Biochemical individuality. Optimum nutrition.
Nutritional needs.
There is nobody quite like you. There are many principles that apply to us all as humans, but each individual is born biochemically unique, although clearly similar to other individuals.
In each one of us our organs are different shapes and sizes, we have different levels of enzymes and different needs for protein, vitamins and minerals. Some of us have difficulty digesting protein or fat, or need more of a particular vitamin. Consequently each person’s optimum nutrition is likely to be slightly different from anyone else’s. Keeping that in mind how could possibly weight-loss or weight-gain diets work!
You can read about the major lifestyle and nutritional factors that shape your nutritional needs in various posts at this site. I can also help assess your personal nutritional needs, get in touch with me.
Here are a few simple tips to help you work with your biochemical individuality.
- Notice if you experience any symptoms after a meal. If yes, write them down after which meals you feel worse. Look for the common foods, eliminate for two weeks, then see how you feel.
- Many substances that are not good for you show an initial reaction within 24 hours.
- When others can tolerate a certain food does not mean that you can.
- Check out if you have a family history of particular health problems, for example gallbladder stones, and pay particular attention to your diet this regard.
- Assess your lifestyle to find out what are your nutritional needs and to work out your own personal health programme.
The above tips are based on Patrick Holford’s book The Optimum Nutrition Bible.
Everything in this universe is part of a vast ongoing chemical reaction. Before foods can give us vitality, hundreds of chemical reactions must take place in our body, involving 28 vitamins and minerals. These micro-nutrients are the real key that unlock the potential energy in our food. Your vitality depends on upon a careful balance of at least 50 nutrients. Fortunately, deficiency in protein, fat, or carbohydrate is very rare, however deficiency in vitamins and minerals and essential fats is quite common. Check my post on vitamins and minerals.
Eating for vitality
One secret of longer and healthier life, no matter of your biochemical composition, is to eat foods high in vitamin and mineral vitality. Good food should also be low in saturated fat, salt and fast-releasing sugar, high in fibre and alkaline-forming. Non-animal sources of protein are desirable.
How healthy do you want to be?
If you want to realise your full potential, mentally and physically, finding out your personal optimum nutritional requirements based on your biochemical individuality is essential. How do you find theses needs out?
Factors that affect your nutritional needs
- Age
- Gender
- Exercise
- Pollution/chemicals
- Stress
- Health history
- Genetics
- Diet
Age – The nutrient requirements during the four main stages of the lifecycle vary considerably. Seems obvious what infants and children require is different from adults and the elderly. In addition, there might be specific nutrients which a pregnant women and lactating mothers need in higher amounts than adult men.
Gender – Men generally need more calories and higher total intake of each of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat). Women need fewer calories than men, but in many cases, they have higher vitamin and mineral needs.
Exercise – The intensity, time and frequency of the exercise influence the nutritional needs. When you do an intensive workout it’s important to fuel your body with the right nutrients. In contrary when you do not exercise at all your metabolism slows down.
Pollution and chemicals – This refers to the environment you live in and toxins you are exposed to. For example, if you smoke your nutritional needs will be higher than if you do not. If you live in a city or work with chemicals your needs will be equally affected.
Stress – When under stress you may turn to sugary foods, coffee or cigarettes or other stimulants that all affect your nutrients level in your body. Recent research has found that eating some protein with carbohydrates provides additional support by reducing the stimulation of cortisol. So if you are stressed out, eat your fruit with some nuts, or brown rice with fish.
Health history – When you suffer from any health condition for example, problems with thyroid function, kidney failure, fibromyalgia, allergies, etc. they all affect your nutritional needs.
Genetics may be partly responsible for absorption of food, metabolism, enzyme digestion, absorption of certain vitamins but also linked to individual food likes and dislikes.
Diet – Nutrients and their absorption and anti-nutrients supplied in your diet. Here is a diet analysis helpful in assessing foods that affect your nutrient needs, such as sugar, salt, coffee, tea, alcohol, food additives and preservatives. For example, when you eat only refined carbohydrates, little fruit and vegetables you may be lacking of many essential nutrients such as vitamin C.
We are living organisms and why not to provide ourselves and others with the best possible components to have a good, long, enjoyable life? Most of us only begin to think about health when something goes wrong. Most serious diseases take many years to develop why not to start today with assessing your nutritional needs.
Thank you for reading.
