You are what you eat
There has never been a more true statement; quite literally, you are what you eat! Every single thing that you put into your body is used to create your cells, tissues & organs. The quality of what you eat & drink determines the health of your cells. If you give your body poor quality building blocks, you are going to create poor quality cells, if you give your body good quality building blocks you are going to create top quality cells & therefore good health.
The basic building blocks contained in food are proteins, fats and carbohydrates, each playing a different role in the body, but all equally essential.
PROTEINS form the basic building blocks for muscle, enzymes, hormones, chemical messengers, immune cells and DNA.
Proteins are made up of amino acids, 13 of which are "essential" meaning that they cannot be made by the body, from other amino acids. They must be consumed in the diet.
FATS also form the basic building blocks for enzymes, hormones & chemical messengers, as well as the cells that make up the brain and nervous system. The cell wall, surrounding every cell in your body is made up of fatty acids. There are essential fatty acids as well which must be consumed in the daily diet.
CARBOHYDRATES give our body the fuel it needs to carry out all of the essential bodily functions. It is not the only source of fuel but it is the easiest and cleanest burning with fewer toxic by-products. An interesting fact is that the brain utilizes 25% of the body's glucose.
Getting the right types of proteins, fats and carbohydrates from your diet is essential.
Some tips
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Eat the majority of your carbohydrates as fresh fruit and vegetables, a good proportion of them raw, so as to keep all of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes in tact.
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Eat only unprocessed, unrefined oils and fats. Avoid any fat that has been hydrogenated or processed.
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Take a good quality fish oil supplement to ensure you get your essential fatty acids (omega-3)
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Eat the best quality protein, organic meat, eggs or a good quality protein supplement.
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Eat a variety of fresh foods to ensure adequate vitamins and minerals.
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