Approximately 60% of our bodies are made up of water. Yet, we are constantly losing some of this water volume, due to sweat, breathing, and urination. The consensus amongst different health organizations is that the average adult should consume about eight glasses of water per day. However, most adults do not get near the recommended amount. Souping may help correct this state of affairs.
To put it simply, souping is the act of drinking soup.
Many of us see souping as something that we do during the cold, winter months. We tend to see soup as a comfort food, and something that hits the spot on a cold, wet winter’s day. The ingredients used in soups are endless, with most families having their own ‘secret’ family recipe handed down from one generation to the next. Ingredients included may be different vegetables, pulses, grains, and a variety of proteins. Soups may be thick and chunky, pureed, or thin and strained. One thing they all have in common, though, is that they are often highly nutritious.
It is this nutritious aspect of soup that makes it a firm favorite with hospital administrations. More often than not, patients who have undergone major surgery may find their first few meals consist of soup. While they may not take too kindly to the idea of souping for a day or so, the alternative may not be something worse, like intravenous feeding to give the body the much-needed support it needs during the healing process.
Souping is gentle on the stomach and GI tract, and it is easy to digest. This gives your body the chance it needs to recuperate while receiving the nutrition it needs to keep up your health.
Souping is also great for someone who has had an indulgent weekend and is suffering the consequences. High in nutrition but low in calories, souping gives your body the time it needs to recuperate while helping you get rid of bloating. It may also be a great diet addition for those wishing to lose a few pounds.
Souping may be of great benefit to those who wish to lose weight. The greatest portion of any soup is the liquid component, which fills you up and helps you consume fewer calories. On the upside, it is filled with different vitamins and minerals that give your body the nutrition it needs for optimum health.
The secret of soup is that the water in the vegetables keeps your stomach feeling fuller for longer as your body works to break down the different nutrients. Souping gives your body the volume of food it needs to ‘fill up’ without the associated problem of consuming more calories than you actually need.
Besides being good for your diet, souping may also help to stabilize your blood sugar levels. This is especially true of soups that include fiber-rich vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats.
Souping can also help with your body’s detoxification process. This is especially true when your soup contains detoxifying vegetables such as garlic, onion, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, butternut squash, and carrots, for example.
When making soup, however, do not only focus on soups with an extremely low-calorie count. While it may certainly help you lose weight faster, too few calories, in the long run, may leave you feeling irritable, hungry, and ultimately compromise your health.
For a wonderful detoxing soup, try one that includes bok choy, celery, daikon, kale, broccoli, radish, and turmeric steeped in some bone broth. Not only is it tasty, but your metabolism will thank you. Do remember to add the seasoning of your choice.
You could also try this quick and easy vegetable soup.
For this soup you will need:
Studies show that dehydration results in myriad health conditions. Amongst these are included moodiness, impaired concentration, headaches, and numerous other aspects relating to brain function. Your physical performance and your endurance may also be compromised.
Research also shows that water consumption plays a role in weight loss and appetite. Water causes an increase in your body’s energy use, thus burning calories. In fact, drinking 68 ounces daily burns up 96 calories. Drinking water about 30 minutes before a meal helps curb your appetite, resulting in consuming less food. A study that was done specifically on dieters, for example, indicated that participants who combined adequate water consumption and a sensible diet had up to 40 percent more weight loss than those that did not increase their water intake.
But this is not all. An adequate water intake has a number of other health benefits. Drinking more water may:
Although water may not have any significant nutritional value, your entire body is dependent on water to function properly. Many of us, however, find drinking eight glasses of water a day difficult. There are other means to get an adequate water intake, however, such as eating fruits and vegetables that are high in water content. Souping is also a great alternative.
Metabolic syndrome, which is when your body’s entire metabolic process is in a state of dysbiosis, is, much like adrenal fatigue, to a large extent the result of lifestyle choices. In fact, metabolic syndrome and adrenal fatigue may go hand-in-hand, as a multitude of their symptoms correlates with each other.
One of the symptoms associated with a metabolic circuit that is not functioning correctly is weight gain. A diet high in processed foods, sugary snacks, and takeout causes your blood sugar levels to rise. In turn, your pancreas secretes insulin. This hormone brings your blood glucose levels back into a healthy range. In the case of those with a metabolic imbalance, however, increased cortisol levels cause a repeated pattern of blood sugar spikes resulting in insulin crashes. The ends result is a pancreas that needs to constantly increase its efforts to make more insulin to cope.
Over time, your body becomes less receptive to insulin and you may develop insulin resistance. This could ultimately lead to diabetes and other health conditions. Gaining weight is just one of these.
Insulin is responsible for allowing the body to turn glucose into fat, which is stored energy. While some of the blood sugar is turned into fat cells, some are stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. This may lead to certain problems.
Firstly, once your liver’s glycogen-storing capacity is reached, you could develop fatty liver which causes numerous health issues, such as a lack of energy and mood swings.
Secondly, it results in weight gain – which may be difficult to get rid of.
Thirdly, your liver and pancreas functions decline. As a result, other body organs are not able to function correctly, causing a decline in your entire body’s functionality.
Fourth, you may begin developing food cravings – usually for unhealthy foods that end up exacerbating the problem.
Making diet choices that keep your insulin levels under control is important to avoid this slippery slope. Souping is a good way to avoid insulin imbalances and keep your metabolic circuit on track.
Bioenergetics plays a huge role in the occurrence of adrenal fatigue and vise versa. It can be described as the chemical reactions that occur at a cellular level that keep your cells alive, growing, and dividing. These processes are either catabolic, where they get energy from nutrients, or anabolic, where new cells components are produced –usually by processes that need energy. The most important bioenergetic pathways in a human are:
When under stress, the body produces higher amounts of cortisol, and in the case of adrenal fatigue, this increased cortisol production goes on for a long period. Concurrent to this we often see an imbalance in hormone production, as well as an increase in blood sugar levels and often, accompanying weight gain. The increased cortisol production is a direct, natural response to stress. As your body goes through the different stages of adrenal fatigue, your body’s metabolic processes are affected, which in turn creates even more stress. This result is a cycle that is not easily broken unless concrete measures are taken to do so.
Maintaining these processes through good diet choices, like eating healthy soups on a regular basis, can go a long way towards protecting your health.
We have briefly touched on certain of the health benefits of souping. Let’s quickly do a recap and connect it with adrenal fatigue.
The nutrients derived from the vegetables in soup may help with adrenal support, while the fact that soup is easy on the metabolism makes it a great option for those with any form of metabolic dysfunction. Many vegetables also possess antioxidant properties. The water in soup, together with the fiber, may help with the detoxification process of your entire system as well.
Metabolic problems, like adrenal fatigue, may be the result of many factors. Souping has many benefits that may support both adrenal and metabolic health. Although it may not rid you of your condition, it may help with your recovery process.
