During these uncertain times it's important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself and your health. The food you eat can affect your physical and mental wellbeing so knowing more about nutrition is key. In this post, I want to talk about why it’s important to deliver nutritious food to your stomach and give you tips and recipes that will break the healthy meals stereotypes.
Let’s talk about why our gut is so important.
We have probably all heard the famous saying ‘your body is your temple’ from someone along with other many famous quotes about our gut, but what do they actually mean? Are our stomachs really that important? Well, the answer is yes and there are multiple studies to prove it!
There have been studies showing a link between the bacteria in our stomachs (microbiome), our immune system, diseases and even mental health. Jeroen Raes conducted a study showing how gut health affects the quality of life and depression. Scientists all over the world are still studying microbiome and everything it can do. Researchers from Nebraska, Andy Benson and Robert Hutkins, have just launched their own company (Synbiotic Health) dedicated to bringing their research to the public.
Now that we’ve established why our gUt health is important let’s talk about how to keep it healthy.
Water
Hydration is very important not just for your gut but for all of your body. Water regulates body temperature and ensures that your joints are working properly. Ideally, you should drink at least 2-3 litres a day, however we all know it’s hard to keep track of it! There are many phone apps that can help you with that and in case it’s hard to enjoy water try making ice cubes with fruits and berries to make the experience more interesting.
Vitamins and Minerals
There are 13 vitamins and minerals that your body and gut need to stay healthy, some of them are Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Iron and Magnesium. You can find most of them in your local grocery or health store and you can also find it in many different foods. In a lockdown, it’s especially hard to get enough Vitamin D from the sun, luckily foods such as egg yolks and broccoli contain this vitamin. Vitamin B is essential for energy and can be found in foods such as beef, chicken, fish and eggs. Vitamin C is crucial for your immune system and you can find it in orange juice, grapefruit, cherries and kale. Iron ensures that blood cells are working properly and its deficiency can cause fatigue. Iron can be found in spinach, beans and liver. Magnesium helps the body to absorb all those vitamins and you can intake it by eating spinach, almonds and beans.
Carbohydrates and Fat
Carbohydrates are an important source for energy for your body and they come in the form of fibre, sugars and starches. While you can find it in corn beans and milk, you can also find it in popcorn, soft drinks, cookies and spaghetti, so you can treat yourself with delicious snacks while fuelling your body.
Fats have developed a nasty reputation in our society however they’re vital for your gut’s health when consumed in moderation. You can find fats in avocado, red meats, butter, nuts and more interesting foods such as ice cream and peanut butter.
Well, we've talked about the science and different elements in our food so it's time to put this knowledge into action.
Yoghurt bowl
Yoghurt bowls are very tasty and easy to make for breakfast or a snack. Yoghurt is a rich source of protein, vitamin B12, calcium and depending on what you decide to add into it, it can have much more in it.
My personal recommendation is to use greek yoghurt for your bowl and add granola, honey, nuts and berries into it.
Chicken pasta with bell peppers in tomato sauce
This pasta is a very delicious and fulfilling dish and it's very easy to make. For this pasta you'll need:
- Chicken breast
- Bell peppers (Red/Yellow/Both)
- Wholegrain spaghetti
- Tomato sauce (you can either make it yourself or purchase it in store)
- Light cream cheese (about the size of a tea spoon or table spoon depending on the amount you want to make)
Ingredients for chicken marinade: - Garlic
- Lime
- Salt
- Coriander
- Chilli flakes
Recipe
Cut the chicken breast into small pieces and put it into a bowl. Add crushed garlic, lime, a little salt, coriander and chilli flakes into the bowl and mix them into the chicken. You can either marinate it in the fridge for over an hour or cook it straight away.
To cook the pasta boil water with salt and olive oil for spaghetti and put some olive oil into the pan. On a heated pan place the chicken and cook for 5 minutes before adding chopped bell peppers into it. Once chicken and peppers are cooked, add chopped tomatoes and stir, then add the cream cheese. Once the sauce is cooked add the spaghetti with a small amount of pasta water into the sauce. Cook the spaghetti on a low temperature for about a minute and your pasta is all done!
Summary
Under current circumstances it's especially important to take care of your health and it all starts with eating the right food. Nutritious food doesn't have to be plain and all about vegetables, you can experiment with different ingredients and make delicious meals to spice up your life at home. You can make nutritious snacks and eat them while watching Netflix or taking a break from studying!
