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What To Eat Daily To Create Healthy Cells?


Have you just woken up to the fact how processed foods and many other things that you have eaten all your life aren't as healthy as you once thought and now are staring at an empty fridge with no idea what to put there?


You have come to the right place. I have compiled the information you need to build healthy cells and support your optimal wellbeing while providing sources and benefits of each nutrient so you don’t get stuck with fancy terms and empty shopping list.




I have created a nutrient chart to show you what evidence-based healthy diet with the optimal amounts of micro- and macronutrients looks like on your plate.

It might be quite shocking once you see how long the list of essential daily nutrients is, but once you learn to combine foods effectively, you can hit all the boxes just from one meal.


All nutrients are divided in two categories:

  1. Macronutrients (Carbs, Protein & Fats)

  2. Micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals, & Phytonutrients)


Daily Macronutrient Chart

*RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance for Adults between 18-50 years.




Daily Micronutrient Chart


*The nutrients with highlighted are the ones with most common deficiencies.


There are obviously more foods that fall into each category but I’ve picked the foods that have the overall most health benefits. Meat products such as liver often has a high amount of nutrients, but also a high amount of toxins so I have not added them in the list.


Phytonutrients


Phytonutrients are naturally occurring plant chemicals that can have protective qualities for human health such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.


The difference between antioxidants and phytochemicals is that anti-oxidants only protect our body from oxidation but phytonutrients can have various other functions as well such as enhance immunity and repair DNA damage from toxin exposure.


Phytonutrient-rich foods include colorful fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, tea, whole grains and spices. There are thousands of phytonutrients found in plants and science is still working on identifying more and studying the benefits. There is still a lot we don't know about our food! Some of the most known phytonutrients are:


  • Carotenoids (pumpkins, carrots, spinach, kale, tomatoes, oranges, yams)

  • Resveratrol (peanuts, pistachios, strawberries, blueberries, dark chocolate)

  • Flavonoids (green tea, apples, onions, coffee, grapefruits, legumes, ginger)

  • Phytoestrogens (soy, broccoli, oranges, carrots, coffee, legumes)

  • Glucosinolates (cruciferous vegetables)

  • Ellagic acid (strawberries, blackberries, grapes, pomegranates, walnuts, pecans)


Anti-ageing Antioxidants


If you are at all like me just a while ago, you have heard your whole life that we should eat antioxidants, have some kind of idea where to get them, but actually have no clue what they do in our body. Let me explain:


The chlorophyll in the plants harnesses the energy of the sun and transfers it to electrons. When we eat plants, these highly charged electrons (carbs, protein & fat) are delivered to our cells as a source of energy.


Once their energy is used up, enters the stage oxygen molecule that takes up these electrons.This happens when things go as planned.


But sometimes, 1-2% of these oxygen molecules are just a little too enthusiastic and they manage to get a hold of the electron while its still charged. This creates a superoxide, type of free radical that starts wreaking havoc in our cells.


So how can we stop these out of control radicals from damaging our cells?

With Anti-oxidants!


Antioxidants are the law & order on our cellular level and they know how to calm these radicals and neutralize the superoxides without damage being done. So if you want to preserve your precious cells and slow down ageing, you want to make sure your diet is filled with antioxidants.


TIP: In most cases, the more colorful the veggies and fruits are, the more they have anti-oxidants!




Anti-inflammatory foods


While people are learning that one of the best ways to reduce inflammation is not amping up the tylenols but changing the diet, the anti-inflammatory diet has become increasingly popular. It's quite self-explanatory: Emphasizing foods that reduce inflammation and leaving out those which aggravate it.





Fiber


Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest. It's essential for our health because of its effects on digestion and removing toxins. High fiber intake also reduces the risk of breast & colon cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Increasing evidence also shows that it may protect our brain and prevent strokes. Shocking amount of 97% of population in the US don't meet their minimum daily requirements of 25-30 grams per day.




Probiotics and Prebiotics


Probiotics are often called good bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy and are therefore important for our diet. Prebiotics are types of dietary fiber that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. So for optimal wellbeing, we need both.





Essential Amino Acids


Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are compounds that play many critical roles in your body. Our bodies needs 20 different amino acids to grow and function properly. Although all 20 are important for your health, only nine amino acids are essential because our body can’t produce them and we need to get them from our diet.


Complete sources mean that these foods contain all 9 essential amino acids, and incomplete means that they contain a variety of amino acids, but not all of them. For example, rice alone doesn’t contain all the amino acids but when paired with beans, they become a complete source that includes all of them.




Adaptogens, Medicinal Mushrooms and Healing Herbs


These are all latest trends in the western health scene but have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for ages. Especially using herbs as medicine is an essential part of ancient medicine systems and its definitely worth looking into. Although extensive scientific proof from the healing benefits of adaptogens has not yet been collected in the west yet, the results look promising. Here is a list of my favourite herbs and plant medicines that I use and I believe to be effective.




Now that I have overwhelmed you with all this information, here is a Daily checklist inspired by Dr. Greger that pretty much sums it all up. As long as you can check all the boxes from this DAILY CHECKLIST you will get all necessary micro- and macronutrients you need.




Learning what our body needs to have optimal function is an important step towards healthy diet. It's good to keep in mind how other factors such as medical conditions, pregnancy, digestion and food preparation may affect our absorption and need for nutrients.


It is a lot to take in at first, but you will learn to find balance over time. Eating healthy is skill like any other and it takes time to perfect it. Meanwhile, I recommend to save these lists to find inspiration for your next shopping list.


Step by step, you will learn to combine delicious, nutritious and healthy foods that will significantly increase your vitality, happiness and add more healthy years in your life.


Read also: A Holistic Guide to Healthy Eating


Disclaimer: I am not a Medical Professional and you should always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet if you are suffering from a medical condition. If you do decide to use the diet as an ease to your disease its a great idea, but needs to be done together with a MD who can check on your progress on the way and change your medication as needed.