“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – Hippocrates.

Hippocrates, a Greek physician and considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine, is credited with being the first person to believe that diseases were caused naturally, not because of superstition and gods.  He believed and argued that disease was not a punishment inflicted by the gods but rather the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits. Today, we understand that a good deal of disease and unwellness is created by the choices we make and perpetuate in our  daily lives.

Less is more

Food can absolutely be our medicine when we make it our friend not our master. Part of modern food related to illness is the number of additives and the amount of sugar found in processed foods, changing our taste buds and making foods and beverages addictive. Then there is upsizing! Everything comes in bigger and bigger sizes – cup size, plate size, the food itself with the help of farm fishing and land animals fed hormones for faster growth and induced upsizing wings, legs, breasts. Artificial hormones that are then in our bodies and directly affect human health and function. It may seem generous to be served a massive plate of food, but how much does your body need in one meal to be nourished and nurtured? Not that much. Research shows that eating smaller meals more regularly is better for us, enabling better nutrient absorption and also requiring less energy to digest the smaller portions so more energy for other body functions.

Knowing where to start with changes to your usual diet, the food you’ve always eaten, can be daunting. Spending time with an experienced health care practitioner such as a Naturopath or Nutritionist, is a solid investment in ones health and wellbeing,  the journey of getting to know oneself. Exploring food groups and allergies, blood types, genetic predispositions, as a part of establishing what choices in your daily diet are wise and work best or may be your undoing.

Food groups

A daily diet is not about being on a diet, its about making sure you have a daily intake across a variety of food groups to ensure you tick all the boxes of nutrients a healthy growing, repairing, thriving body needs. When we make good choices around what we consume we honour our Self in the process. Having healthy skin is absolutely an inside out story. Three little words are the basic foundation here, fresh is best!

Market fresh fruit and vegetables daily bring fibre, natural sugars such as fructose and numerous minerals, proteins, vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients to your diet. You don’t need to be vegan or vegetarian to appreciate the value of bringing meals based around fruit and vegetables into your day. These guys should along with whole grains, seeds, nuts & legumes, make up the bulk of your daily intake with hormone and antibiotic free fish and meats being a smaller portion of your meals. Smaller portions of meat in meals is best for improved digestion, less fermenting in the gut and less energy demands on the digestive system. If you think you are relying on meat for protein, remember readily accessible and easily digested protein can be plant based too. Again variety is key to obtaining valuable nutrients, not relying on large amounts of one food group.

As a general guide to food group portions, see the food pyramid in this post from The Vegan Community (instagram @vegancommunity). Including meat, seafood, dairy in the proteins & amino acids: eat moderately section, as a general rule works well for most people. For some, being Vegan or Vegetarian is part of the transition to making changes in eating habits. Make a change and go all the way! For others, choices around what they chose to eat and not to eat goes deeper to a spiritual and holistic belief. Either way, approaching what you eat with a mindfulness and considering balance, variety, freshness, sustainability, fairtrade, appreciation of and not wasteful with the food in your fridge and on your table is to recognise food and health go together in a very 4 dimensional, holistic way. You are what you eat after all.

Fish such as wild caught salmon, mullet, sardines, anchovies are so good for your skin and overall health due to their high healthy oils content. Foods such as coconut oil, cold pressed sunflower oil and macadamia oil, extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are sensational healthy oils to include in your day on a daily basis to ensure your body, specifically your brain, nervous system, epidermal cells, eyes, muscles and bones, get the EFA’s and fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A & D required.

Breaking bread

Choosing whole grain, sourdough and fermented breads is a major step forward to enjoying the health giving benefits of bread. Whole Grains are full of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and importantly B vitamins for skin, joint and nerve health. Bread not only tastes so good, but has valuable plant proteins and fibre needed to carry antioxidants and nutrients into the gut, brush our digestive linings clean and provide food for healthy bacteria to flourish. Our Gut can be visualised as a garden, with the healthy bacteria and flora as the plants you want growing in a healthy garden and the bad bacteria and coliforms seen as the weeds. Keep your internal garden healthy and your immune system will be strong and resilient, even your brain will be happier and function better with a healthy gut!

Food is Super

Concentrated nutrients such as those found in superfoods radish, cherry tomatoes, sprouts, berries, wheatgrass, alfalfa, barley, cacao, for example, can mega boost your meal or smoothie when added in only small amounts. A few radishes, sprouts & cherry tomatoes in a leafy green salad greatly increases the nutritional value and adds colour, crunch and taste. While a teaspoon of cacao and cereal grasses such as found in Mayella Nutritional Blends will add flavour and wholefood nutrients to any smoothie, juice, desert or raw baking. The key to eating well is to use your imagination. Don’t look at including variety of foods in your shopping or diet as being hard work.  Going to local farmers markets, talking to stall holders, often the farmers that have grown the food you are buying, make picking out foods and planning some delicious meals so much fun. Eating well and finding your self losing excess weight is often a pleasant surprise for many. The positive side effect of removing empty nutrient, high calorie processed foods from their diet. Remember food is a 4 dimensional experience and with wholefoods as a solid foundation to a holistic healthy life, with your health and happiness being the lifetime gift you give your Self.

To your good health with love & laughter

Amanda and Robyn xx