Natural nutrition
Natural support for health
A bit about food and eating
“Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants” Michael Pollan
If we only ate when we are hungry and enough nutrient-dense foods to support the lives we lead, we would probably rarely be ill. The reality is, we tend to eat too much, often of the wrong things, snack our way through the day, or skip meals. We eat in a hurry and often consume too much alcohol.
Oh dear, not a recipe for health!
At the same time as our eating habits have been going down hill, our lives have been getting a bit manic. We work and travel under stress and often burn the candle at both ends. This all puts a strain on your body’s ability to stay well and if you don’t get out and out sick, you’ll probably wind up with niggling sub-clinical or minor chronic problems.
Over a period of years these niggles can contribute to bigger problems such as diabetes, raised blood fats, high blood pressure, digestive ailments, auto-immune or respiratory conditions, inflammation, or simply lowered immunity.
As well as eating enough nutrient-dense foods, you really need a healthy digestive system, so that you get all the ‘goodness’ out of your food.
Your stomach acid needs to break your meal down into a kind of soup for digestive enzymes from your pancreas and bile from your gall bladder to work on.so the proteins, fats and sugars can be absorbed into your system.
This is why, even if you come to see me for acupuncture, I always talk a bit about food and digestive wellness..
Chinese diet and nutrition
Chinese Medicine has its own view of food and diet, based on its unique view of how the body works It groups foods by their energetic effects, in the same way as it groups herbs . In my own practice I combine aspects of both Chinese and western nutrition to treat ailments and to help people optimise their health.
These days it is easy to be confused about what constitutes a healthy diet – paleo, vegetarian, mediterranean, vegan, 5-2 – the list goes on.
Chinese thinking is much simpler and more balanced. It considers that you should eat a little bit of everything, depending on your own energetic imbalances. In this way it ought to be possible to create an eating plan that’s nourishing and doesn’t make you feel too deprived..
Keeping a diet diary and doing a simple diet analysis is often a good starting point. for looking at your eating habits and taking stock of your diet.
If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch.
Food and fertlity
If your diet is poor, your fertility can suffer too. For example, junk food, alcohol, fatty food, too many sweet things, fizzy drinks can create free radicals which damage eggs and sperm. To counteract these molecules you need to get plenty anti-oxidants from a healthy and varied diet.
Modern science has identified certain nutrient deficiencies that can contribute to fertility problems. There are plenty of studies that show that boosting levels of nutrients such as anti-oxidants or fish oil can have positive effects on the quality of eggs and sperm for example..
Eating a varied and nourishing diet that provides all the vitamins, minerals, protein and fats that you need, along with plenty fluids, will lay a smooth path to pregnancy, avoid the stress that goes with delayed conception and protect your future fertility.
If you are considering having a baby, remember that for the nine months of pregnancy he or she will be completely dependent on you for nourishment.
Being well nourished at the time you become pregnant will make sure that you can provide everything he/she needs, especially during those crucial early days and weeks, without depleting your own body’s reserves.
Here’s a piece from the Harvard health blog about food and fertility
If you’d lik to find out more if you’d like to find out more or book a consultation.
Digestive wellness
According to Chinese medicine, good digestive function and a nourishing diet are the basis of good health. Your basic ‘qi’ is produced from the food you eat, This energy combines with qi from the lungs, and provides energy for the heart to produce blood, The energies of the (Chinese) liver and stomach/spleen balance one another, and the kidneys provide the digestive ‘fire’ for digestion and metabolism and support your general health.
Because Chinese medicine considers your mind, emotions and body to be inter-dependent, if you eat well and aim for a balanced diet and lifestyle you will be as healthy as you can.
Some of the classic Chinese herbal remedies can support digestive enzymes or the good bacteria that live in your gut. and the more western researchers discover about how the gut microbiome influences your physical and emotional health, the more valid the Chinese approach appears.
If you are suffering from digestive problems, niggling health problems or just generally feeling below par, why not book in for a digestive MOT
Do you need supplements
“A poor diet, plus vitamins is still a poor diet” Art Ulene MD
If you are symptom free and feeling healthy, Rejoice! you really don’t need to take supplements – not even a multi vitamin – which anyway might not be all that ‘multi’ after all.
If you have niggling symptoms or feel generally below par, before you rush off to stock up with pills, check your diet, lifestyle, stress levels and habits (be honest now!) and think about what changes you could make.
If you feel you need some helpful guidance on how to improve your diet and create a sustainable eating plan that fits your lifestyle, why not book in for a Digestive Wellness session?
To find out more or make an appointment
