Nutrition Jargon Decoded - Did you know you’re made from Star Dust?

Nutrition is one of the pillars of your Strength Temple and we want to give you some insight into why we recommend that you provide your body with the best fuel possible.

We’ve all been gifted with an incredible machine.  It’s taken billions of years to evolve.  It self heals, it protects, it can think and reason.  It’s also made from star dust!  Yep - that’s right.  If you go right back to the essence of where the elements in your body come from they are only formed in the furnace of stars.

If you treat it correctly you will have something that money simply can’t buy.  It doesn't matter how rich you are financially.  You can not "buy" health and wellness; it takes study and commitment to a set of healthy habits.  Once you crack the secrets to motivating yourself and enter the positive reinforcement of results producing more action, you’re hooked and just get better and better, fitter and healthier, having fun along the way.  If you invest in your body by paying attention to the #7Pillars of your Strength Temple you will realise an amazing, energy rich life!

Today we’re going to talk a little about Nutrition.  It’s a complex subject and our intention is to give you some context for the various buzz words thrown at you via the media and books.  We won’t go into a great deal of detail here and if you find that you are drawn to the subject and would like more information there are a myriad of books and websites that deal with the subject, many of which are available via our bookshop.

Your nutrition comes from nutrients which are delivered to your body via your digestive system through your food and drinks.  You can also absorb some through your skin, but for now let’s concentrate on the more conventional route.

Your body is a massive organisation of incredibly small components called cells which have different structures and functions.  Nutrients are essential building blocks for your cellular growth, repair and functioning.  They provide you with all the energy you need to live life to the max and support your immune system in fighting off any bugs coming your way.

Nutrients are classified in a number of ways.  For the sake of this article we will be using some of the mainstream Western classifications.

The main nutrients are Macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats) and Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals).  Fibre and Water are also essential and none of our nutrients work in isolation as they all depend on each other!

Macronutrients:

Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats are Macronutrients.  Carbs and Fats provide energy to the body and Proteins provide the building blocks for cell growth and are part of our repair process.  You may also have heard of enzymes.  Our enzymes are proteins and support many of the processes in our body as we break down more complex nutrients into their component parts.

Micronutrients:

Vitamins and Minerals are our Micronutrients.  Our Macronutrients rely on these elements to release the energy within them in a form which is useful to our bodies.

Minerals are inorganic compounds and come from rocks and ores and enter the food chain via the soil.  We get our minerals through the plants that we eat as well as through meat from animals that have eaten plants.  Examples of minerals are Iron (found in blood) Calcium (found in teeth and bones) and Potassium (vital in regulation of our bodies water balance).

Vitamins are organic substances and have many important functions.  Vitamins are involved in the function of enzymes as well as playing important roles in controlling our hormonal activity.  Hormones are our chemical messengers that regulate certain functions in the body.  Our bodies can make small amounts of Vitamin D and K, but other vitamins need to come from our diets.

So when you hear people talking about “paying attention to your macros” or marketeers pushing Micronutrients you now have some context.

The important thing with regards to Nutrition is to achieve a balance.  As with everything we teach, balance is the key to a sustainably fulfilling life.  We have several articles in our #7Pillars program which deals with achieving balance in your nutrition. (Note our #7Pillars program is due for release Summer 2016.)

We like to give you something to do with every insight.  Your nutrition is so important.  That’s why it has it’s own pillar in your Strength Temple.  You will have probably heard this before, but it’s so important it’s worth mentioning again and it’s definitely worth you chasing this goal today!

One thing that many people still fail to do in modern society is get a sufficient supply of fruits and vegetables.  So do yourself a favour today and treat your super body to some lovely nutrition.  Go and buy yourself a load of organic produce and make a beautiful fruit medley and a bowl of roasted vegetables.  Here is a recipe for our Strength Temple Vegetable Roast Up to get you started.

The Strength Temple Vegetable Roast Up!

We hope that this article has helped you decode the jargon. You now know your Macros from your Micros, and your Vitamins from your Minerals.  You know the importance of Proteins and you’ve heard about what Enzymes do too.  Oh - and you’ve found out that you are an amazing result of billions of years of evolution and are ultimately made from star dust.  How cool is that!

#RespectYourTemple

Protein Banana Loaf

Let's face it, we're not quite there yet.  Finding health food cafes with gluten free & sugar free treats is not an easy task for most of us & certainly not cost effective once you do find them….

Get your baking hat on, get the kids involved, make it fun & make you're own tasty creations.  Personally I find it significantly more satisfying; you know what's gone in it & tastes better when you make it yourself!

This Banana loaf is great as a slice with your breakfast smoothie or after a workout when you’re body is craving some nutrition love.

Recipe:

1 cup coconut milk • 1/2 cup protein powder • 2 ripe bananas • 1/2 cup egg whites or 2 eggs • 3 tbsp coconut flour • 1 tbsp vanilla extract • 3 tbsp coconut flakes • 3-4 medjool dates (depending on your sweet tooth) • hand full of smashed walnuts • 1/2 tsp baking powder.

Directions : blend together • pour in loaf tin (greased with coconut oil) • sprinkle shaved almonds on top • bake 180c for 45-60mns (until browned)

Can't wait for the coffee run!

#respectyourtemple