Food is More Than Fuel

"The biggest part of a good relationship is understanding."

When we need fuel, our body tells us that we are hungry. Our bodies have a mechanism to make our stomachs growl to startle us out of what we’re doing to feed ourselves. It’s something that is as simple as our lungs filling with air. Food being the fuel that we run on is a truth that all humans know all too well, but it’s only half true. The two schools of thought on food are either: “I eat food that sucks because it has the macronutrients I need and it fuels my body” or “I eat whatever I want so that I can have a full belly, because I’m hungry.” The relationship with food, abroad, is a failure. Like most failed relationships, this is just the cause of misunderstanding. Today, you are going to go through food counseling.

You are no Machine

The human body is by far one of the most complicated systems created. Living creatures in general, but humans are the topic here. Your body is made up of thousands of systems all working together at the same time. All these systems require energy and that energy is both affected by each other as well as the food you eat.

Think of a computer: if you put a command into a computer, it does it. If you program a computer to do something, it will be able to carry out that task without a problem, unless it has an error. When you have an error, the computer won’t do the task at all. The human body is so much better than that. The human body will still complete a task, even if there’s a problem. This is especially true with digestion. The body breaks down food with 100% efficiency. Your car is only about 30% efficient at breaking down gasoline, as 70% of energy is displaced as heat. The body gets food in, utilizes everything that can be used (fat, glycogen), and purges what isn’t useful via the GI Tract. Your body is better than a computer at completing tasks, and a car at utilizing fuel, so it’s better than a machine. But how is food not fuel?

Vitamins and Minerals

The base of any healthy diet is the daily consumption of a good number of vitamins and minerals, also known as micronutrients. This is the reason that multivitamin tablets are the most sold supplement worldwide. Vitaplex is a perfect blend of vitamins and minerals that help govern processes in the body. These are essential, as in, your body can’t produce them in adequate amounts. You must get them from your food. Vitamins and minerals have functions ranging from hormone production and regulation to digestion. These ‘nourish’ your body but provide no energy to the body. If they provide no energy, they are not fuel. They are only a part of food.

Good Bacteria

Some foods that you ingest may have good bacteria in them which are vital for a balanced intestinal environment. Your stomach is made up of billions of bacteria that have different functions. This environment is so different that it is like a fingerprint from person to person. It’s something that, if changed, would completely change the way your digestion operates. Only fermented foods like yogurt or kimchi contain probiotics. These foods will typically have live bacteria in them that are good for you. It’s believed that probiotics are good for helping your body get more energy from food, reducing constipation, reducing acid reflux, and other benefits. Try the Advanced Probiotic by Power Blendz for the easiest way to balance out your intestinal environment. Digestive Enzymes are crucial in obtaining optimal digestion, however millions of individuals across the country are unaware of this and are suffering from a variety of digestive disorder(s). When consuming foods, majority of the natural enzymes are no longer present, as they were destroyed during the cooking and/or processing stage. When this occurs, it can wreak havoc on your digestive system. By adding Digestive Nzymes by Power Blendz to your daily routine, your digestive system will work more efficiently and you will feel better.

Food Gives Your Body Directions

"Your body has a direct reaction to every ingredient/food you put in your body."

Food tells your body what to do. When you eat a steak, it tells your body to: begin protein synthesis to utilize and breakdown the protein, begin fat breakdown in the liver, release more stomach acid because protein is harder to break down, etc. It will also begin different processes based on what vitamins and minerals are present. Your body has a direct reaction to every ingredient/food you put in your body. The same can be said for junk food. Whatever ingredients are in your food will require a different set of instructions to break down. Therefore, the exact same ‘amount’ of food can yield different energy levels based on the quality of food.

You have probably seen it, you can eat huge meals for few days, but lose weight. Other times, you can eat very little food and gain weight. This is because it’s not as simple as just the sum of the macronutrients of your food. Your food is the sum of its quality, amount, and then is affected by the state your body is in.

The Part of Food That is Fuel

The only components of food that give you energy are it’s macronutrients. These are called macronutrients because they are consumed in higher quantities than vitamins, minerals, and bacteria. Macronutrients are made up of 3 components:

Carbohydrates (Carbs)

Carbs are made up of sugars and starches. The type varies on what source you get them from such as: dairy, plants, fruits, potatoes, meats. Often referred to as the devil but are a vital part of a balanced diet. Your body uses this primarily as food to produce ATP, the fuel of cells. Carbs give your body 4 calories per gram.

Protein

The nutrient of all meatheads worldwide. Protein is made up of bonded amino acids, some of which your body can’t produce enough of - essential amino acids. Essential amino acids must be obtained through diet. Your body absorbs these amino acids via digestion breaking the bond between them and reverting them back to free amino acids. Proteins give your body 4 calories per gram.

Fats

"They are necessary for healthy skin and hair and help maintain a good body temperature."

Fats are used during the construction and maintenance of cell membranes. They are necessary for healthy skin and hair and help maintain a good body temperature. Because the body does not manufacture certain fatty acids (essential fatty acids), you must ingest these as well. Fat gives your body 9 calories per gram.

Calories are units of energy used to measure (in this case) the amount of nutritional energy you will get from food. This is a representation of the sum of carbs, protein, and fat calories total.

As you can see, food is much more than just fuel. It’s the literally life of the body. Anything you eat will have on effect on how your body operates. This system isn’t something that will have noticeable effects after every single meal, but they will manifest in ways you may not entirely notice.

Having a good relationship with food will aid you in any of your fitness goals. The biggest part of a good relationship is understanding. By knowing more about food, you’ll now be able to make choices that are wholistic and not just macronutrient focused. As a rule, you will manage to be your absolute strongest and healthiest self by making whole food choices. Eat a wide variety of food sources with good balances of fats, proteins, and carbs. Whether you are looking to gain weight or lose it, your best diet is one that allows you to be happy as well as healthy.

Want help finding the right diet for you?

If you’d like to stop stressing over the details and find a way to get control of your food choices while creating a healthier lifestyle, check us out at Power 3 Fitness Coaching.