Nutrient-Dense Diet -Eating a properly prepared, nutrient-dense, whole food diet

Though we are all very bio-individual our nutritional foundations must be in balance to experience an optimum of health.

As you can see all the foundations are supported by eating a proper, nutrient- dense, whole food diet. When we talk about a diet that is nutrient dense, we refer to the amount of nutrients you get for the amount of calorie intake. The higher the nutrient density the higher the macronutrient (Carbs, Fat, Protein) and micronutrient (Vitamins and Minerals) intake. This will be further supported by eating whole foods– which are foods that are as close as possible to their most original form. Not packaged, refined, processed but rather of high quality and not produced in mass.

For example, fruits, vegetables (locally sourced and in season) grass-fed, pasture raised animal protein, healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, sprouted grains and/or legumes, and grass-fed organic dairy products.  

A proper preparation of the food will not only enhance the taste & texture but also the nutrient availability of our food.

For example, what oils we use to cook or make a salad with, certain oils are better for high temperatures than others and some are better off without heat.  Do we eat the food raw or steamed, cooked or fried? What kind of cookware and food storage containers do we use?

All this plays a major role in proper preparation, nutrient density to supply the body with the building blocks it needs to run and function. But, keep in mind that your perfect diet will be useless if you cannot absorb, digest and eliminate the nutrients that are provided. You are what you can digest!
Digestion and elimination
Absorbing and assimilating the nutrients we eat
Digestion is our nutrient intake system, whereby every cell depends on the nutrients it needs for structure and function. Digestion is key to optimal health and it not only depends on how well you eat but how well each cell, tissue and organ of the body can absorb the food and turn it into the nutrients which we need for energy, growth, cell repair to survive and eliminate waste.

For this an entire process will have to take place and digesting always happens “North to South” starting in our brain (by smelling or seeing food) and for the brain/body to be in parasympathetic state- you got to be relaxed.

The easiest definition of digestion is the mechanically (chewing the food) and chemically (break down protein, fat and carbs) of food into smaller substance so it’s easier to digest.

Chemically digestion, involving several organs including, the stomach, small intestines, liver, Pancreas, Gallbladder and large intestines. They all work together and use bile, enzymes and acid to turn food particles into molecules to be absorbed and discharged via a bowl movement.

This process works as a chain of events and if one part is out of balance, the rest might be in jeopardy and a dysfunction will most likely take place, which can lead to health concerns including GERD, Acid Reflux and Heartburn, bloating and diarrhea.

When digestion is functioning well, then we have a great foundation to fuel all of the other functions in our bodies, and minimize additional burdens for the body to contend with.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Ensuring a steady, balanced supply of energy
If BSR is not working properly a dysfunction can disturb all aspects of our physiology e.g. energy, integrity of tissues in every organ as well as blood vessel, hormonal balance and brain health. Even though there are several causes combined together that could lead to a dysfunction, one of the biggest stressors is the food we consume. If you’ve ever been on the “blood sugar rollercoaster” you know just how much a “spike” or a “drop” in your blood sugar can affect your body.

Our body is designed to balance and manage our blood sugar but the challenge is with a diet that is incredibly high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and highly processed.

This is where the body has to correct the spike/drop immediately to keep our BS at a stable and steady level. For this, several organs have to work extra hard, one of them being our liver who has around 500 other functions to manage in the body and if it can’t keep up because it’s so busy correcting our BS levels all the time, several other functions will be stake. If this rollercoaster continues for days/months or even years this will exhaust our organs and lead to blood sugar dysregulation, insulin resistance, possibly adrenal issues and a myriad of symptoms associated.

Having a proper nutrient diet which is well digested may help to stabilize your blood sugar levels and avoid disfunctions.
Fatty Acids
Absorbing and utilizing healthy fats for fuel, structure, and healing
Diet cultures have given fat a bad representation but the nutritional truth is that a high % of diverse, good quality fats are incredible important for optimal health.

Fat’s make up 15% of our body and are another source of fuel alongside Carbohydrates.

Fats have numerous roles including acting as building blocks of cell membranes, hormone production, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, increasing satiety and are important components of managing inflammation when eaten in the balanced order.

Our 3 main classes of fats that we will ideally consume are saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 2 out of the polyunsaturated fats our body needs to be obtained by the food we eat, these are OMEGA 3 and OMEGA 6 fatty acids. Both are precursors to many other substances in the body such as those involved in regulating blood pressure and inflammatory responses. Inflammation is important for our survival and to control inflammatory function, the body needs the ability to both inflame and anti-inflame. So your Omega 6’s are pro-inflammatory, while omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory.  A diet high in Omega 6 and low in Omega 3 increases inflammation while a diet that includes balanced amounts reduces inflammation.

Our fats give us the energy source that can sustain us in endurance activities and keep our blood sugar stable during meals and overnight. Utilizing fat as fuel requires sufficiently low levels of circulating insulin so blood sugar regulation is an important co factor to the fatty acids foundation.

To keep your energy for a longer period of time and keep you going through the day our fat intake must come from a good source that is balanced in all 3 fatty acids.
Mineral Balance
Absorbing and utilizing macro- and microminerals
Minerals compose about 4% of our body but are not produced by the body and hence we must obtain them through the food we eat. Minerals act like the body’s “spark plugs,” (Nutritional Therapy Association (2020), Basics of Nutrition, page 18) and have numerous roles in the body such as:

A diverse variety of Macro and Micro Minerals is important and at least 18 are necessary for good health. Calcium is the most abundant one in the body and are responsible to keep our Calcium levels stable with the support of the underlying process of bone remodelling. An imbalance can be life threatening.

The challenge with Calcium is not that we can’t get it in our diet but rather a matter of absorbing and utilizing it effectively and this is often inhibited as some minerals work in synergy with each other and other are antagonistic – they either inhibit intestinal absorption of each other, or interfere with the metabolic functions of another. The most important thing with calcium is that it is a game of co factor it needs something else to it to work e.g. other minerals, Digestion, Fatty Acids, Hydration etc. That’s why we always have to look at foundations as a whole. Assuming you get enough Calcium in your diet through nutrient- dense whole food, but your body is not hydrated enough for the Calcium/Minerals to transport the nutrients to the other cells for functioning. Another example would be the activation of enzymes in the process of essential fatty acids where Magnesium and Calcium are needed as a co factor too. Calcium can only be absorbed in an acid environment so digestion as well as hydration plays a big role here as well.
Hydration
Supplying cells and tissues with sufficient water
Now that you have explored how each nutritional foundation supports each other here is the last of the six foundations to explore and how it supports all the others really – Hydration.

Water is the most important nutrient of the body and it is true that we can go weeks without food but only a couple of days without water. Yet the majority of people are not drinking nearly enough water and dehydration is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies. Early signs of dehydration (a drop in the body’s water content by as little as 2%) would result in thirst, fatigue, cramps etc. Whereby chronic signs (drop in the body’s water content by 10%) will cause significant health issues such as, constipation, heartburn, joint pain and so on. A loss greater than 10% may result into death.

Water has many roles in the body such as transport of nutrients, flushes of toxins, removes wastes, empowers the bodies natural healing and many more to add.  However – similar to Minerals that depend on other foundational co factors working well, proper absorption of water depends on electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals e.g. Sodium that become capable of conducting electricity when dissolved in water. So, you want to have a good balance of these to ensure proper absorption- I think you see how also here the foundations work hand in hand with each other. Good options of electrolytes would be, trace mineral drops, coconut water or simply adding unrefined sea salt into your water. Not to forget an adequate intake of water, which depends on age group, gender and factors in bio- individual depending on factors such as activity level, environmental conditions, pregnancy, lactation and elevation. Water is life and really none of the above nutritional foundation can work properly without sufficient daily supply- but water alone without our food, proper digestion, our fats and the regulation of our blood sugar would not keep us healthy alone either.

So let’s aim for a balance!