Human body
Welcome to an intriguing journey into the wonders of the human body. As we begin our quest for optimal health, we must first understand the inner workings of this phenomenal but complex living organism. For our bodies to function optimally, literally millions of chemical reactions must occur, in precisely the right sequence, or the system will fail. When fine-tuned, however, that system will allow you to live an active, healthy lifestyle.
Science has shown that each person has their very own unique body chemistry. And how their body uses protein, carbohydrates and fat from a nutrient portioning perspective (genetic) and from an environmental perspective (hormonal), determines how and if they burn fat, gain or lose muscle, and/or have poor or abundant energy, etc. Powerful hormones such as insulin, testosterone, estrogen, etc. all come into play here, and are impacted by the foods we eat and how much we eat.
Biochemistry and the individual
Although the term biochemistry can strike fear in many peoples’ hearts, often their eyes glaze over as they picture a guy in a lab coat at a chalkboard drawing up abstract and esoteric concepts. However, it’s really not that bad. In fact, this knowledge is so critical, that it would be difficult to truly understand real health, the impact of exercise, what you eat and drink toward your bodily systems, and how they are impacted from a disease, aging and body composition point-of-view without it.
Biochemistry is the study of chemical substances and vital processes occurring in living organisms. You are the living organism part of this equation and the chemical substances in our online platform will refer mainly to foods and supplements and their breakdown into their various components, all of which together affect our internal body chemistry. Individual people differ not only in their genetic makeup, but also in their metabolic efficiency and nutritional requirements. More and more nutrition scientists are warning us about the implications of choosing the wrong food base. One man’s food is another man’s poison.
Individual biochemistry
The way that your body is able to produce energy from macronutrients and there are only three: protein, carbohydrates and fat can be greatly different than someone else due to a number of metabolic and biochemical factors, such as your sensitivity or resistance level to the hormone insulin, for example. It was Dr. Roger Williams who first introduced the modern world to the concept of biochemical individuality. He believed that genetics and nutrition were connected, and that poor nutrition influenced gene expression in a negative way.
We feel he was absolutely right; Dr. Williams emphasized the importance of individuality as a crucial factor in nutrition, claiming that certain individuals must have special nutritional environments if they are to thrive.
Dr. Barry Sears, author of The Zone, describes food as a powerful drug, encouraging all of us to think of food not only as a source of calories, but as a control system for hormones. So, although we are all composed of the same elements and require many of the same essential nutrients for survival, each one of us will always exhibit a wide range of individual needs. This factor is further complicated by lifestyle, climate, stress, emotional state, mental health, exercise and environmental pollution. Knowing your individual body chemistry, regarding how it works and how it functions is invaluable information.
For more information on how our hormones work, please download whitepaper on Complexities of Hormones.