Imagine being able to take back control of how you feel every day, both physically and emotionally. Sounds pretty good, right?
This may sound unrealistic but nourishing your body with what it needs to function can be life changing! Holistic nutrition consists of 3 main pillars; mind, body and spirit. It also looks at all of the body systems as a whole, as opposed to being siloed, which is taken into account when developing strategies and meal plans. This means taking into consideration that an issue in one part of the body could be related to an issue elsewhere in the body (for example, poor digestion). However, holistic nutrition doesn’t just look into food as a source for nourishment, it also considers lifestyle and attitude. You can think of holistic nutrition as taking a look into the whole package.
Eating nourishing foods is an important component of holistic nutrition, and it also encourages maintaining a “whole foods diet”. Simply put, this means eating foods that are the closest to their natural form – so no processed foods. It also means choosing organic when possible, eating whole wheats and obviously plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Making these small changes in your day to day has the potential to increase your energy, reduce brain fog, reduce cravings and binge eating, help with joint pain and improve mood.
It is important to realize that our bodies rely on the foods we eat to nourish our cells. All the cells in our bodies perform complex actions and need nutrients to do so. Since our bodies were designed to digest and assimilate food in its natural state, fueling ourselves with clean, natural whole foods allows our bodies to function properly. This is also more a proactive response to maintaining our health and wellbeing.
Mindfulness is also an important component of holistic nutrition. Mindful eating helps us keep in touch with our bodies true needs – is the hungry feeling I have actually hunger, or could it be anxiety or boredom? Our overall health and in particular, our digestive system, is negatively impacted by stress. Did you know that when we shift into fight or flight mode, our nervous system slows down blood flow, minimizes the secretions produced for digestion and reduces the muscle contractions used for digestion? Our natural stress response can essentially shut down digestion!
Holistic nutrition is not a one size fits all type of solution. Meal plans and overall strategies are carefully developed for each individual and take into account not only diet but overall lifestyle, stress level, likes and dislikes and individual goals.
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