What do we actually mean by saying we eat "nutrient dense" foods? Well, simply put, nutrient dense foods are foods that give us the maximum health bang for our buck: meaning, all of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for our bodies to function, be nourished and energized, without all the added calories.
AND nutrient dense foods truly satisfy us ...but I'll get to the satisfaction part in a minute.
Specifically, we're talking about fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains.
So take a cupcake, for instance. It has nutrients (carbohydrates, mostly), but is not as nutrient dense as it is calorie dense. Cupcakes cannot nourish us as well as a large, fresh salad. Makes sense, right?
Yet even cooking nutrient dense food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys many important enzymes, and thus, many of the nutrients. (Though, I'd argue it's better to eat a plate full of roasted asparagus than a pizza.) You know what I mean.
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| Raw chocolate "cheese" cake |
This is often why people overeat when they have a largely cooked and non-nutritious diet. Their bodies are craving the nutrients it needs, so paradoxically, they will overeat on foods they find psychologically comforting (french fries, burgers, etc) to achieve that full or satisfied feeling. But they are really denying their bodies true sustenance. And we all know this invites health problems like obesity, diabetes,and heart disease ...but even various degenerative diseases like osteoporosis, cancers, and chronic fatigue. You can visit our resources page to check out these references.
Also, something I learned that blew my mind is that being obese is actually the body's way of keeping itself alive! It's actually a survival mechanism. Meaning, when we eat poorly, our body needs to do something with the unusable junk, or toxins (not just an overabundance of indigestible saturated fats) we put in it. It simply can't eliminate them all, so it actually stores them in our fat cells. Of course, this catches up with us quickly if the diet doesn't change. Exercise can certainly help with some of the detoxification,
but exercise cannot put nutrients in us. Nutrient density is essential. In fact, many people report almost an immediate positive response after having just ONE nutrient dense smoothie or raw meal! It's as if the body is shouting, "THANK YOU!"
However, it's not all roses. While there are positive responses to dietary changes, there can also be negative ones as well ...where people often feel worse before they feel better. These are detoxification symptoms resulting in a healing crisis, also called a
Herxheimer reaction. The symptoms vary from headaches to irritability, acne, muscle aches, fever, chills, and so on. I can attest that all of these have occurred and been an ongoing process for me personally over the last year as my weight steadily comes down. And it has, in a way I've never experienced before.
Now getting to the satisfaction issue--I've found that my palate has completely changed. Do I still have certain cravings, yes. But often those are satisfied by simply
smelling that greasy fried chicken. I know what you're thinking, but I've found that I feel better in the long run by denying myself that one bite (because let's face it, it's never just one bite) and instead overeat on salad, greens and other beautiful new dishes that I make because I actually crave more fruits and veggies now.
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| Raw spring rolls |
So am I Raw Food Vegan purist? In theory, yes. But in practice, not quite. The cravings come, and sometimes aren't denied. And I'm okay with that, as I hope you all are, too, in your own personal journeys. The last thing anyone needs to feel like is a failure after a meal. This is why "cold turkey" converts are very rare. Plus, Get Dense is not about "food religions," but trying new and better foods for the best health possible.
Success most often occurs as people are able to implement one or more good thing into their diets per day or week, and eliminate a "bad" thing slowly, too (the latter may take longer, who knows). I still eat some food that I'd like to eventually eliminate (meat, dairy, wheat, canned and non organic produce) but there are certain budgetary constraints that I am working with, along with social pressures. I'm sure most of you can relate.
As Charissa and I carry on in this trek, our conversations are constantly ebbing and flowing from how much raw to cooked food we have, how we're exercising, how it makes us feel, what we'd like to try in the future, etc. It's good that we have each other as support outside of our spouses ....even though our hubbies are on board, too.
If there's any advice that I can offer, it's that--find someone who supports and even shares your health and wellness goals. Maybe it's an internet support network. Maybe it's Get Dense. Charissa and I appreciate the feedback, so we'd love to hear from you. Any questions, please contact us at getdense@gmail.com
All that's the dense response of what getting dense it all about. Probably stuff you're all doing without even realizing it. Meanwhile there are so many who are caught up in the pleasure trap, simultaneously overeating and staying malnourished. We've been there. Join us as we learn our way to healthier habits, recipes and fitness.
