Watch out for the hidden traps in food. They can weigh down digestion and affect the brain

Statistics and research in society fortunately show clearly that more and more people want to eat more healthily. They do so mainly because they do not want their food to weigh them down and make them gain weight. We choose lighter meals, fitness foods, cereal bars, soy spreads, alternative milks, fruit or various sourdough breads and rolls. We cut down on meat and fats… Or maybe not. But I certainly observe that people are paying more attention to the quality of their food and to what is homemade, from a farm or organic. In any case, the challenge and the problem remain the hidden traps that most people do not think about at all. Then they are surprised when they feel heavy and are constantly caught up by fatigue and exhaustion. Read on and get to know the main traps to watch out for when choosing your food.

Observe yourself and notice how you feel after a meal

Food is either strength or a burden for the body and the brain. And in summer that is doubly true. Nothing is more apt than the heavy feeling after a lunchtime combination of fried schnitzel with chips and tartare sauce.

And what about a baked langoš, processed cheese and an average ketchup full of sugar? Or pizza the Slovak way: thick risen dough, again plenty of processed cheese, ham and average ingredients whose mean taste we cover up by rubbing the edges of the dough with garlic. And finally a great hot dog made of white bread with a sausage that contains 50 % of not very trustworthy meat, and you do not even want to know about the rest.

Sadly, these are all examples of common summer meals typical for swimming pools, sports grounds, snack bars and cottages.

You can surely think of further traps yourself, such as greasy bryndza dumplings made from convenience products, hamburgers and “cigánska” sandwiches fried in vegetable oils. And the various children’s menus, most often dominated by chicken schnitzel with chips, nuggets, spaghetti with ketchup and over-sweetened pancakes.

Let us not be indifferent! Let us point out FAST FOODS and other traps in our food.

Did you know that fast food is probably the biggest trap, and one that is associated with inflammation in the body and with a dulled brain?

That is probably not news. It is known that many meals on the road, in restaurants and at swimming pools are significantly below the average of an optimal nutritional composition. But why is the change towards higher food quality and an offer of healthier options so slow in Slovakia?

It is possible that we lack positive leadership. More people who lead by their own example, who can keep their own strength, their own conviction and are able to educate those around them. So let us not be indifferent! Let us not be afraid to point out the average and the defence of comfort around us. As people we often tend to resist change.

The important thing is to explain sensibly and keep your own standards. Then the people around you will themselves see your vitality, your strength and the fact that your change works.

Even though the people around you may resist, look for excuses and perhaps even question your decision (for example not eating white sugar, flour or fast food), do not give up. Explain your reasons calmly and share your positive experience. Perhaps in the end you will “save their quality of life” and in a few months they will thank you.

Silvia Horecká from Terapia jedlom is convinced that we need to focus on an anti-inflammatory diet.

On today’s topic we recommend listening to the interview with Silvia Horecká about why each of us needs to eliminate inflammation, especially in our diet. For me Silvia is a well of wisdom about foods, with practical experience from gastronomy and home cooking.

Follow the Powerlogy podcasts, in which we discuss how to cultivate our Human Power comprehensively every day. We believe you will find plenty of gradual improvements to your daily routine that will help you eliminate the fatigue, exhaustion and various digestive problems that even more people struggle with today than with obesity.

Of course, stress, environment and life events contribute significantly to this. But let us not forget that we always have 2 options. Either we will complain, make excuses and look for someone to blame for our state. Then we become victims of our fate. Or we take responsibility for what we can change and influence.

A confession from the past: 3 traps of Powerlogy founder Dušan Plichta that weighed him down and stressed his body.

In the picture you can see what Dušan’s breakfasts looked like when he was young. He did a lot of sport and danced in Lúčnica, so quite naturally, given his age, he was gaining weight…

His problem, though, was an inability to concentrate and a constant dependence on food. Stress in the body, a fear of running out of energy and so on. Less than 3 hours after a meal ravenous hunger set in and his brain dealt with nothing else but how to survive and find food. Productivity low, nervousness high.

“For lunch I often had a kebab or went to a Chinese or Vietnamese bistro.”

Dušan always liked world cuisine. Back then, though, he considered a kebab in flatbread a good, balanced meal.

Yes, he knew chips were not the best choice, so he switched to rice. But he did not think about food as information for the body at all. On the contrary, it was about taste and energy, so he could manage training, was not hungry and therefore did not die of weakness.

The fact that he then burped all afternoon and spent 2 hours dragging himself through a food coma, he took as the standard.

Of course he is not perfect and even Dušan sometimes treats himself to “traps”. But he immediately feels the fundamental difference. He knows that if his goal is a high level of energy, a positive mind and Human Power, he needs food that strengthens him.

And as for the kebab – it is still a very fine dish. But the ordinary kebabs available to us are incomparable with original halal kebabs with honest homemade sauces and vegetables. And combined with only a minimum of grain in a thin unleavened flatbread.

I have the same opinion about food in bistros. Not all Vietnamese cuisine is the same, and the same goes for Chinese and Indian.

“Then I thought pasta and pizza were lighter and better solutions.”

Dušan is certainly not the only one who likes Italian gastronomy. Like about 90 % of children, he always loved pizza and pasta. And since athletes eat a lot of pasta, he started to prefer it in a big way.

He felt slightly lighter digestion and a smaller food coma. But after 3 hours his “energy ran out” and fatigue set in. Again he felt like something sweet or another big meal.

Today he knows that pasta is not bad in principle. It is about how we combine it on the plate! Equally, not all pizza is the same. The original Italian approach, their thin dough and only a minimalist approach to toppings do the trick.

So watch out for quality, the amount of sugar, heavy fats and combinations of proteins.

The key to success is not maximisation, but optimisation of what is on our plate.

When you watch out for these traps and start improving your choices, you will improve your day considerably. You will contribute to better digestion, you will not stress your body and your brain will get the right nutrients.

After all, changing our approach and our Human Power is in our own hands. As they say, nobody was born wise. It does not matter if you fight your way through plenty of failures, attempts and mistakes. Dušan went through them just the same and still goes through them in various areas of life.

The Powerlogy philosophy connects function and great taste in your food. Food that does not stress you and does not take away from your Human Power, but quite the opposite. Food that cultivates it and regularly recharges your energy.

Follow Dušan’s Instagram or Powerlogy’s Instagram and get to know with us the hidden traps that take our energy. And at the same time the alternatives that give it to us, such as super-tasty and quick gluten-free pancakes with nougat cream for children.

Let us think about a key question: is ordinary fast food really faster and does it bring you the value you expect?

We think certainly not. You often have to stand in a queue and wait in the heat for even hotter fried food, which scientists have linked to inflammation in the body.

Oxidised fats, AGE toxins, fast sugars in combination with fats, a burden on digestion and a dulling of the brain by falsely over-sweetened or over-salted tastes. On top of that, the nutritional value in terms of vitamins, minerals and polyphenols is almost zero…

How about making premium wraps at home instead, or packing fresh vegetables and fruit and adding good sheep’s and goat’s cheese or nut cream? There are many options, it is only a matter of conscious planning and our knowledge. If you know what gives you energy and what takes it away, you can also choose.

My 3 functional meals of pure taste for holidays, travel and trips.

As you can see and certainly know well – there is always a better choice. Take inspiration from our Powerlogy approach, in which we draw on the taste and strength of real food made of natural ingredients.

1. Dušan’s TOP summer meal for brunch or a light lunch

A completely simple combination that will surprise you with its pure taste and pleasant fullness. Apple + lemon + celery + Powerlogy Almond Cream 330 g.

2. Dušan’s picnic Greek salad with MCT oil

Try fresh vegetables with good fats and enjoy the summer without weighed-down digestion. We recommend cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, oregano, finely chopped leek (it is lighter than red onion), real feta, balsamico, olive oil and 10 ml of MCT oil.

3. Dušan’s homemade banana bars for the road with nuts and honey

It is hot and you fancy something sweet? We understand, which is why we have this efficient 15-minute recipe for you.

In closing, we wish you every success in keeping the boundaries and standards of your healthier, more functional and more natural approach. Do not be afraid to communicate them to your family, your grandmother, your grandfather, at nursery or school or among your circle of friends. We often fail at leadership. We are afraid to express disagreement with the majority, and so we cautiously accept average choices and the status quo. Let us not be indifferent and let us start with pride and our own example.