In his new book, The Food Doctor, Ian Marber explores not just individual superfoods but super-eating. He believes we can maximise the value of nutrients in foods by understanding how they work together. Here he explains how, by improving diet, we can increase our energy levels - something we may all feel need a boost at the beginning of a new year.
In today's pressurised environment, feeling unusually tired is an accepted part of life for many people. But I am confident that improving diet can make a big difference.
We eat for a variety of reasons, ranging from hunger to social conditioning. Simple hunger is a signal that we need fuel to make energy. Therefore, all eating is actually done to create energy and help in the repair and renewal of the body.
All nutrients are required to make energy but the process of making the sort of energy that we think we need for things such as moving and running is done in the cells, and in this process some nutrients have a more pivotal role than others.
There are few, if any, minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fats that are not used in creating energy. What we eat and drink is broken down by the digestive system; nutrients and glucose are released and then filtered through membranes into the bloodstream before entering the cells in various forms.
It's not just glucose that is required but also substances such as amino acids and fats. Glucose comes mainly from carbohydrates, while amino acids are found in protein and, lastly, fats are used, too. All food is broken down in the digestive system and the end-products are separated into their constituent parts for delivery into a 'power station' or Krebs Cycle, a series of chemical reactions in which the body's cells metabolise glucose for energy.
There occurs a complex and intricate process in which pyruvic acid, glucose, amino acids and the end product of fats are oxidised and converted into adenosine 5 - otherwise known as triphosphate, or ATP. This is the form of energy that powers most of the bodily functions. Some foods work especially well together and it is in these combinations that we can really make what we eat work so much more effectively for us.
Nutrition is often full of negative messages, and the positive approach of Supereating is a refreshing change. The traditional message of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, essential fats, fibre and water still stands.
However, it seems like a natural progression to ask if some fruit or vegetables are more effective than others and as we eat foods in combinations then how do those foods and the nutrients they contain interact?
For example, if you eat cashew nuts, then you could maximise your uptake of Vitamin K by eating them with a probiotic food. This could mean having miso soup alongside your chicken and cashew nuts or a spoonful of plain yogurt if you were having nuts as a snack.
Nutrients and their role
PROBIOTICS help the creation of B vitamins from other foods but also make a small amount themselves. They also help release magnesium from food.
Foods to go for: Sauerkraut, yogurt and miso. Other foods containing probiotics include tomatoes, onions, garlic and bananas for the oligosaccharides, or simple sugars.
MAGNESIUM acts as a glucose carrier, transporting it to the cells where it is absorbed ready for conversion to pyruvic acid and on to the Krebs Cycle.
Foods to go for: Oat bran, brown rice, quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, whole grains, nuts, lentils and dark green leafy vegetables.
CHROMIUM makes insulin more potent.
Foods to go for: Liver, poultry, shellfish, broccoli, whole grains, pulses and spices, grape juice.
VITAMIN B1 has a direct role in the conversion of glucose into pyruvic acid, as well as in the creation of
ATP in the Krebs Cycle. It is also used to turn fats into pyruvic acid, thus helping in the process of creating energy from the fat we eat.
Foods to go for: Whole grains, lentils and beans provide reasonable amounts of Vitamin B1, but the highest levels can be found in wheatgerm, sunflower seeds and lean pork.
VITAMIN B2, like B1, helps in the creation of pyruvic acid and is used to convert fats into ATP as well as in the Krebs Cycle. B2 is also required to move electrons around, so that energy is released from the cycle.
Foods to go for: Dairy, particularly yogurt; eggs; fish, especially trout and tuna; broccoli, spinach and avocados; red meat and dark chicken meat; grains, particularly oat bran, wheatgerm, quinoa and rye.
VITAMIN B3 is required in the Krebs Cycle in addition to helping in the process of fats becoming pyruvic acid. Lastly, it is required to help carry electrons out of the Krebs Cycle, which is the last stage of creating ATP.
Foods to go for: High-protein foods, such as poultry, fish, red meat and liver; chestnut mushrooms; foods high in tryptophan will help boost niacin levels, so dairy and eggs would be good choices.
VITAMIN C is an essential part of the creation of ATP in the Krebs Cycle and also in the last stage of energy release, called the electron transfer chain.
Foods to go for: All fresh fruit and vegetables but particularly good sources include acerola cherries, all citrus fruits, cantaloupe melons, pineapples, blackcurrants, strawberries, peppers, potatoes and dark green leafy vegetables such as kale.
BIOTIN helps amino acids in proteins become pyruvic acid and also in getting into the Krebs Cycle. It is also required in the breakdown of fats into energy.
Foods to go for: Offal (particularly liver); fish, egg yolk and soya products; nuts (notably hazelnuts); Swiss chard, sweet potato, tomatoes, carrots and avocado.
A day's supereating
Mixed grain porridge with soya or skimmed milk, topped with flaked almonds and chopped strawberries.
A fruit salad of oranges, grapefruit and cherries.
Grilled fresh tuna or tinned tuna with salad leaves, peppers, carrots and tomatoes, with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing.
Hard-boiled egg, chopped and made into a paste with plain yogurt, avocado and black pepper, spread on oatcakes.
Stir-fry of chard, kale, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and peppers, mixed with quinoa and served with either grilled calves' liver, steak or lamb fillet.
Release the energy within
Blueberries: Rich in antioxidants, eat with some fat such as plain yogurt or a few nuts to help the absorption of Vitamin E.
Prawns: A good source of antioxidants. Have with a vegetable rich in Vitamin C to help iron absorption.
Pine nuts: Add to avocado to assist copper release. Rich in antioxidants.
Beetroot: Contains manganese, which works well with iron, as does Vitamin C.
Chicken: Full of antioxidants and protein. Eat with edamame beans or mushrooms to enhance absorption of phosphorus into the bones.
Apples: Low in fructose and high in Vitamin C, so useful for iron absorption.
Broccoli: Requires a fat eaten alongside to maximise use of Vitamins A and K. Plain yogurt will work well.
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In today's pressurised environment, feeling unusually tired is an accepted part of life for many people. But I am confident that improving diet can make a big difference.
We eat for a variety of reasons, ranging from hunger to social conditioning. Simple hunger is a signal that we need fuel to make energy. Therefore, all eating is actually done to create energy and help in the repair and renewal of the body.
All nutrients are required to make energy but the process of making the sort of energy that we think we need for things such as moving and running is done in the cells, and in this process some nutrients have a more pivotal role than others. There are few, if any, minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fats that are not used in creating energy. What we eat and drink is broken down by the digestive system; nutrients and glucose are released and then filtered through membranes into the bloodstream before entering the cells in various forms.
It's not just glucose that is required but also substances such as amino acids and fats. Glucose comes mainly from carbohydrates, while amino acids are found in protein and, lastly, fats are used, too. All food is broken down in the digestive system and the end-products are separated into their constituent parts for delivery into a 'power station' or Krebs Cycle, a series of chemical reactions in which the body's cells metabolise glucose for energy.
There occurs a complex and intricate process in which pyruvic acid, glucose, amino acids and the end product of fats are oxidised and converted into adenosine 5 - otherwise known as triphosphate, or ATP. This is the form of energy that powers most of the bodily functions. Some foods work especially well together and it is in these combinations that we can really make what we eat work so much more effectively for us.
Nutrition is often full of negative messages, and the positive approach of Supereating is a refreshing change. The traditional message of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, essential fats, fibre and water still stands.
However, it seems like a natural progression to ask if some fruit or vegetables are more effective than others and as we eat foods in combinations then how do those foods and the nutrients they contain interact?
For example, if you eat cashew nuts, then you could maximise your uptake of Vitamin K by eating them with a probiotic food. This could mean having miso soup alongside your chicken and cashew nuts or a spoonful of plain yogurt if you were having nuts as a snack.
Nutrients and their role
PROBIOTICS help the creation of B vitamins from other foods but also make a small amount themselves. They also help release magnesium from food.
Foods to go for: Sauerkraut, yogurt and miso. Other foods containing probiotics include tomatoes, onions, garlic and bananas for the oligosaccharides, or simple sugars.
MAGNESIUM acts as a glucose carrier, transporting it to the cells where it is absorbed ready for conversion to pyruvic acid and on to the Krebs Cycle.
Foods to go for: Oat bran, brown rice, quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, whole grains, nuts, lentils and dark green leafy vegetables.
CHROMIUM makes insulin more potent.
Foods to go for: Liver, poultry, shellfish, broccoli, whole grains, pulses and spices, grape juice.
VITAMIN B1 has a direct role in the conversion of glucose into pyruvic acid, as well as in the creation of
ATP in the Krebs Cycle. It is also used to turn fats into pyruvic acid, thus helping in the process of creating energy from the fat we eat.
Foods to go for: Whole grains, lentils and beans provide reasonable amounts of Vitamin B1, but the highest levels can be found in wheatgerm, sunflower seeds and lean pork.
VITAMIN B2, like B1, helps in the creation of pyruvic acid and is used to convert fats into ATP as well as in the Krebs Cycle. B2 is also required to move electrons around, so that energy is released from the cycle.
Foods to go for: Dairy, particularly yogurt; eggs; fish, especially trout and tuna; broccoli, spinach and avocados; red meat and dark chicken meat; grains, particularly oat bran, wheatgerm, quinoa and rye.
VITAMIN B3 is required in the Krebs Cycle in addition to helping in the process of fats becoming pyruvic acid. Lastly, it is required to help carry electrons out of the Krebs Cycle, which is the last stage of creating ATP.
Foods to go for: High-protein foods, such as poultry, fish, red meat and liver; chestnut mushrooms; foods high in tryptophan will help boost niacin levels, so dairy and eggs would be good choices.
VITAMIN C is an essential part of the creation of ATP in the Krebs Cycle and also in the last stage of energy release, called the electron transfer chain.
Foods to go for: All fresh fruit and vegetables but particularly good sources include acerola cherries, all citrus fruits, cantaloupe melons, pineapples, blackcurrants, strawberries, peppers, potatoes and dark green leafy vegetables such as kale.
BIOTIN helps amino acids in proteins become pyruvic acid and also in getting into the Krebs Cycle. It is also required in the breakdown of fats into energy.
Foods to go for: Offal (particularly liver); fish, egg yolk and soya products; nuts (notably hazelnuts); Swiss chard, sweet potato, tomatoes, carrots and avocado.
A day's supereating
Mixed grain porridge with soya or skimmed milk, topped with flaked almonds and chopped strawberries.
A fruit salad of oranges, grapefruit and cherries.
Grilled fresh tuna or tinned tuna with salad leaves, peppers, carrots and tomatoes, with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing.
Hard-boiled egg, chopped and made into a paste with plain yogurt, avocado and black pepper, spread on oatcakes.
Stir-fry of chard, kale, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and peppers, mixed with quinoa and served with either grilled calves' liver, steak or lamb fillet.
Release the energy withinBlueberries: Rich in antioxidants, eat with some fat such as plain yogurt or a few nuts to help the absorption of Vitamin E.
Prawns: A good source of antioxidants. Have with a vegetable rich in Vitamin C to help iron absorption.
Pine nuts: Add to avocado to assist copper release. Rich in antioxidants.
Beetroot: Contains manganese, which works well with iron, as does Vitamin C.
Chicken: Full of antioxidants and protein. Eat with edamame beans or mushrooms to enhance absorption of phosphorus into the bones.
Apples: Low in fructose and high in Vitamin C, so useful for iron absorption.
Broccoli: Requires a fat eaten alongside to maximise use of Vitamins A and K. Plain yogurt will work well.
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