dairy products.
- Lactose: Milk sugar; a deficiency in the enzyme lactase leads to symptoms of intolerance.
- Eggs, caffeine, exotic foods (e.g., quinoa).
Approach to Working with Food Intolerance:- Elimination: Remove the potentially problematic food from your diet for 2-6 weeks.
- Provocation: After elimination, reintroduce the food in large amounts (e.g., a portion of pasta or bread) to monitor the response.
- Diet Adjustment: While recovering, eliminate irritating foods and focus on supporting digestive health.
Building a Balanced Diet: A simple and convenient method is the "plate principle" (or "hand principle"). This approach helps achieve balance without counting calories.
Divide the plate into three sections:
- Half of the plate: vegetables and plant fiber (either raw or cooked).
- One-quarter: carbohydrates (starchy vegetables, rice, legumes, a piece of bread).
- One-quarter: protein (animal or plant-based). It’s important to vary protein sources throughout the day: eggs in the morning, dairy products in the evening, and meat during the day.
Snacks: If a client needs snacks, choose protein-rich foods (nuts, a piece of cheese) if there are no allergies.
Individual Approach: Always clarify:
- The client’s digestion quality.
- Tolerance of fiber, fermented vegetables, and other foods.
- Presence of food reactions and symptoms.
