Functional Eating

So I was looking at which meal to get at a restaurant? One was a delcious burger, with bread, American cheese, BBQ sauce, bacon. That with fries, I mean you will never go wrong! Or, there was this delicous bowl with steak, quinoa, avacado, charred onions, bacon and jalapeno. Tough decision to make. Same price, simliar calories, both with protein. So how do you decide?

In a situation like this, I always ask myself, what is going to set up tomorrow for me? This is how I define functional eating. What can I eat today to make tomorrow better? What can I eat today to set up my exercise tomorrow morning.

When you eat foods heavy in inflammatory properties, your body will expend energy and time attempting to block or fight these. This can occur in your digestive track and organs (liver, kidney). While not only creating extra work for these parts of your body, but it also gives your body less time to process the beneficial parts of these foods.

So what are some examples of inflammatory foods? Refined carbs (rolls, breads, pastries), fried foods (French fries, mozzarella sticks), sugary beverages (soda), processed meat, excess of red meat and margarine/lard. These foods CAN lead to type 2 diabetes, weight gain and heart disease.

Now I am not saying to never eat that burger, just understand what you eat, so you know it will affect you. Both will cure your hunger, however one will elevate your body!