Health & Wellness Newsletter
Are Your Vegetables Making You Sick?
We often understand vegetables to be healthy. Yes, vegetables are important because we get essential micronutrients from them, such as vitamins and necessary minerals. However, certain vegetables, crops, and grains also come with caution due to the presence of anti-nutrients.
Understanding Anti-Nutrients
While vegetables and grains are ideal from a healthy perspective, certain ones contain anti-nutrients like lectins, phytates, and oxalates. These anti-nutrients help plants adapt to environmental changes and protect crops during growth. Examples include:
- Legumes
- Cereal Grains
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Beets
- Sweet Potatoes
- Quinoa
These anti-nutrients can inhibit the absorption of essential minerals and vitamins in the body, especially magnesium.
The Impact of Anti-Nutrients on Digestion
When we consume these vegetables and crops, the anti-nutrients are also ingested. Due to the depletion of digestive enzymes in our soil, these anti-nutrients treat our internal environment—our stomach—as hostile. This leads to the release of anti-nutrients into our system, inhibiting food absorption and depleting essential minerals and vitamins.
The issue isn't necessarily the anti-nutrients themselves but our system's inability to effectively absorb our foods while managing the anti-nutrients.
Measures to Ensure Proper Absorption and Reduce Anti-Nutrients
To combat the effects of anti-nutrients and improve food absorption, consider these measures:
- Include Digestive Enzymes: Adding digestive enzymes to your meals can aid in breaking down food more effectively.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Including apple cider vinegar with your meals can help improve digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Moderation: Consume vegetables and crops with anti-nutrients in moderation. While they are good for you, they should be consumed lightly or periodically.
- Consult a Specialist: Speak to a functional medical doctor or a naturopath to test and ascertain measures that will improve your digestive system and enhance food absorption.
- Increase Hydrochloric Acid: Increasing hydrochloric acid in your gut can help destroy unwanted foreign elements in your food, aiding in better digestion and nutrient absorption.
Benefits of Proper Food Absorption
- Enhanced Nutrient Intake: Ensuring proper absorption means your body gets all the essential vitamins and minerals it needs.
- Improved Energy Levels: With better nutrient absorption, your body can efficiently convert food into energy.
- Better Gut Health: A well-functioning digestive system contributes to overall gut health, reducing issues like bloating and discomfort.
- Stronger Immunity: Adequate nutrient absorption supports a robust immune system, helping you stay healthier.
- Optimal Weight Management: Proper digestion and nutrient absorption can aid in maintaining a healthy weight by preventing nutrient deficiencies and managing hunger levels.
By understanding the role of anti-nutrients and taking steps to improve your digestive health, you can ensure that your body gets the most out of the healthy foods you consume.
Here’s my Scheduling link for help and related Health and Fitness Consults: My Calendar
Yours’ In Fitness
Seun Ola