Megan has taken up the lifestyle of a Vegetarian with Vegan influences-- what ever the hell that means. Point being that I told her that she can't expect to be healthy like that. Being that I am a believer that you need a well rounded diet; just as all your protein shouldn't come from red meat, neither should it all come from tofu. She said she is feeling healthier than ever, and her energy levels are a nice even state all day. I of course was a little confused about this, so I did some research.
I did a little reading to discover this (many of you might already know these terms, but here is a right brain approach to healthy eating):
The nutrients needed in the largest quantity by the body are called Macronutrients.
These include:
Carbs
Proteins
Fats
These are mainly what gives our bodies energy to live. Because of this, when we are lacking in them, we feel several effects rather quickly. We get hungry, we get headaches, and we feel weak.
Some Macrominerals we need, but that don’t necessarily provide us with immediate energy, include:
Salt (sodium)
Potassium
Calcium
Magnesium
When we’re hungry and when we have cravings, our bodies are lacking in these nutrients, and their telling us we need to replenish them.
Unhealthy foods are high in -- you guessed it-- fats, sugars, carbs, and salts. Taking in these gives your body a huge blast of energy, a spike in your day.
Once you’re in a habit of eating incredibly unhealthy food on a regular basis, your body functions on the never ending cycle of spiking and plummeting of blood sugar and intake of fat and sugar. When you are on this cycle, you have intense cravings all the time. Your brain is accustomed to that spike.
If you are in the habit of eating healthy, balanced foods, there are no spikes! Energy and nutrient intake is much more balanced. The usual intense cravings go away. In Megan's case, you have a nice smooth day.
Pretty awesome, isn't it? Kinda makes you want to try eating nothing but healthy foods for a month, just to see if I am full of crap.
It also kinda makes you compare bad food to drugs... just for a second.
