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Health coach Matt Ireland discusses nutrition in this next bite-size clip and gives us two key points to focus on in this area.

Transcript

Nutrition is a really big topic that loads of people want to know more about. My aim here is to keep things really simple. The first thing I want to say is, you should view your food as your fuel. So what I mean by that: if you put diesel in a petrol car, that car breaks down. If you put the wrong type of food in your body, we still operate, but we are not happy, we are sluggish, everything is harder.

Your Blood Sugar Levels

The most important thing you need to know about nutrition is your blood sugar levels. The food we eat is processed by the body, it is turned into glucose which is released into the blood stream. If we eat too many carbohydrates in relation to fats and proteins our blood sugar levels can rise too fast. This is deemed as a threat by the body so it responds by releasing insulin to soak up all the excess glucose and bring down your blood sugar levels.Your blood sugar levels are heavily linked to your mood so that’s anger, anxiety, depression. Now this happens very quick because it’s a threat so when your blood sugar levels fall below a certain point your body now release glucagon and its glucagon’s job to tell you that you are hungry and to eat more food to re- raise your blood sugar levels.

Now, many people are unaware of this fact so if you are eating the wrong types of food your blood sugar levels will be on a rollercoaster all day long. Your blood sugar levels are heavily linked to your mood so that’s anger, anxiety, depression. Your moods will be unstable throughout the whole day. Now a way to stop this process is focusing on eating three main meals a day so breakfast, lunch and dinner. This will avoid the need to snack and keep your blood sugar levels more on an even keel.

Whole Foods Versus Processed Foods

Another thing you want to take into consideration is try to focus on eating whole foods rather than processed foods. So a whole food is a food that is grown by mother nature. For example, we know what a potato looks like when it comes out the ground. A potato is a whole food. We know that an apple looks like when it falls off a tree. Again a whole food. We know that a piece of meat looks like. Now processed foods are foods that have been 'fiddled with' or made by man.Try and keep it simple.For example, of this is that potato has been cut into crisps. It’s been flavoured or whatever and that’s a processed food. Your meat may have been turned into a sausage roll or pie. Again, processed. Your apple may be turned into an apple crumble. That’s processed. They aren’t natural. So try to stay clear of those kinds of foods.

As I said nutrition is a really big topic. Try and keep it simple. Your main focus should be managing your blood sugar levels to keep your moods stable, so you will be happier and more productive. Just focus on eating your whole foods and where possible, try to make your own food home cooked so you know exactly what’s in it.