“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are” stated French author Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in 1826.
Brillat-Savarin was referring to the huge influence our food has over our physical health and state of mind. But how does food have this influence? What does food actually do for us?
It is all about our cells.
What we eat is much more than just calories. Food is information for our cells. What we eat has the power to change our appearance, how we think and feel, and how we behave. If our cells aren’t functioning well, then we can’t perform at our best.
Every single organ and system in our bodies is made up from groups of individual cells. Each cell needs certain conditions so that it can carry out its job. The right information from food is a huge part of these conditions. Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients provide the raw materials for our cells to do what they need to do to keep us well.
Cells talk to each other in a complex language of chemical messages. They instruct each other to grow, to move and to respond to threats. Problems in cell communication lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The messages take many forms, including hormones and charged molecules called ions. Cells also listen to signals that come from outside the body.
What happens when cells don’t get the right information?
When we eat too much food, or food of the wrong type, then our cells can’t get the information they need. Or, worse, they get the wrong information.
Chemically changed fats and sugars, refined flours stripped of their nutrients, plus preservatives, emulsifiers and other additives can make it very difficult for cells to do their jobs. This can disrupt blood sugar, causing havoc with mood and hormones. It can interfere with gut bacterial balance, which may lead to immune or digestive symptoms. It can cause our detoxification processes to become less efficient.
At best, compromised cells that are regularly given the wrong information stop us functioning optimally. At worse, the body will develop signs and symptoms of disease.
A well-nourished body is a balanced body – with hormones that work in synergy, so that mood, weight, and energy levels are naturally optimised.
Whole unprocessed or minimally processed foods contain vitamins, minerals and healthy fats that give our cells the information they need to function optimally.
How to eat well as costs increase…
There’s no getting away from it – healthy food can be expensive, and there are challenges ahead as prices continue to rise.
These ten tips may help when aiming to keep your standards high, but costs manageable.
- Plan your meals several days ahead and shop to a list, to help reduce waste. The UK wasted 9 million tonnes of food in 2018 according to a study by the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme.
- Buying food that is in season can often be cheaper, so you may wish to familiarise yourself with seasonal foods before planning your meals.
- Batch cooking and making use of your freezer can help to save both time and energy.
- Use leftovers instead of throwing them away. Freeze vegetable stalks and stems until you have enough to make a soup.
- Pulses and lentils are great sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. They can be added to soups and casseroles to make a more substantial meal, or to increase the number of portions.
- If you don’t already have a slow cooker, consider buying one. Cheaper cuts of meat are made for slow cooking and meat casseroles can provide valuable nutrients such as proline and glycine, to support gut health.
- Nuts, seeds and whole grains can often be bought in bulk-sized packages online for less cost per hundred grams than those available at the supermarket.
- Protein helps to fill you up and keep you energised through the day, so including some at every meal is important. Pulses and beans remain a great, affordable source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Buying larger packs of dried beans can often work out cheaper than tinned. Planning ahead and soaking and cooking. Prep pulses well for digestibility
- Plan so you can cook two meals when you cook one, so you have one for the next day, or to freeze, this can save time. Batch cooking is great
- Make a soup out of anything – left over veggies and throw some beans or lentils in to bulk up and add protein.
Food impacts the physical, physiological, and psychological layers of our bodies – we literally are what we eat!
Yes, eating well does take time – in planning, shopping and prep, and many people say they haven’t got time. But have you time to be ill?
