When you read a nutritional label it gives you lots of goodies. There you will find how many grams each the item contains of: Fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, sodium, cholesterol and if you are lucky it will even give you the vitamin count as well.

All sounds good, no?

However, what it does not tell you is how many grams of each of those your own unique body will absorb and use. It will not tell you the quality of those nutrients or the effect it will have on your body.

That's why the health of your gut is so important. If your gut health is poor, you will lose the ability to absorb and assimilate those nutrients into your body to keep it running efficiently. When your body is running efficiently it can equal increased energy and less chronic disease. This essentially results in clearer thinking and ease of movement.

Let's take fats for example. How many of you would frown if you saw an item with 15 grams of fat? Do you ask yourself can my body use those 15 grams? Does your body have the ability to break down those fats? What types of fats are they - are they fats not recognizable by nature? Transfats? Commercially processed with chemicals? Unstable fats as found in fried foods? Rancid fats as in nuts and seeds that may have been left on the shelf too long? Will they cause inflammation in my body?

This is where balance comes in to play again. The SAD (Standard American Diet) provides an abundance of Omega 6 fats which are found in many processed foods such as muffins, breakfast bars, cookies, etc. This can leave the Omega 3s (found in salmon, walnuts, eggs, flax seeds, etc.) feeling neglected. When the ratio of Omega 6s and 3s is out of balance in your body, it can lead to inflammation. Inflammation is the leading cause of many chronic diseases such as colitis, heart disease, arthritis, cancer and diabetes.

How are fats used by your body? They are used:

As a building block of every cell.

To provide a sheath to your organs and nerves

To keep your brain and muscles functioning optimally and

To keep your hormones balanced.

When you take in food not recognizable by nature it puts your body to some degree in the stress response - which means, among other things, blood flow is directed away from the mid-section where digestion occurs. If you want optimal nutrient absorption and assimilation, having the balance of the food you eat more often in the form nature created it is an essential way to ensure improved health.

These are the things a nutrition label doesn't tell you. My motto is "Foods with a label can keep you unstable".

Why not join us each month as we explore wholesome foods that are nutritious and delicious!

Buon appetite!

Stay well,

Andrea Tortorlla, HHC

phone: 9149601554

web: http://www.bringbalance2u.com