At Yutopia we take YU on a journey to help you achieve optimal health and vitality. A crucial part of said journey is a specially curated dietary regimen. At a time when the quality of food has changed considerably due to the depletion of nutrients in the soil ( certain nutrients which are an essential part of plants, for instance, have been reduced between27-42%), it is more important than ever to pay heed to what you’re consuming.
Consider daily staples like fruits and vegetables. Their constituent nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin, and Vitamin C were reduced by an average of 22% compared to the nutrient profiles of the fruits and vegetables that our grandparents consumed.
In addition, most of the fruits and vegetables in Dubai are picked before they even have a chance to fully ripen. This will add to a further reduction in nutrients.
At the same time, our physiology and anatomy haven't changed much when compared to our grand parents. This means we still need the same nutrients and vitamins for our bodies to function and flourish! How can we achieve that here in Dubai where eating out is a cornerstone of our culture?
At Yutopia we focus on nutridense diets, which include a very limited amount of processed or refined food. In other words, we focus on foods that are packed with a high content of the vitamins, micro nutrients, and amino acids that are needed by our bodies to thrive. This abundance, according to the National Institute of Health and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, is called nutrient density and it is measured in proportion to corresponding calories. This means it is usually not based on calorie counting, but on the nutrient density of the foods.
Why is nutrient density important?
When we evaluate a diet based on its nutrient content and its overall food quality, we are removing any doubts that might be there because of the constant changes in nutrition “trends”. In fact, a breakthrough 2018 study was done to identify which diet was better for weight loss: “a healthy low-carb diet or a healthy low-fat one?” As expected, the results showed that both of these high-quality, nutrient-dense diets led to weight loss with no major differences between the participants. This study showed that macronutrient content didn’t matter as much when the diet consists of nutrient-dense foods.
Another simple way to look at nutrient density is in terms of the amount of nutrients you’d get per calorie consumed: 600calories worth of fast food, for instance, is obviously different from 600calories of kale.
One of the biggest advantages to following a nutrient-dense diet is that you don’t have to follow fad diets or low-calorie diets to maintain a healthy weight. There is no need to cut out any particular food groups. You just have to focus on eating whole foods and minimizing the intake of processed foods. Nutrient dense foods, after all, aren’t necessarily high in calories.
Here are some examples of foods with the highest nutrient density:
• Organ meats
• Nuts and seeds
• Wild fish and seafood
• Grass-fed beef, lamb, or goat meat
• Organic eggs and dairy
• Spices (Tip: some blends of spices contain chemicals and taste enhancers. Choose plain ,preferably organic, spices or read ingredients on the blend of spices.)
•Homemade bone broth
• Seaweed
• Green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, swiss chard, etc.
• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli ,cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts
• Some vegetables like asparagus, bell peppers, beetroot, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, radish, and avocado
• Garlic, onions, cilantro, parsley, and other herbs
• Berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, goji, acai
One of the most comprehensive nutri-dense diets is the Nutrivore diet.
References:
Definition of nutrient-dense food - NCIDictionary of Cancer Terms - National Cancer Institute
Gardner CD, Trepanowski JF, Del Gobbo LC, etal. Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2018;319(7):667–679.doi:10.1001/jama.2018.0245
Mock K, Lateef S,Benedito VA, Tou JC. High-fructose corn syrup-55consumption alters hepatic lipid metabolism and promotes triglyceride accumulation. J Nutr Biochem. 2017 Jan;39:32-39. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2016.09.010. Epub 2016 Sep 30. PMID: 27768909
