THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRIENT ABSORPTION WITH A PLANT-BASED DIET
August 13 2024 – Delikate Rayne
It is great to eat a plant-based, vegan diet! However, it is important to know how to utilize your foods together in order to create the most beneficial and nutritional meal for you. One of the ways you can ensure you are having a nutritional diet is by having food pairings that can increase your nutrient absorption. Nutritional absorption refers to the process of taking nutrients from the digestive system into the blood stream so they can be used within the body. Without an efficient way to absorb nutrients in the body, our bodies will not be able to function properly, which can leave us susceptible to deficiencies and disease. It is a crucial part of our health as well as maintaining health.
Food combining is one of the ways to healthy translate nutrition absorption. What is it?
Food Combining is the idea that certain foods pair well together and others do not or are not as beneficial. Certain foods do intend work well together for the concept of nutrient absorption or enhancing the nutritional profiles. Here are some common and effective food combinations to optimize a plant-based vegan diet:
- Rice and Beans:
Through combining legumes or beans with rice, you are getting amino acids that are needed to produce a complete protein.
- Turmeric and Black Pepper:
Turmeric is full of the antioxidant curcumin which enhances its yellow hue. This
antioxidant has also been scientifically linked to benefiting the body.
- Green and Healthy Fats:
Foods such as kale, spinach, broccoli, romaine peppers, celery, asparagus, cucumber, zucchini and more are all examples of nutritionally dense, lower calorie and disease-fighting sources. Fats like avocados, olives, coconut, nuts and seeds can help act like a sponge. They can provide extra vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
- Mushrooms:
Mushrooms can be a dense source of plant-based Vitamin D. Vitamin D can be one of the most fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin D is such an important vitamin within a diet. It helps to prevent depression and colon cancer, but also can prevent bone disease such as osteoporosis.
- Oatmeal and water:
Oatmeal itself is full of the fiber known as beta-glucan. This fiber has been known to reduce cholesterol and oats themselves are a great source of plant-based protein compared to other grains.
- Green Tea and Lemon:
The vitamin C in lemon can increase the number of catechins of green tea that are
available for absorption. Catechins is what gives green tea its numerous health benefits.
- Tomatoes and Olive Oil:
When tomatoes are cooked, they have the highest source of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce blood pressure.
- Kombu and Dried Beans:
Kombu is a sea vegetable that is full of vitamins and a great source of iodine. It is
intended to help break down the raffinose sugars that might cause gas within the body. In addition to having examples of foods, there are also common combinations that you can go by when choosing what to eat.
For example:
- Greens, grains, beans, healthy fats
- Greens, root vegetables, healthy fats
- Berries, greens, grains, healthy fats
- Legumes, greens, healthy fats
- Greens, seeds, fruits
- Greens, nuts, fruits
- Greens, veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds
- Greens, veggies, beans/legumes, healthy fats
- Greens, veggies, grains, healthy fats
Food combining for optimal nutrition absorption is incredibly important and beneficial to improving and maintaining your health. Nutrition absorption is necessary to be healthy. It is a great way to ensure you can prevent diseases, cancers, and deficiencies and more. However, as always though, before making any additions or changes to your diet, you should speak to a registered dietician or nutritionist to ensure that this is the best step for you.
Sources:
Words by: Erica Benton
Stephanie Mantilla. Vegan Food Combining: Healthy Plant-Based Combinations for Vegans, Plant Prosperous
Heather McClees. Nutrient Pairings That Improve Your Health, Plant Prosperous,
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