How To Eat For Optimal Energy

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your energy level?  If it's somewhere between "I'm-Alive-Because-I-Have-a-Pulse" and "I-Caffeinate-to-Feel-Normal," then read on!

In our prior blog post, I told you that not all calories are equal...that it's not just what we eat that counts, but what we are able to use from what we eat. In order to feel better, lose weight, or heal a failing digestive system, we must free up energy.  Simply eating a whole foods (unprocessed), plant-based diet provides us with an optimal energy level, but we can also deliver foods in a certain order based on how it digests in our bodies.

Speed is the name of the game here.  Imagine a Porsche Panomera (I know Brian does!), a Honda Odyssey minivan, and one of those horse-drawn carriages on the Plaza.  Now imagine a one-lane highway during rush hour. Who would you want going first...second...last...creating the most efficient traffic flow?  

Your goal for optimal energy is to get nutrients to absorb quickly and the rest of the food to pass through.  Eat the lightest food items first and finish with the heaviest food items.  Fruit and vegetables pass through the stomach quickly (20-40) minutes. Starches may take a few hours.  Proteins are the slowest moving.  (A steak can take 2-3 days.)  Therefore, for optimal energy, eat fruit first (preferably on an empty stomach), then veggies, and so on.  Contrary to our belief about eating a big breakfast laden with protein, this can actually dam up our digesti on and cause a traffic jam!  Our carnivore friends are advised to eat meat at the end of the day which also allows time (overnight) for the food to move out of our stomachs.