You are eating foods rich in:
1. Health-promoting protein, to provide the amino acids your body uses in countless combinations to create the thousands of different proteins you need.
2. Real food carbohydrate to primarily fuel your body, so you have enough energy to sustain your brain, central nervous system and all of the essential processes of your cells.
3. Essential fats to pad your cells protect your brain and use as a fuel source in times of extended fasting, among other uses.
4. Vitamins, which your body doesn’t produce on its own, to catalyze the countless metabolic actions going on in your body every second of every day.
5. Minerals, including trace minerals, which act as coenzymes and cofactors in many metabolic activities and form the basis of cell structures, such as in your bones.
6. Water which has so many functions in your body, it would take an entire chapter to list them all. You are approximately 70% or more water, which should be a clue for how important it is to eat foods with high water content and to drink it before it’s needed.
7. Fiber, which is essential for eliminating waste, lowering cholesterol, absorbing nutrients and maintaining a healthy gut and immune system. Don’t sell this “bulk” short. It’s not optional if you want a healthy immune system and want your body to function right.
8. Phytochemicals, which exist in the tens of thousands, and have that many ways to make sure your cells, are protected. They are the keys to maintaining a robust immune system, cell signaling, repairing DNA, and keeping all of your cells functioning at a high level. Their antioxidant capabilities are incredible, as is true of vitamins.
9. Other food factors, such as healthy probiotic bacteria and enzymes, which are all tied into the nutrients above when they are packaged in nutrient-rich foods.