food

Hungry is Good

Hungry is good

The key to maintaining our weight and our health starts by understanding our need for food.

Why we get hungry is a question I hear a lot. We get hungry for many reasons. The bottom line is, the human body is designed to get hungry so that we feed it. We need to eat so our bodies and minds can perform. 

The urge to eat, feel satisfied, get hungry, and eat again is controlled by ghrelin the "hunger hormone“and leptin, the "satiety hormone." Often our emotionscomplicate our food associations. 

Hunger triggers our hormones and jumpstarts our digestive system. So when a client who’s in good physical shape, and all seems right in his world, is constantly wondering why he’s never satisfied much less finding joy, I have to ask, ‘What are you eating?”

He starts his day with a smoothie and vitamins. Chia seeds, flax oil, a turnip, a beet, celery, green powder, turmeric, black pepper, garlic, ginger and stevia in a nut milk base. 

Yuck is what I’m thinking, but everyone’s palate is different. “Does it taste good?“ “Oh no it doesn’t taste good but I know its good for me. It fills me up and I make enough for three days so by the third day it’s like pudding.” Blech!

Juicing and smoothies are great, but those nutrients degrade for every hour we don’t consume them. 

In the time it takes to make a smoothie you could make a beautiful, fragrant bowl with fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, and avocado and spend 10 minutes eating it, you know, chewing, like why humans have teeth. Stimulate your digestive system by absorbing the scents, site and pleasure of eating something delicious and creating a greater connection to our planet by being in touch with your food.

Make friends with your food, find joy and feed your mind, body and soul and chances are, you will feel better.

Cruciferous Vegetables

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Cruciferous vegetables are unique because they are rich in sulfur containing compounds called glucosinolates which support detoxification and indole-3-carbinol which greatly reduces the risk of breast, colon and lung cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, glucosinolates are powerhouse chemicals that break down during chewing and digestion into bioactive compounds that prevent cancer cells growth.

Glucosinolates stimulate the body’s natural antioxidant system, triggering the liver to produce detoxifying enzymes that block free-radical attacks on your DNA.

Glucosinolates are:

  • Anti-inflammatory

  • Contain antibacterial and antiviral properties

  • Inactivate carcinogens

  • Reprogram cancer cells to die-off

  • Prevent tumor formation and metastasis

Your top twelve cruciferous vegetables are:

  • Arugula

  • Bok Choy

  • Broccoli

  • Brussels Sprouts

  • Cabbage

  • Cauliflower

  • Collard Greens

  • Kale

  • Mustard greens

  • Radish

  • Turnip

  • Watercress

 A common concern is can eating cruciferous vegetables cause thyroid problems?

Research shows it would take a lot of cruciferous veg to cause hypothyroidism and only if someone also has an iodine deficiency.

Studies show the consumption of 5oz a day of cooked Brussels sprouts for four weeks had no adverse effects on thyroid function.

So if you have a thyroid issue, eat cooked cruciferous vegetables and keep it to about 1-2 servings daily.