Magazine_Summer2021_RND1_07.14.21.indd

What are they? Whole foods are foods that are minimally processed and as close to their original form as when they were harvested. They possess all of the essential parts of their structure and have not been altered genetically. They are nutrient dense and have no added synthetic or artificial ingredients added. THE SCIENCE OF DIGESTION The human body has evolved over 3.4 million years, and our digestive systems have evolved right along with us. We have evolved eating slow digesting, nutrient dense, pesticide and hormone free whole foods. However, in the blink of eye — the past 50 or so years — we have changed what our bodies recognize as food. We have begun processing everything under the sun, completely changing the foods our bodies have evolved to understand as food. Processing whole foods changes the way our body recognizes them. For example, by removing the bran and germ, and leaving the endosperm of a whole grain, you remove the valuable phytonutrients and oils our bodies need for the metabolisms of its macro- and micronutrients. In addition, digestion is changed; all of the essential nutrients removed, slow digestion. This new grain tastes great and has nice mouth appeal, but it digests at the speed of sound — well, almost. DIGESTION BEGINS IN THE MOUTH There are enzymes in the mouth that begin breaking down the foods we eat. Once swallowed, foods enter another stage of digestion in the stomach where acids are introduced and larger particles are broken down into a soupy mass. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, protein into amino acids and fats into fatty acids, which are then delivered to your duodenum (upper small intestines). Here, additional digestion occurs through the introduction of bacteria and absorption begins. The nutrients held in food are absorbed through the lining of this part of the intestines where they enter your blood system to be delivered to the cells of your body. Food particles that are too big for absorption through the spongy walls of the duodenum and jejunum (the middle section of the small intestine) will enter the last stage, the Colon or lower intestines, where no further absorption takes place and the waste matter is reformed to be eliminated. OPTIMAL BODILY FUNCTION Optimal bodily function cannot occur without the daily ingestion of a precise mixture of 59 substances. Some you need a lot of, others only an infinitesimal amount. The most important of these are: oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur. The rest are minerals, vitamins, co-factors, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. These are all found in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals and water. Every individual has a particular range of intake of each nutrient that will yield optimum function. Because we are all individuals and we vary as much as our lifestyles and environments, our nutritional requirements are unique. To suggest that one eating plan will fit everyone is silly. To fully achieve our performance goals — whether it be increased endurance, strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, fat loss, muscle gain or any combination of these — you’ve got to get yournutrition right. Written by Dan Young for Simple Again WHOLE Nutrition Quarterly · 2021 – Volume 3 9 What We’re Reading