The Building Blocks
One of my favourite and go to nutrition resources is the book, Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, MD.
He starts this book writing about the building blocks (or the basics) needed for our bodies to function optimally. FOOD is our main source of fuel/energy. We can not live without the fuel and nutrients to grow, repair and maintain life.
‘We are what we eat’
When we look at the basic building blocks required, they are:
Water
Macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats)
Micronutrients (vitamins/minerals of which we get from consuming the macronutrients)
A diet of clean, whole unprocessed foods should provide what our bodies need on a daily basis.
So let’s start with WATER.
Water makes up the largest percentage of our bodies volume at approximately 60%. It is in our blood, lymphatic system, digestive juices, urine, saliva, sweat and tears. Without water, our bodies can not function properly. Just think of how you feel when you are dehydrated - tired, headaches, your brain my be foggy, dry skin, muscle cramps…
My tip is to not micromanage your water intake by being regimental in drinking so many cups of water a day but just to listen to your body. If you feel thirsty drink. It’s just common sense.
Sources of water is always a topic of discussion. Tap water, filtered water, reverse osmosis, distilled water. I mean tap water is okay but if you really want to up your clean water supply, then reverse osmosis is where it is at. Stay clear of plastic water bottles if you can. Especially those from the grocery store that have been exposed to temperature change and can cause the chemicals in the plastic to leach into the water. But we do the best we can if the situation we are in. If that is what is available, then drink it.
But we can also get water from food. Fruits are a great source of water (watermelon, strawberries, oranges, cucumbers - yes cucumbers are actually a fruit). Broths made from chicken or beef, milk, and coconut water..Just to name a few.
Thanks for reading..
Danni