Holistic Nutrition: Choosing Foods for Energy

Holistic Nutrition: Choosing Foods for Energy : Food is energy. We need it to live. However, nowadays many foods can actually do more harm for our energy levels than good. Processed foods deliver a high amount of calories, but lack the necessary nutrients to sustain energy levels throughout the day.

Eating better is our key to feeling better and holistic nutrition can help you take control. Let’s take a look at what this would look like if you followed holistic nutrition tips.

What Does It Mean To Eat Holistically?

Holistic nutrition is an approach to your diet that considers not only your body, but your mental and spiritual health as well. This means making food choices that nourish your body at the same time creating opportunities for increased mental and social health, such as eating mindfully as a group.

One of the first things to accept is you’re going to be doing a lot more meal prep and much less eating out. When at the grocery store, shop in the organic section if it’s available to you. Another way to change it up is shopping at local markets. This ensures quality food and a nice afternoon in your community.

When preparing meals, try to consider using ingredients that are whole and/or raw as often as you can. These foods are going to be the most nutrient dense. You also want to avoid sugar the best you can (tough one, I know!). However, by this we mean the refined sugars added to meals and snacks. Fruit and other natural sugars like honey are much more holistically aligned. Try some unique sugar swaps in your next recipe to stay sweet!

Energy Boosting Foods

From a holistic nutrition point of view, we want to choose natural foods that will meet our needs. If you want higher energy levels, you’re going to need to eat accordingly. Thankfully, foods from all the groups have the potential to uplift our energy levels.

Bananas

Try to have bananas on hand as a quick snack on the go. You can also incorporate bananas into many recipes from smoothies to baking. There’s even a homemade ice cream recipe that replaces the milk with banana!

Bananas contain a significant amount of natural sugars and fiber. These two components work great together. This natural sugar is our energy source, while fiber works to properly digest and process this sugar. Ultimately, resulting in longer lasting energy.

Kale

Kale and other dark greens are jam packed with goodness for our bodies. These vegetables contain dense proteins, nutrients and antioxidants which can satisfy our hunger and fill our energy levels.

Consuming organic kale raw is your best option according to holistic nutrition. This may be in salads with a vinaigrette dressing (aids in digestion) or you can try dehydrating for some kale chips that lock in all its nutrients.

Oatmeal

Try starting your day with an oatmeal based meal. There are many options from a classic – or dressed up – bowl of oatmeal, to homemade granolas and oatmeal bars.

The dietary fiber of oatmeal helps slow digestion, helping you feel fuller longer and getting the most out of your food. This is a great opportunity to pack in other foods like fruits and nuts with your oatmeal for a long lasting boost of energy well through your morning.

Salmon

For those who choose to eat meat in their holistic diet, salmon is a great food choice for an energy boost. Since salmon is high in healthy fats, you only need a small piece to receive its benefits.

The natural occurring oils from these fats contain omega-3s, which are known for brain support. With proper supplementation of omega-3, you are supplying your brain with the energy you need to function, and face less chance of fatigue early on in your day.

Nuts and Seeds

The last food we are going to mention is nuts and seeds. Generally, nuts have a high calorie content due to their naturally occurring fatty oils, which might sound scary, but in moderation is a great energy source. Calories are our energy after all!

Nuts are easy to pack as a snack on the go, sprinkle into salads, and include in baking. If you want to experiment, nuts can even be blended as a base for homemade dressings, spreads, and dips.

Conclusion

Holistic nutrition for an energy boost is so much more than just what foods we eat. From where our food originates to how we bring it to our table all plays a part in the experience. Do your best to make changes where you can and see what food can do for you.