Our bodies are arguably the most complex machine on this planet and yet we often treat them as though they are replaceable. They, like all engines, require good quality fuel and regular maintenance. Luckily for us, this is something we can all do everyday by fuelling your body.
Just by simply being alive our bodies use up energy, either from stores or from the food we consume. Then as we go about our busy lives our bodies require more and more energy. Although we have energy stores, they are for emergencies and so our bodies require regular refuelling. All food provides energy that our bodies can use, but just like a car engine, our bodies require certain types of fuel for optimum performance. So what are the right ways to fuel our bodies?
Complex carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for fuelling our bodies but they come in 2 forms; complex and simple with our bodies preferring complex carbohydrates. Think foods like sweet potato, oats, whole grains, brown rice, buckwheat.
Fats:
When carbohydrates are not available, fats are next in line to be utilised as fuel. Our bodies have their preferred source which comes in the form of unsaturated fats. These kinds of fats are great for heart health and can be found in the form of nuts (almond, hazel and pecan), avocado, oils such as peanut and olive oil and in some seeds.
Protein:
Protein is utilised for energy when nothing else is available. However, regular consumption of lean and plant-based proteins is advised, as many roles within the body are served by them. Try incorporating more white meat, fish, beef (1x week), legume and pulses and things like Greek yoghurt.
Veggies, fruit and then some more veggies and fruit:
These little colourful things are absolute powerhouses for our energy. Not only do they all contain energy but without them our bodies would struggle to produce any energy at all! Some fruit and veggies work for some people and some don’t. Figure out what works for you and make sure you get at least 5 portions a day! They are full of all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols that our bodies love for keeping us ticking over.
Fluids:
Just like your car, our bodies require oil because without oil it wouldn’t matter how much fuel you have, the car wouldn’t start. So let’s replace oil with fluids, ideally water or diluted juice but tea and coffee also count! Our bodies neeeeeed water which makes sense when you think about how around 70% of our bodies are water. You should be aiming for around 2L of fluids a day spread evenly throughout the day as our bodies do not like to be dehydrated!
Rest:
These machines we call home also require adequate rest every day, ideally between 7-9 hours a night. But rest isn’t reserved just for when we are sleeping. Your body will always tell you what it needs, you just have to listen closely and more often than not it will tell you when it has had enough and needs rest. So make sure you let your body rest when it needs it.
When our bodies are fuelled with good quality foods you will reap the benefits both physically and mentally.