Eating for Energy

1. Eating for Energy

2. The Purpose of Food • Building blocks for healing, repairing, regenerating, developing new tissues & cells • Fuel for every organ system of the body • Means of nurturing the body, mind and soul • Used as a social “tool”

3. Do You Live to Eat or Eat to Live? • Food is essential to life • How you eat is often the primary indicator of your health and vitality • The body processes everything you consume • Food can be used as a medicine or as a poison • The digestion of food takes time and energy

4. Water: An Overview • Cleanses, purifies, nourishes, and refreshes every aspect of the body • Responsible for the communication and movement of information, molecules, and chemicals • You require half your body weight in ounces a day • Only water is water (most herbal teas are okay)

5. Food: An Overview • Composition of food: • Proteins, fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates, fats and oils. • Energetic characteristics of food: • Hot to cold, dry to moist, different tastes and smells • Acid versus alkaline • Nutritional quality of food

6. Protein: An Overview • Proteins: build structure of the body, give the body strength and endurance • Sources of protein: nuts, seeds, legumes (beans), fish, chicken, pork, turkey, beef • An excess can lead to pain (gout), stress on the kidneys and bone • Deficiency leads to a range of health issues

7. Fruits & Vegetables: An Overview • Fruits and vegetables assist in the healing process and in every process of the body; provide vitamins and minerals to the body • Ideally 2-3 servings of fruit per day 4-8 cups of vegetables • Eat fruits and vegetables of every colour every week • You many need to eat fruit one half hour before meals or as a snack

8. Carbohydrate: An Overview • Carbohydrate provides cellular energy, are the primary fuel source for the brain and blood, a primary storage form of energy • Contains a primary source of fiber • Excess is stored as glucose in muscles and in the liver • Choose complex carbohydrates = avoid ‘the white stuff’

9. Fats and Oils: An Overview • Fats and oils: provide support for the brain, lubrication for the joints, and the moistness and smoothness of body surfaces • Fats are what makes a person feel satiated • The right fats are essential to health • The brain is 80% fat; joint spaces are primarily fat • Good fats: unsaturated fats • Bad fats: saturated fats and hydrogenated oils

10. The Energetics of Food • Warming foods: garlic, ginger, thyme, cinnamon, sweet potatoes, oats, meats, cooked food • Cooling foods: peppermint, tomatoes, asparagus, watermelon, raw food • Foods that increase dryness: dry cereals, dried fruit, sugar, caffeine • Foods that increase dampness: dairy, bananas, excess fruit • Specific tastes and smells stimulate different organs

11. Nutritional Quality of Food • Raw food has more nutrients than cooked food • Organic (typically) has more nutrients than non-organic • Food that is local and in season will usually taste better and have more nutrients than food that has been shipped/sitting in storage

12. Nutritional Quality of Food • Whole foods (fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole grains) provide the optimal mix of nutrients and have the most life energy • Fresh food has more nutrition than canned, frozen, processed, or refined food • Additives, synthetic colourings, chemicals, hormones, pesticides, and environmental toxins all decrease the nutritional quality of food

13. Acid Versus Alkaline • Different organs and body parts are naturally more acidic or alkaline • Most chronic diseases occur in an acidic state • Alkaline foods: most fruits and vegetables • Acidic: sugar, salt, dairy, red meat, alcohol

14. Your ‘Ideal’ Foods • Eat according to your unique constitution • Always address the food considerations of health issues first (e.g., diabetes, high cholesterol) • Identify your unique food intolerances/ allergies • Recognize that ‘ideal’ food choices can vary by season and by health status

15. Eating For Energy • Overall low energy: • Address underlying health issues • Ensure you are eating breakfast • Increase nutritional value of the food you eat • Increase water consumption • Decrease the consumption of stimulants (e.g., coffee, sugar) • Decrease alcohol consumption

16. Eating For Energy • Energy drops after lunch • Address food intolerances • Increase protein at lunch; decrease simple carbohydrates • Balance the portions of food eaten at breakfast and at lunch • Increase the variety of food eaten at lunch (combine protein, fruit & vegetables, carbs) • Eat slowly and in a relaxed environment • Rest after eating • Do not drink water with your meals

17. Eating For Energy • Energy drops before dinner • Address underlying health issues • Look at total calories consumed throughout the day, and nutritional value of the food eaten • You may need to eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day • Consider your eating environment: are you eating on the run? • Increase exercise and movement between work and dinner, especially if work is stressful

18. Questions to Consider • Are you aware of any foods that your body cannot tolerate? • Does your food/eating pattern complement your lifestyle or mirror it? • Do you allow sufficient time for your body to digest food? • Is your food your medicine or your poison?

19. Thank you for attending! Physician’s Name Location Phone Email/website For more information about naturopathic medicine please visit www.cand.ca