Optimal health begins with nutrition. A properly-prepared, nutrient-dense diet gives special consideration to whole foods, the quality of those foods, and how they were prepared before consumption.

These factors influence how well our bodies will be able to absorb the nutrients we consume! Dysfunction can begin in the body without a balanced gut microbiome—along with frequent consumption of processed/refined foods—so we must eat a balanced ratio of healthy proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

We are what we eat, but more specifically, we are what we absorb! This is why optimal digestion is so important—if we’re not adequately absorbing the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins we need to support our body’s physiological functions, dis- ease in the body can start to develop.

Digestion is a north-to-south process and should function in that direction naturally. Food should not be coming back up once consumed. Stress, eating habits, and bioindividuality all play a role in our bodies’ abilities to digest properly.

Our bodies have never needed to lower our blood sugar. Evolutionarily, it never got high enough. In today’s world, the consistent calling on hormones from the adrenal glands to lower our blood sugar is a new demand on our bodies.

For this, the body requires multiple minerals, vitamins, and enzymes for the production of needed hormones. If it’s constantly lowering blood sugar, it may not have as many resources to fulfill other important tasks. This can cause significant dysfunction in the body.

Fat is essential for optimal metabolic function. It plays key roles in the body: provides satiety and long-lasting energy, acts as building blocks for cell membranes and hormones, aids in the digestion and proper use of proteins, and aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

Essential fatty acids are what builds our cell membranes for healthy cellular function. When these membranes are compromised, their ability to allow nutrients into the cell, and waste products out, is hindered. The body creates prostaglandins from fatty acids, hormone-like substances that regulate the cell’s communication system and control inflammatory function.

While our bodies can produce different hormones, fatty acids, and enzymes, it cannot manufacture minerals. These need to be obtained from a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet. Minerals are known as the “spark plugs” of the body — nothing happens without them. They are absolutely crucial and play a vital role in our quality of life.

Minerals act as cofactors for enzyme reactions; without them, those enzymes will not perform their main activities, which can lead to a disruption of many important functions in the body.

Water is the most important nutrients in the body! It is responsible for many functions, but the sad reality is that most people are walking around in a state of chronic dehydration.

Our digestive system is dependent on water to initiate key processes and produce stomach acid, so we cannot properly digest our food without it.