How to Heal Your Body with Proper Nutrition: 5 Key Takeaways
If you go to our “About” page, you will see Warrior Fit Academy’s mission statement: "To permanently transform one's identity, lifestyle, and routine (without restrictive diets) to gain health, happiness, and a body healed by proper nutrition. We help people heal themselves from the inside out.”
In a culture where prescriptions are more common than natural, organic whole foods, it’s no wonder that so many people struggle to feel good in their own bodies.
That’s why our vision is to help not only coach our clients, but also educate them on how to find healing through proper nutrition and exercise. While modern medicine is incredible and life-saving, we never want to use it as a crutch to mask the symptoms when we could solve the root problem once and for all.
If you’re tired of feeling tired, or fed up with feeling constantly bloated or uncomfortable, read on! We will cover five tips for how you can start to heal your body from the inside out and actually start to feel GOOD in your skin.
You’re not alone, either! 60 to 70 million Americans are affected by digestive diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Why is this?
While there are many factors at play in each person’s overall health, a large portion of digestive diseases can be traced to one thing: Diet.
As it turns out, many foods in America are processed (over 70%) and contain many added ingredients. These ingredients are designed to increase the shelf life of a product, enhance the color or perceived freshness, or even make it taste “better” by adding artificial sweeteners. Unfortunately, the human body has a hard time breaking down these foreign ingredients and eating too many processed foods can result in IBS, fatigue, inflammation, or even food intolerances.
While some medical professionals provide prescriptions to combat these symptoms, more and more research is coming out about the benefits of using food and nutrition to heal the body from the inside out.
So, how do we do that?
There are many things that you can do to improve your gut health, but today we will give you five tips that can help jumpstart your journey to feeling your best.
#1 Eat Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods
The one thing that can make the biggest impact on people’s overall health is incorporating as much nutrient-dense foods and whole foods in their diet as possible.
What does nutrient-dense mean?
Nutrient-dense foods are any foods that have a high nutrient to caloric ratio. This means that for a food to be considered nutrient-dense, it has lots of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, healthy fats) and low calories. Examples of nutrient-dense foods are fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, lean meats, eggs, peas and beans.
What are whole foods?
Whole foods is any food that is single-ingredient. For example, broccoli, chicken, quinoa, spinach. Each of these only has one ingredient and has not been processed which often means other ingredients are added. Things such as bread, condiments, prepackaged dinners, and even some canned fruits or vegetables are all processed and contain many added ingredients.
Most whole foods are also nutrient-dense food, so as long as you focus on what’s on the ingredient label or fresh out of a garden, you will be good to go!
#2 Eliminate Processed Foods
This tip goes hand in hand with number one, but it bears repeating: eating too many processed foods can negatively impact your health.
While it may not be possible to completely eliminate processed food from your diet (after all, over 70% of food in America is considered “ultra processed”) reducing the amount of processed foods that you consume can yield many benefits, such as:
Higher energy levels
Better gut health (more regular bowel movements, eliminating IBS, overall better feeling gut)
Less cravings
Less tendencies to overeat
Decreased inflammation or pain
Better immune system
And so much more!
Here are some quick tips for swapping out processed foods for a better alternative:
Coffee creamer → splash of almond milk
Breakfast burrito → scrambled eggs with turkey sausage, spinach, and sweet potatoes
Sandwich with deli meat, mayo, mustard, and white bread → lettuce wrap with veggies and tuna
Frozen pizza dinner → lean meat, roasted vegetables and potatoes
While using whole foods does take more time to prepare and cook, the trade off is substantial! By consistently choosing whole foods over processed foods, you will begin to feel a difference in your overall health and may even experience some weight loss as a result, too!
#3 Hydrate Properly
I love talking about hydration because it is such an underrated and EASY trick that anybody can implement at any time! According to some research, nearly 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
Drinking enough water can not only help keep your skin youthful and moisturized, but it can also give you more energy, help your kidneys flush toxins from your body, keep your bowel movements easy and regular, and more!
The best part? It doesn’t take a lot of time to meal prep a reusable bottle of water. Here are some fast tips for increasing your daily hydration:
Choose a reusable water bottle that you love
Set reminders on your phone
Use ice cubes
Use quality, filtered water for best taste
Add mint leaves, fruit, or slices of lemons or limes
(Bonus tip: frequent trips to the bathroom gives you an easy exit from awkward conversations!)
#4 Avoid Inflammatory Foods
There are some common foods that have been linked to chronic inflammation. While some inflammation is a good sign (it’s your body’s way of protecting itself when injured or sick) chronic or sustained inflammation can increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world.”
By avoiding these five inflammatory foods, you can decrease your risk of chronic inflammation, and begin to heal your body if you already suffer from inflammation
Gluten
Dairy
Sugar
Seed oils
Alcohol
Although not applicable for everybody, gluten and dairy are very common inflammatory triggers for many people. If you struggle with inflammation, it might be beneficial to cut out these foods for a period of time and see if it is an inflammatory trigger for you.
#5 Exercise Regularly
Last but not least, consistent exercise is not only beneficial for gaining muscle and losing fat, but it can also improve your digestive system, immune system, and your mental health by producing necessary chemicals in your brain.
Regular exercise can also reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, mental health disorders, sleep disorders, and overall cognitive health.
It’s important to remember that every person’s health is a complex, nuanced subject, and this post is not able to cover all aspects of health or nutrition and is not meant to be used to diagnose any kind of condition. If you are struggling with health issues, it’s important to listen to your body and talk to your doctor.
If you are interested in learning more about how nutrition can help positively impact your health, talk to our coaches today!
Need some more direction on how to heal your body with nutrition? Download our free Gut Health Guide PDF!
Our Gut Health Guide PDF is a great resource if you want:
An easy list of common inflammation triggers
More information on gut health
Quick foods to boost your gut health
Best of all? It’s free and easy to download!
