The trends in our society regarding individuality and responsibility pose much to be humble about.
Nutrition has not been as recognized and valued as much as it is today, or rather I should say
The awareness of the relationship of nutrition in our lives, as one of the components required for optimal health and disease prevention has been underappreciated for too long.
Lack of awareness?
exposure? ..education? …?
I feel our cultural foundation is lacking the intuition and awareness required to recognize the signs and symptoms the body produces.
“it happens to everyone”
“just a side effect”
“it’s fine” etc.
Sure, these absolutely may be true, but what are the trends?
Why is our body producing these certain reactions.
There is a population of resistance toward nutrition as a science and the required detailed components for optimal nutrition and health. One perspective, that it is a subconscious reaction or discomfort that has been triggered and promotes the disbelief. To protect one’s own lifestyle habits and choices, singling out those who strive. Regardless, I feel seeds of awareness can be planted for the appropriate time of acceptance and appreciation.
Understanding optimum nutrition comes hand in hand with acknowledging the space that holds for the unknown and yet to be discovered. There is an algorithm to follow to optimally support health, incorporating individualized components that serve to address the uniqueness of each person. This is where genetics plays a huge part. Hot area in research, but the genetic makeup of an individual can determine the response and metabolism of carcinogenic compounds, benefits of anxtioxidant activity from dietary intake, as well as response to certain macronutrients, among a host of other factors. It is not only the food we put into our bodies or the level at which we push ourselves to move, it is the culmination of how we treat our bodies. How is our sleep? How is our stress management? What about mental health? These are the components that are crucial to support well being and prevent disease. Genetics is the other component we need to take into account to asses and apply the aforementioned components to our individual needs.
Feeding our microbiome, our bacteria. Nutrition; prebiotics, probiotics.
We have the ability to promote gut flora health, thus immunity, thus well-being.
We have the ability to disrupt our microbiome with the foods we eat, the beverages we drink, and the environment we are surrounded in as well as the one in which we create for ourselves. The health of our microbial community is the mainstay to immune support as well as disease prevention and remission, if permissible.
What are we putting into our mouths? Our bodies? What fuel are we feeding our one and only life-supporting machines? Do we treat ourselves well? Do we focus on the immediate satisfaction of taste, rather than the long-term impact of nutrition?
Taste is egoistic.
Food for our cells.
What are we providing for our cells?
When we think about the composition and quality of the fuel we select, we can objectively determine if food’s relationship to our life is beneficial or detrimental.
How do we feel when we eat? before, during, and afterward.
Were we even hungry when we started.
how are we feeling during; are we able to notice, are we eating too quickly; are we available to notice, where’s our mind?
Being available to receive the signs and symptoms our body is showing us goes along with presence. Being present in the moment, being open to receive, and not resisting.
Contemplate, why do we choose certain foods?
The kind, as well as the amount. The extent to which we stop eating and begin again. We should wonder what else is craving particular nutrients for ATP synthesis and related, rather than just our stomach. Our cellular processes need variety of nutrients for optimal biology. A lack will cause compromise, and let’s contemplate how a compromised metabolism may impact our cellular processes that which make us.
Let me introduce:
B vitamins for metabolism support, synthesis of ATP; Iron for physical and cognitive performance and endurance; Vit D for immunity, bone health, mental health; Zinc for immune support; Vit A for immunity, skin and eye health; Vit K for blood clotting, bone health; Vit C aid iron absorption; minerals, electrolytes for pH balance, bone health, antioxidants; fat for anti-inflammation; carbs for energy; protein for DNA repair…to say the very least.
Derived from food, these nutrients are our responsibility to select to take care of ourselves. We have the ability to control our environment, but only if we can control or change ourselves.
The answer for external control lies within ourselves. We are the answer.
Are we accepting responsibility? or placing the blame?
I believe where we lie on this spectrum is correlated with the degree in which we are capable of content and love, that which includes another as well as ourselves, most importantly.
How much we love ourselves is reflected in the choices we make for ourselves, day to day. We have adopted mental models that were inherited and may no longer serve us, but it is our duty in this life to be aware and move forward with presence. We are not our pasts. What do we want for ourselves moving forward? Now is the time to contemplate and make decisions for where we want to go and let go of our tethered past. It has brought us to where we are today, but today is a new day. If we tether past experiences to our present state, we will be stagnant.
Parallel, one of those dreams you have when you’re trying to run up hill but it’s very windy and all you can do it slowly crawl.
We are holding ourselves back
through the heavy winds, the pounding of gravity on our backs inhibiting anything other than a fatigued crawl.
This is how we are traveling through life.
It is important to acknowledge when we need to shake ourselves and be the push to get ourselves back on track
..back on the road not processed
(Lol, pun intended. I had to do it)
Without the intrinsic motivation, success will be ever so fleeting…
We have the control to choose the foods that will provide us with nutrition. Removing the shame and the guilt and the reward from food, we have fuel. When we look to food as fuel,
we choose that which provides nutrition
that which supports our cellular processes.
What is our priority?
Taste? sweet sweet transient sensations with the tantalizing fragrances of energy.
The satisfaction from food does not cover up our deprived souls seeking something greater. The food only provides a temporary high, but does nothing for our underlying issues that we may be asleep to.
We have a choice to make.
To support our journey in life equipped with the tools we need to support our machine. What fuel are we putting into the cars that which we call our bodies?
Think of the adjectives you’d use to describe your “fuel”.
How can we nourish our bodies to complement nourishing our souls?
~~~
Today’s food feature is centered around bananas and ginger.
What typically comes to mind when we think about bananas? Yellow sweet carbohydrates? Good with peanut butter? What about ginger? In chai tea? Comes with sushi?
These two foods can support intestinal health- prebiotic content and anti-inflammatory properties, to also say the very least. When bananas are less ripe, they are a bit starchier and contain more of the beneficial starch prebiotic compounds that fuel the probiotics and gut flora. The functional ingredients of ginger have been shown to promote anti-inflammation and other beneficial anti-oxidative proprieties due to ginger’s phytochemical content.
I have been making variations of banana “ice cream” daily, and in combination with several other lifestyle and behavioral modifications I’ve made, I’m finding improvements overtime of increased endurance, muscle and mental relaxation, satiation, sleep quality and productivity. Below you will find three flavor variations of this staple recipe, transitioning through the seasons and taste preferences.
A dessert that supplies nutrition and takes care of our body’s health, a true sweet treat.
Banana ice cream is the concept that you can take ripe bananas, freeze them, then create a softserve-esque frozen treat. Additional ingredients such as fruit variety, flavors, herbs, and extracts can make bananas your canvas for nutrition that tastes satisfactory.
Ginger Orange Vanilla
Ingredients:
Per 1 serving:
1.5 cups banana chunks (1-2″), slightly ripe- ripe
.5-2″ chunk organic ginger root (local if possible), rinsed and peeled
vanilla extract
orange extract/flavor
almond extract
pinch sea salt
Directions:
- Freeze banana
- Determine if banana is ripe enough and ready to be used. Ripe range of slightly ripe (few, light brown speckles) to ripe (covered in brown spots). Choose a very ripe, brown spot covered banana for increased sweetness and fruit sugar content.
- Peel ripe banana and break in ~2″ chunks. Place in air-tight freezer safe bag or container. Will take few hours to freeze; can do this step in advance, in bulk too if desired. Frozen bananas last for months in freezer if stored properly.
- Place frozen banana chunks and rest of ingredients* in food processor or high speed blender and blend until all ingredients are combined, smooth, and creamy.
- *For the ginger root, think about how much you enjoy ginger and want the spiciness and flavor contribution to your ice cream. I love fresh ginger root and put ~2″ piece depending on the other ingredients. Start off with a small chunk (<1/2″) and increase to taste. Parallel for the extracts and sea salt, add to taste. I do not measure, just pour a small amount of each extract. I’d recommend using the ratio of 1:1:1/2 of vanilla, orange, and almond extract, respectively. A few drops of vanilla and orange and then slightly less of the almond. Almond extract can be overwhelming if too much is added, therefore start off with a few drops and see how your tastebuds enjoy. You can always add more. Add a pinch of salt, to your liking. The salt complements the flavors.
2. Serve immediately.
- This ideally is to be made and served as intended to eat in the present moment. You may freeze in freeze-safe container; after the ice cream freezes for a few hours, it may need to thaw due to the high water content. I also like to store in fridge with some yogurt. It melts into a tasty swirl for my plain greek yogurt; parallel to jam. Banana jam? Can add to yogurt, oatmeal, eat on own, etc.
3. For a nutritionally balanced meal, pair with plain greek yogurt or almond butter. I find that peanut butter’s flavor overwhelms this recipe, albeit nutritionally equivalent.
Ginger Blueberry Cinnamon
Ingredients:
Per 1 serving:
1.5 cups banana chunks (1-2″), slightly ripe- ripe
1/3-1/2 cup frozen blueberries
.5-2″ chunk organic ginger root (local if possible)
few dashes ground cinnamon
vanilla extract
orange extract/flavor
almond extract
pinch sea salt
Directions:
Same as above. Blend frozen ripe banana and all ingredients in a food processor or blender. In addition to the banana, this recipe variation calls for frozen blueberries, ginger root, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, orange extract/flavor, almond extract, and sea salt. FYI, the more blueberries you add, the more it will be like a sorbet. The banana contributes the creaminess, bluebs. have a higher water content. Pair with plain yogurt or almond butter for protein and nutritious fats.
Ginger Strawberry cream
Beneficial for the strawberry seasons
bad photo
Ingredients:
Per 1 serving:
1.5 cups banana chunks (1-2″), slightly ripe- ripe
3-4 ripe (dark, deep red) fresh strawberries (local, organic if possible)
.5-2″ chunk organic ginger root (local if possible)
good amount of vanilla extract, to taste
pinch sea salt
Directions:
Same as above. Blend frozen ripe banana and all ingredients in a food processor or blender. In addition to the banana, this variation calls for fresh strawberries, vanilla extract, ginger root, and sea salt. Pair with plain yogurt or nut butter for protein and nutritious fats.
4/1/2018
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