Are you Deficient in Micronutrients?
It’s all about the micronutrients, apparently! Did you know that if your body is deficient in micronutrients it leads to chronic overeating! One of the biggest driving forces of our hunger is to seek out and ingest key micronutrients that enable the function of every cell and organ in our bodies. For example: Zinc is needed for DNA synthesis and immune function; iron is needed to build our blood; potassium is needed to maintain proper fluid balance and muscle function.
If we are deficient in these key micronutrients this can trigger increased appetite as a primal mechanism to seek out these nutrients to help us survive. Though our body is calling out for nutrient-rich food, in today’s world we typically head for the fridge, or cupboard, or fast food place and grab any number of highly processed foods that are actually devoid of the nutrients we really need. We get some calories and substance into our bellies, but our appetite will continue to rage on over and over again until we give our bodies the micronutrients it really needs.
It gets worse! Without micronutrients, macronutrients can’t even do their jobs properly either! And as far as fat loss goes, micronutrients need to be present for fat-burning enzymes to unlock fat stores and get rid of them for good.
So, how do you make sure your body gets all the micronutrients it needs?
The whole story is obviously a bit more complicated than just eating the right fruit, but why not start simple and work up to it? So, here are a couple of the most micronutrient-dense fruits that favourably support your genes and positively influence your hormones.
Blueberries
The unsung hero of many smoothies and fruit salads, these little berries are a powerhouse source of the micronutrients: vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. Also blueberry intake can potentially affect genes related to fat burning and the flavonoids found in blueberries are against weight gain. As an added bonus it has also been discovered that having a serving of blueberries (and/or strawberries) 3 times per week can reduce your risk of having a heart attack by 34 percent! If it’s good for fat loss it’s probably good for you heart too!
A study published it The Journal of Nutrition showed that the consumption of blueberries was also able to reduce insulin resistance, which helps to prevent diabetes. A consistent sign of insulin resistance is carrying more body fat around the midsection, so anything we can do to improve insulin sensitivity is going to be a welcome friend for our waistline.
Fresh or frozen organic blueberries are a great choice, and wild harvested blueberries are even better as they have a higher level of micronutrients. They are a great snack to grab, and definitely a great ingredient to add fibre and powerhouse antioxidants to a smoothie.
Cherries
Although cherries are associated with desserts and cocktails, I don’t know if a lot of people actually eat fresh cherries – maybe because they don’t know how remarkable they are!
According to data published the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutritition, micronutrients called anthocyanins found in cherries have the potential to literally shrink fat cells! The same researchers also noted that these same anthocyanins are able to reduce inflammation.
Both sweet cherries and tart cherries carry similar benefits, but tart cherries also have antiangiogenesis effects that actually help cut off the blood supply to fat cells.
So, there you have it! An apple a day might keep the Doctor away, but a half-cup of blueberries a day are good for the heart, help keep your fat genes at bay and help prevent diabetes! Add a dose of cherries on top and you will reduce the aches and pains and help shrink the fat cells that are already there! Not only that but you’ll get a thinner waist too!
Now, that is berry good news!