SPORTS MEDICINEÂ NEWSÂ & REVIEW:
By Columnist Kylie Edwards – Personal Trainer, Sports Medicine Practitioner and Running Coach:
Photo credit: 2016-01-21 – SO Pesto Soup w Gnocchi – 0003 via photopin (license)
In order to optimise your life and health, consider strengthening your immune system. This can be done with minimal effort by looking directly at the foods that you eat, and then selecting easy to digest options that will reboot your system. Let’s look at these now…
Soups for Detox
When you introduce wholesome and easily digestible soups to your nutritional plan you naturally nourish the body and also give it time to repair and restore the disease fighting immune system. Soups make the nutrients naturally in foods active and easy to digest and absorb, and they are satisfying without leaving you feeling over-full or deprived.
Processed foods, preservatives, sugars, chemical additives and stimulants all take their toll on your digestive system and detoxification organs. As soups are so easy to digest this gives organs like the liver and kidneys a little time-off and therefore it is easier for them to process and dispose of toxins, rather than all of their energy being deployed to digest complex meals. When the body has this time to self-repair the digestive system and reboot glands, you can function optimally without the aches, pains, and the dreaded mid-afternoon slump so you rely on stimulants to get you through the day.
Fruit for Detoxifying
Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates and fatty acids. It also has the highest water content or any food, comprising 80-90% water and it requires less energy to be digested than any other food. All of these properties make it an ideal component of any detox or weight loss program. Foods that are less concentrated spend less time in the stomach. When the body doesn’t waste energy digesting more complex foods, such as bacon and egg breakfasts, it can be redirected to cleanse and detox the body.
For this reason fruits should always be eaten alone, otherwise their passage through the stomach will be slowed and the beneficial effects for a fast digesting food lost. It’s also important for you to consider any medical conditions that you may have before you eat fruit. For instance, if you’re a diabetic, then it’s important that you ask for medical advice before you consider a fruit detox. Otherwise you may find that the natural sugars are too much for you to digest.
Nutrient Rich Dinners
Dinners are just as important as every other meal and need to be nutrient rich. It is the last meal of the day as you prepare for sleep where the body will repair, regenerate and detoxify. So it’s vital for you to consume vital nutrients that support these processes without taxing the digestive system. This will allow you to have a deep and restful sleep and for the body to repair itself effectively and efficiently.
Once again soups that are warm and nutrient rich, which have a vegetable base are ideal. These types of dishes are easy to digest and are ideal for dinner.
About Our Sports Medicine News and Review Columnist
