Nutrient density is a concept pioneered by Dr. Joel Fuhrman . It is a simple concept that measures the micronutrient concentrations of foods. It gives foods a framework of Nutritional Hierarchy. For instance, green vegetables have a very high nutrient density index. Processed foods have very few micronutrients in them. Foods that are higher on the nutrient density scale are associated with greater health, increased energy and weight loss.
So, the bottom line is, eat from the top of the list!
An idea we’ve proven over and over again here at Strategic Wellness is that if you can’t stick to an eating style,you will not achieve permanent weight loss and health. Yo-Yo dieting, losing and gaining weight is proven to be worse for your body than just being fat and unhealthy and staying that way.
Stop jumping on every gimmick, shake and crazy diet that comes your way. You will NOT be able to maintain it for life and then you’ll slide back into your old way of living, with worse consequences.
One of the reasons people can’t stick to their chosen eating plan is that is is micronutrient poor. If the food you are choosing to eat does not provide the nutrients you need, then your body will want/need more food and it will be nearly impossible to maintain a proper weight.
Here is the key to permanent weight loss- and it can be made part of any diet strategy:
Eat a wide variety and a large amount of nutrient dense foods. If you need to count points, then add the nutrient dense foods into your point calculations. If you need to drink a shake, then make your own out of whole, real foods that harbor a plethora of micronutrients, phytochemicals and other health promoting substances. Here’s a simple recipe for you:
½ green leafy veggies
½ fruit
1 Tablespoon of Ground Flax.
Blend. Enjoy. Be Healthy.
The Simple Concept: Some Foods are better for you than others.
When given a choice, most of us would guess that an apple is a better choice than a bag of chips. But besides the apple being fruit and an obviously “healthier choice,” most of us don’t know why.
The apple and the chips have roughly the same number of calories, but the apple is also a great source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium and hundreds of other beneficial phytochemicals. To over-simplify, these phytochemicals allow your body’s cells to function correctly and perform their jobs, yielding greater health and immunity. The apple has a higher nutrient density. By eating the apple, you feel more full, have more energy and over time will help you lose more weight.
The more nutrient-dense foods you consume, the more satisfied you will feel with fewer calories. Fewer calories and higher satisfaction yields less craving for Calorie Rich and Processed Foods (CRAP).
One of the huge benefits to high nutrient eating is that people lose their food cravings, hypoglycemic symptoms and other sensations that drive people to overeat. They get put back in touch with their body's natural instinctive signals to eat- when food is really needed.
Getting in touch with these true hunger signals is a gift that will help direct you to your ideal body weight. You will simply desire less food, less often. When your “fuel” runs out, you’ll feel hungry and know that it’s time to eat more nutrient dense food. When you choose foods based on nutrient density, you will essentially be choosing foods based on their overall quality and their ability to have a positive influence on your body and overall health.
So, which foods score the highest on the nutrient density index?
Which foods offer the most nutrients with the least calories?
Which foods offer health and longevity?
The answer will be of no great surprise.
But what may be of surprise is the actual numbers ascribed to several of your “old stand by” diet foods. It may change the way you eat forever.
Vegetables, fruits and beans score the highest, by far!
So, the bottom line is, eat from the top of the list!
An idea we’ve proven over and over again here at Strategic Wellness is that if you can’t stick to an eating style,you will not achieve permanent weight loss and health. Yo-Yo dieting, losing and gaining weight is proven to be worse for your body than just being fat and unhealthy and staying that way.
Stop jumping on every gimmick, shake and crazy diet that comes your way. You will NOT be able to maintain it for life and then you’ll slide back into your old way of living, with worse consequences.
One of the reasons people can’t stick to their chosen eating plan is that is is micronutrient poor. If the food you are choosing to eat does not provide the nutrients you need, then your body will want/need more food and it will be nearly impossible to maintain a proper weight.
Here is the key to permanent weight loss- and it can be made part of any diet strategy:
Eat a wide variety and a large amount of nutrient dense foods. If you need to count points, then add the nutrient dense foods into your point calculations. If you need to drink a shake, then make your own out of whole, real foods that harbor a plethora of micronutrients, phytochemicals and other health promoting substances. Here’s a simple recipe for you:
½ green leafy veggies
½ fruit
1 Tablespoon of Ground Flax.
Blend. Enjoy. Be Healthy.
The Simple Concept: Some Foods are better for you than others.
When given a choice, most of us would guess that an apple is a better choice than a bag of chips. But besides the apple being fruit and an obviously “healthier choice,” most of us don’t know why.
The apple and the chips have roughly the same number of calories, but the apple is also a great source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium and hundreds of other beneficial phytochemicals. To over-simplify, these phytochemicals allow your body’s cells to function correctly and perform their jobs, yielding greater health and immunity. The apple has a higher nutrient density. By eating the apple, you feel more full, have more energy and over time will help you lose more weight.
The more nutrient-dense foods you consume, the more satisfied you will feel with fewer calories. Fewer calories and higher satisfaction yields less craving for Calorie Rich and Processed Foods (CRAP).
One of the huge benefits to high nutrient eating is that people lose their food cravings, hypoglycemic symptoms and other sensations that drive people to overeat. They get put back in touch with their body's natural instinctive signals to eat- when food is really needed.
Getting in touch with these true hunger signals is a gift that will help direct you to your ideal body weight. You will simply desire less food, less often. When your “fuel” runs out, you’ll feel hungry and know that it’s time to eat more nutrient dense food. When you choose foods based on nutrient density, you will essentially be choosing foods based on their overall quality and their ability to have a positive influence on your body and overall health.
So, which foods score the highest on the nutrient density index?
Which foods offer the most nutrients with the least calories?
Which foods offer health and longevity?
The answer will be of no great surprise.
But what may be of surprise is the actual numbers ascribed to several of your “old stand by” diet foods. It may change the way you eat forever.
Vegetables, fruits and beans score the highest, by far!
(SEE THE PICT
But check out Kale and the other dark green leafy veggies. They score an outstanding 1000 points!
A product a at 500 is still high, but offers HALF of the nutrients of Kale.
Strawberries are the top ranked fruit, and only ranks in at 250.
An Apple is ⅓ as valuable as Strawberries.
Apple juice is ⅕ as valuable as the apple itself.
And look at one of our Standard American “Health Foods”-Olive OIl! At 120 calories in a single tablespoon, the nutrient index is extremely low! Simply getting rid of olive oil in your diet all together could be the most beneficial change you could make for your health.
We Have a Problem of Significant Proportion:
Studies estimate that less than 10% of American Adults (And other countries are right behind) and 3% of our children get the MINIMUM daily requirement of vital nutrients their bodies need to maintain an ideal weight or ward off chronic disease! This is HUGE!
Our children should NOT be getting chronic colds and ear infections. It is not normal.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced in 2006 that the chronic illnesses that have developed as a result of our poor eating habits will make this generation of children the first to live a shorter lifespan than their parents.
How to Act on Nutrient Density In Your Diet
Many of our Strategic Wellness clients have come to us with a broad and varied history of following “diets” such as weight watchers, Jenny Craig, the Paleo Diet or Atkins. After the introduction of the concept of nutrient density, we have found that individuals had a MUCH easier time losing weight and keeping it off.
We’ve found that people quickly understand the value of ADDING more nutrient dense foods into the diet. The challenge is usually in the HOW TO.
Thus our new focus on Table Talks.
Some of us can read a book and implement everything without any help. Others of us need some visual and hands on help.
Table Talks invite individuals to immerse themselves in the new journey of Nutritarian living. At a Table Talk, we showcase nutrient dense foods and their preparation along with eating and have many conversations that stimulate new ideas and the formation of new habits.
t’s one thing to hear and believe a concept as the truth of it resounds with you. It’s another thing to develop the skills and habits it takes to make it become a habit and therefore a lifestyle.
The disconnect between what we WANT to do and what we DO do happens for a myriad of reasons.
All lifestyle change requires an immense amount of focus in the beginning. As time goes on and the new skills become habits, the less we have to think about it. It just becomes who we are.
We suggest reading many sources that support nutritarian living and not reading popular weight loss and fitness magazines. Limit your intake to that which supports who you’re trying to become.
Find a friend who is willing to “do life” with you and will not only support your new eating style, but will do it with you.
As soon as you get your feet a little steady, find someone to TEACH the ropes to.
Get involved in other Table Talks and movie nights or other activities designed to help you concrete your new lifestyle.
Consider hiring one of our trainers to help you plan and cook a week’s worth of foods in one day on the weekend.
Please feel free to call and just chat about your issues, struggles or successes.
Our experience has been that people quickly understand the value of adding more nutrient dense foods into the diet. The challenge is usually how to do it!
But check out Kale and the other dark green leafy veggies. They score an outstanding 1000 points!
A product a at 500 is still high, but offers HALF of the nutrients of Kale.
Strawberries are the top ranked fruit, and only ranks in at 250.
An Apple is ⅓ as valuable as Strawberries.
Apple juice is ⅕ as valuable as the apple itself.
And look at one of our Standard American “Health Foods”-Olive OIl! At 120 calories in a single tablespoon, the nutrient index is extremely low! Simply getting rid of olive oil in your diet all together could be the most beneficial change you could make for your health.
We Have a Problem of Significant Proportion:
Studies estimate that less than 10% of American Adults (And other countries are right behind) and 3% of our children get the MINIMUM daily requirement of vital nutrients their bodies need to maintain an ideal weight or ward off chronic disease! This is HUGE!
Our children should NOT be getting chronic colds and ear infections. It is not normal.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced in 2006 that the chronic illnesses that have developed as a result of our poor eating habits will make this generation of children the first to live a shorter lifespan than their parents.
How to Act on Nutrient Density In Your Diet
Many of our Strategic Wellness clients have come to us with a broad and varied history of following “diets” such as weight watchers, Jenny Craig, the Paleo Diet or Atkins. After the introduction of the concept of nutrient density, we have found that individuals had a MUCH easier time losing weight and keeping it off.
We’ve found that people quickly understand the value of ADDING more nutrient dense foods into the diet. The challenge is usually in the HOW TO.
Thus our new focus on Table Talks.
Some of us can read a book and implement everything without any help. Others of us need some visual and hands on help.
Table Talks invite individuals to immerse themselves in the new journey of Nutritarian living. At a Table Talk, we showcase nutrient dense foods and their preparation along with eating and have many conversations that stimulate new ideas and the formation of new habits.
t’s one thing to hear and believe a concept as the truth of it resounds with you. It’s another thing to develop the skills and habits it takes to make it become a habit and therefore a lifestyle.
The disconnect between what we WANT to do and what we DO do happens for a myriad of reasons.
All lifestyle change requires an immense amount of focus in the beginning. As time goes on and the new skills become habits, the less we have to think about it. It just becomes who we are.
We suggest reading many sources that support nutritarian living and not reading popular weight loss and fitness magazines. Limit your intake to that which supports who you’re trying to become.
Find a friend who is willing to “do life” with you and will not only support your new eating style, but will do it with you.
As soon as you get your feet a little steady, find someone to TEACH the ropes to.
Get involved in other Table Talks and movie nights or other activities designed to help you concrete your new lifestyle.
Consider hiring one of our trainers to help you plan and cook a week’s worth of foods in one day on the weekend.
Please feel free to call and just chat about your issues, struggles or successes.
Our experience has been that people quickly understand the value of adding more nutrient dense foods into the diet. The challenge is usually how to do it!
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