There is only one reason you need to eat food—for energy.  You need energy.

You use sixty percent of your energy to sustain your body at rest; about 100 watts per hour.  Thirty-two percent of your energy is used for when you move or exercise. The remaining eight percent is used for digesting the food you eat to make energy.  You can burn more calories by moving more and increasing your metabolism by eating whole foods.  Whole foods require more energy to digest than processed foods.  The food we eat is made up of these macronutrients:

Fats

Fat comes from meat, dairy, and oils.  Fats make up more than half of the energy your body needs.  Fats have over 2 times more calorie energy than carbohydrates or protein.  There are two essential fats that our body needs—omega-3 and omega-6.  You get these from the food you eat.

When you choose fats (oils), avoid trans (transformed) fats and limit saturated fats.  Look for high levels of monounsaturated fats.  As for polyunsaturated fats, go for sources with the essential omega-3 fatty acids.  Choose only unrefined oil to gain all the nutrients.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body’s primary fuel for energy—glucose.  Carbohydrates come from sugar, starch, and fiber.  Choose complex carbohydrates because they take longer to break down and provide a more steady, lasting energy.  They also promote good gut health.

Sugars

There’s no reason to avoid the sugar that is naturally present in whole foods.  When you’re choosing a natural sweetener for recipes, look for those that have a low glycemic index, so it does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels.  Also take a look at sugars from inulin, because they are also a natural prebiotic.  They are fermented by the good bacteria in your gut.  So inulin does double duty. 

Eliminate buying any product that contains added sugar. The average American consumes about 17 teaspoons (70g) of added sugar a day.  For perspective, there are 454 grams in a pound.  So Americans eat over 1 pound of added sugar each week.  The FDA requires labels to list exactly how much sugar is added, so it’s very easy to see which products to avoid. 

Proteins

Proteins come from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, seeds, and grains.  Proteins are made up of amino acids.  There are twenty amino acids.  Eleven amino acids are already in our body, leaving nine essential amino acids we need to get from the food we eat. A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids.  Your body uses amino acids to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes.  Hormones are the chemical messengers in your body, carrying information from one set of cells to another.  They influence every cell, organ, and function of your bodies.

Discover ingredients that produce the best alternative fuel for your body.