FOOD IS FUEL

This topic is so big and controversial and there are so many different opinions out there, so I would just like to share and summarize what I believe to be most important and what I think the majority of “experts” can agree on. First of all (I know you heard it too many times from me) what we put into our body matters so much! Why? Whatever enters your body will either increase or decrease your energy. Put differently it will either increase of decrease inflammation. Inflammation is a reaction from the body, that occurs when it thinks that we are sick or there is something that does not belong in your body and it goes to fix it. In order to do that it puts all its energy into making you healthy again, so instead of making you feel powerful and alive, it´s telling you to rest.

The foods that increase inflammation the most and will suck the most energy out of you are alcohol, ultra-processed and deep fried foods as well as sugary foods. Others are vegetable oils, commercially raised meats, white flour products and any kind of sugar drink like Coke or any other soft drink, but also most fruit juices. Most of the “bigger” fish like swordfish or tuna contain a lot of heavy metals, that your body will try to get rid of through inflammation and it could also negatively impact your brain function if you have too much of it. Examples of foods you should try to avoid at all cost if you want more energy are any kind of candy (including Nutella), any kind of chips, any kind of fried foods e.g. french fries, fried chicken, fried fish, and in general food from fast food chains. Another factor leading to inflammation is the stuff some farmers spray on their crops to kill bacteria and insects, called glyphosate. If you don´t buy organic, you will have it on all your fruits and veggies, which will kill your good bacteria and energy, so try to go organic or at least avoid buying these “dirty dozen” from an non-organic source: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php Finally, what you put onto your body also goes into your body, so check the chemicals in products you put on your skin like deodorant, shower gel and cremes. You can find out whether or not the products you use are “clean” with an app called “think dirty”.

On the other hand foods that will decrease inflammation and give you long term energy are (there are many more, but these are the ones that I found most “experts” will agree on and which I try to include almost daily): sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, avocados, mushrooms (especially lions mane and shitake), asparagus, dark chocolate (over 80%), green beans and peas, arugula, romaine salad, pistachios, walnuts, Olive Oli (Extra Virgin), goat cheese, berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries), olives, pickles, cucumbers, coconut, coconut oil, onions, garlic, lemon and cinnamon.