#31: Why Nutrient Density Matters - Appetite, Hormones, Obesity, Disease (Part 1 of 2)

Short Summary
This is episode 31 and it's all about nutrient density. Not only will we discuss what nutrient density means and why you should care, we'll also elaborate on our modern diet and what the consequences are. What’s changed in the last hundred years, and what does that mean for our health and happiness? Take a listen to find out!!

For professional Inquiries contact - Jessica Dogert, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist jessdogert@gmail.com; or Marisa Moon, Certified Primal Health Coach marisa@marisamoon.com

Disclaimer: Consult with your doctor or functional medicine practitioner before trying any of the remedies or protocols mentioned in this episode. Jessica Dogert and Marisa Moon are not physicians or medical practitioners. This information and recording is for informational and educational purposes only.

Points of Discussion:
80% of the “food” found in grocery stores today did not exist 100 years ago
90% of food advertisements are for processed foods or alcohol
Just because it's edible doesn't mean it's "food"
- A source of naturally occurring nourishment
Nutrient Density 101
- Micronutrients vs Macronutrients or "Macros"
- More than 1/2 of Americans are deficient in essential vitamins and minerals
- Is a nutrient-poor diet to blame for obesity?
Hormonal Responses to Food
- Undernourishment increases appetite because brain signals hunger
- Insulin: a fat storage hormone that helps get sugar from our blood into our cells
- Leptin: a hormone that suppresses hunger and boosts fat burning
- Ghrelin: a hormone that stimulates hunger
Traditional hunter-gatherer societies ate as many as 100 different species of plants
- The average American now eats only 8-10 different plants
- Modern diet misses nutrients from nose to tail
- Modern farming depletes food nutrients
- Water processing removes magnesium and calcium
- Modern Crops further degrade nutrients
- Grain-based diet replaces nutrient-dense foods
- Multi-vitamins or Supplementation can't replace food nutrients

Honorable Mention
Are multivitamins worth the hype? “While supplements can (and should) be used for therapeutic effect in specific health conditions, or used to replace certain nutrients that are difficult to obtain from food, they should never be used to replace nutrients that can be found in a nutrient-dense diet.” - Author of the Perfect Health Diet, Paul Jaminet

Takeaway: The secret to gaining the full benefits of fruit and vegetables in our diet is DIVERSITY: Red, Green, Blue, Purple, White; Fermented, Raw, Cooked, and Pickled. And we’re not just talking about plants here. We need a variety of animal food sources like shellfish, including oysters and mussels, grass-fed beef and grass-fed butter, fish eggs, pasture-chicken eggs; these foods provide vitamins and minerals that we cannot get from other food sources. Our health depends on the variety!

What does all of this mean for us today? We’ve gotta get back to the kitchen. Care about whole foods, and spend the time and money it takes to bring it into our homes and into our lives.

Next episode we tell you the most nutrient dense foods and where to spend your food dollars for the most satisfying diet!

Send us a Facebook message to start the conversation. You can find us at The Foundation of Wellness Podcast on both Facebook and Instagram (links below).

Jessica's site: https://www.jessicadogert.com
Marisa's site: https://www.marisamoon.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoundationofWellnessPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundationofwellness_podcast/

Intro/Exit Music - "Ukulele Whistle" by Scott Holmes