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Lets talk about how to cook foods for the best nutrient absorption. Cooking fresh foods is at the top of the list. The importance of chewing food should not be overlooked either. Chewing food thoroughly can also increase nutrient absorption.

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6) CAREFUL HOW YOU COOK
Depending on cooking and preparation methods, the nutrient content of food can vary greatly. Some cooking procedures can dramatically reduce vitamins and minerals and destroy proteins, robbing you of what you could be getting in your diet. Sometimes we don’t even realize it.

The good news is that the best ways to keep foods low in fat are also the best for maintaining nutrient content. The bad news is that any cooking destroys some nutrients. That’s what we would like to minimize.

Actually, the breakdown of many foods begins long before we get our hands on them. Directly after harvest, fruits and vegetables go downhill in Vitamin C and some B vitamins. That’s what makes freshness so important.

Don’t let foods sit around on the counter or even in the refrigerator very long.

Try to avoid precutting fruits or vegetables since this leads to dehydration and nutrient breakdown.

Don’t overcook foods. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures destroys vitamins and protein (not to mention flavor). Cook vegetables until they soften a bit, but are still colorful and crispy. Steaming, stir-frying (with a minuscule amount of fat) and microwaving are best. If you boil vegetables, use a minimum of water to avoid burning or sticking, use preheated water and cover tightly. (Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are the exception; they should remain uncovered to allow bitter-tasting sulfur to escape.)

The same goes for meats, poultry and fish. Broiling, grilling and stir-frying preserve more nutrients than do roasting and baking. Cook all foods as close to serving time as possible.

7) CHEW, CHEW, CHEW
This may sound like a real no-brainer, or at least something we all take for granted, but chewing is the first and arguably the most important phase of food breakdown for digestion. The fact is that most of us eat way too fast and don’t chew our food nearly well enough.

Most of the mechanical breakdown of food is accomplished during chewing, which increases the surface area of the food so that digestive acids and enzymes can work efficiently. Chewing also mixes foods well with saliva, which contains amylase, the enzyme that begins carbohydrate digestion.

Inadequate chewing allows large clumps of food to be forced into the digestive tract, reducing digestive efficiency, leading to indigestion, flatulence (gas) and bloating as intestinal bacteria work overtime trying to digest food particles that should have been broken down earlier. This can mean less efficient absorption of the food and a decrease in nutrient absorption.

Try to eat your meals in a relaxed atmosphere, take smaller mouthfuls and chew. Sounds simple, but most bodybuilders overlook this most important step!

How to cook foods to gain the best nutrient absorption is an excellent tip for bodybuilders and weightlifters alike. However, chewing food thoroughly is so basic it is commonly neglected. To get the most from your bodybuilding diet, apply both of these tips on ways to increase nutrient absorption.

Author: Rex Grogan
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