Tidbit Tuesday - “Empty Calories”

Hello,

Welcome to another Tidbit Tuesday where we aim to teach you something new about health, nutrition, lifestyle, training, and so much more, every week!

Today we are talking about “empty calories”.  I think most of us have heard this term used at some point.

But what does it mean?

Well, "empty" means "containing nothing". But when it comes to food, "empty calories" do not contain nothing, they just contain nothing of VALUE to our bodies.

Foods full of empty calories contain little or no essential vitamins or minerals. Basically, they just pack on unnecessary pounds to carry around.

When shopping in a grocery store, these foods are, more often than not, found in the centre isles. Try and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store, and stock up on more whole food items!

An easy way to get enough nutritious food is to eat the rainbow in whole foods .. not skittles.

Throughout the week, try and eat something from every colour, examples include:
Red - peppers, apples, strawberries.
Orange - carrots, peppers, oranges.
Yellow - corn, lemon, mango.
Green - kale, broccoli, spinach.
Blue - grapes, prunes, blueberries.
Purple - beets, eggplant, purple yams.
White - parsnips, garlic, coconut.

AVOID THESE FOODS:
• Packaged cakes, cookies and donuts.
• Beverages like soda, sports and energy drinks, and fruit drinks with added sugar.
• Cheese and ice cream.
• Meats like sausage, hotdogs, bacon, and ribs all contain solid fats.
• Fast food - burgers, fries, pizza, milkshakes.
• Hard candies and candy bars.

TRY THESE HEALTHIER FOODS INSTEAD:
• Fresh fruits - apples, oranges, bananas, berries, melons.
• Vegetables, fresh or frozen - carrots, leafy greens, broccoli and beats.
• Whole grains - whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta.
• Lean protein - eggs, beans, fish, nuts, poultry and other lean meats.
• Legumes - beans and lentils.
• Dairy - low-fat milks, cheeses and yogurt.

Ensuring that we are eating a large variety of foods helps to make sure we are getting micronutrients, phytochemicals, zoochemicals, water and more, which can help the body;
• Build bone,
• Clot blood,
• Regulate blood pressure,
• Blood sugar control,
• Muscle and nerve function,
• Tissue growth,
• Red blood cell production,
• Improve vision,
• Improve cholesterol,

The list goes on, and on!

We NEED a diet that has plenty of variety!

Because human bodies aren’t combustion engines. They’re complex, dynamic, organic, and infinitely sensitive systems.

We can't thrive on just one type of "fuel".

Dozens — maybe even hundreds — of factors affect how we digest, process, and use the food we eat.

Including the fact that much of our digestion and nutrient extraction is done by the trillions of microbial critters living in and on us.

Analysis of our bacterial environments shows that each of us has an individual gut flora “microbiome”, like a fingerprint. Changing our microbiome changes our digestion and absorption, and hence our body composition and health.

So what are you going to choose to feed your complex body?

Whole, minimally processed, nutrient dense foods?

Or empty calories?

You are what you eat after all!

Your friend in Health & Fitness,

Coach Sean