How to Eat Smart with Shawn Stevenson

Nutrition has been a hot topic for decades now, but would you be surprised to hear that we’ve never quite gotten it right? Our bodies are very complex machines, but new research on how our bodies interact with the food we eat might be shedding some light on which aspects of nutrition we’ve gotten right and which ones we’ve gotten wrong.

In my podcast episode with Shawn Stevenson, author of Eat Smarter and host of The Model Health Show, we talk about what recent research has taught us about eating healthier. Spoilers: a traditional diet is not the answer!

Shawn says something that has really stuck with me, “It is a disservice to look at health in just terms of weight and calories”. This is because health and fitness are different, because everyone’s picture of health looks different. 

There is so much saturation in the nutrition industry from a paleo diet, to vegan diet, to keto, etc. While these are all great frameworks, they do not work for everyone universally. We do not want to be imprisoned by these frameworks. 

We have gotten into this way of thinking that nutrition is solely in the terms of macros or calories. “If I am lean enough, with 6 pack abs, I am in perfect health. However, physical/mental stress, over training, or exposure to toxins can all affect the health of our gut.

Every system is interconnected: the gut, brain, liver, gallbladder, etc. These are all influencing one another, and the food we consume also influences those processes.  

The QUALITY of the calories plays a big role. Think about it… you are what you eat! Everything about us is made from food – our skin, brain cells, immune cells, eyes, etc. It is incredibly remarkable, but what are you making your tissues out of? Is it the twinkies?

Has our caloric focus actually shown good results in our overall health in our nation? 

88% of the nation is metabolically unhealthy. This term unhealthy is an umbrella of syndrome X – diabetes, prediabetes, etc. 

80% of the population is overweight or obese.

70% of our citizens are already on drugs or pharmaceutical drugs. 

60% of US Americans have some kind of heart disease. 

We are the most unhealthy we have ever been as a nation. 

Our gut microbiome, and the microbiome of our food, or lack thereof, is dramatically affecting our metabolism and how our body responds to calories. The microbiome of our food determines how many calories we are able to absorb and expend. 

There is also an inflammatory component to our health. We need inflammation for things such as healing wounds, to aid in muscle recovery after a workout, etc. It is drawing energy to the site of need. The problem is when inflammation becomes chronic. For example, neuroinflammation. 

If your brain is inflamed, you will not know until it is too late as you do not have sensory receptors in the brain. This is the only organ that cannot tell you it is inflamed. If you are insulin resistant or overweight, there is a big chance your brain is inflamed. Things like seed oils, processed foods, refined sugars all trigger inflammation. 

Foods that help keep inflammation low:

    • Cold Pressed, Extra Virgin Olive oil 
    • Broccoli
    • Fish eggs – caviar 
    • Grass Fed Beef 
    • Egg yolks
    • Krill oil
    • **Algae oil if taking vegan protocol!

So, what can you start with today? How do we get from here to where we need to be? What is possible? Which food can improve ability to focus, manage stress? How does food affect emotional stability and how we relate to each other?

Understanding how powerful our minds are is based on who we believe ourselves to be. Move from somebody who is a victim of circumstances to someone who is a creator of circumstances.

If you are interested in learning more about what is causing inflammation in your body/skin/brain, book your free 15-minute call with us here – https://rachelscheer.com/application/

Have a great week!

RSN

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