Holistic Nutrition uses
various combinations of food and nutrients to help individuals achieve
optimal mental, physical and spiritual health. It can be used as
a preventative health approach for the average person without any
ailments or as a modality for healing or symptom management for people
living with chronic illness or other medical conditions.
The focus is on eating foods that provide your body with the highest
levels of nutritional value and supplementing the diet with vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids etc.when necessary.
However, it is much more than just eating a balanced diet.
Diet and nutrition have a profound impact on mental and physical
health. The wrong food and lack of balanced nutrients can lead to
many debilitating psychological and physical symptoms and degenerative
health conditions.
Holistic Nutrition is Individualized
An important part of living a holistic health life style and adhering
to the principles of holistic nutrition is getting to know your body
and what it needs. Different people need different things.
It all depends on your particular body chemistry - your biochemical
make up.
You can learn a lot about your body by becoming very attentive to your
thoughts, feelings and reactions to specific foods and
supplements. Tune into your body and learn to read the messages
it provides you. Keep a journal of physical and psychological
symptoms and then research their relationship to diet and nutrient
levels. However it can also be helpful to have some biochemical
blood work done that can help you pinpoint specific deficiencies or
disorders, or allergy testing to identify hidden food allergies.
Holistic nutrition is very individualized, personal and specific to
your needs. It takes into account a person's overall medical and
physical health, as well as the issues that he or she is trying to
improve or heal. It also considers the underlying issues that are
going on with your health as well as how ill a person is or how
aggressive they want to be with obtaining the results that they want to
achieve. Different illnesses, conditions or diseases have
different nutritional requirements and each responds to diet and
nutrition uniquely.
There is not a "one size fits all diet." Some people thrive on a
macrobiotic diet, while others may not be able to function at all with
that many carbohydrates. A vegetarian diet is perfect for some
body types and yet it can leave other body types in a heap on the
floor. Some people function most optimally on a high meat diet
while others do better with mostly vegetables.
You do not want to follow a diet or supplement plan that was created
for someone else. A diet that was designed for someone who
suffers with asthma may not be good for someone who suffers with ulcers.
A person who is deficient in magnesium or essential fatty acids will
take larger doses of these nutrients than the average person and
someone who isn't deficient wouldn't want the same dosage as a person
who is.
One person may be allergic to peanuts, dairy, and eggs and therefore
would need to eliminate these items from their diet, while another
person without these allergies could thrive and benefit from the
vitamins and minerals present in these particular foods.
Some individuals may have a metabolic disorder such as hypoglycemia or
diabetes and therefore would need to follow a diet regimen and
supplementation plan that helps keep their blood sugar in
balance.
Another person may have many different issues going on at the same
time. Perhaps they have numerous food allergies, hypoglycemia or
diabetes and several nutritional deficiencies. So they would have
a very different nutritional plan from someone who has none of these
issues.
The Basics of Holistic Nutrition
Although holistic nutrition is largely individualized, there are some
basics that apply to all individuals who wish to follow a holistic
nutritional plan.
They include the following
- All food should be organic as much as possible.
- Avoid junk food and processed food.
- No food with additives and preservatives.
- No sugar or caffeine.
- Drink adequate amounts of pure water. Filtered and free of chlorine
and other contaminants.
- Avoid microwaves.
- No genetically engineered food.
- Identify hidden food allergies.
- Address nutritional deficiencies.
- Eat whole foods in their natural state as much as possible.
Getting started with Holistic Nutrition
If you're just getting started with holistic nutrition it's probably
best to make changes gradually so that changes won't seem so drastic
and difficult to stick with. Be patient and kind with yourself,
but also be self disciplined. Change is difficult and takes time.
You also want to monitor how you feel and respond to changes, so if you
make too many changes all at one time, you won't be able to identify
what benefits you receive from which action you've taken.
When shopping at the health food store for organic and healthy foods,
be sure to read the labels as not all of the foods are completely
organic and pure and so you know exactly what you are putting into your
body.
Over time your needs may change in response to healing or setbacks, so
you may need to adjust your diet and supplements accordingly. If
you have improvements in your health then you may need lower
dosages. On the other hand, if you have a setback with your
health you may need higher dosages or something entirely new.
Food allergies may improve or get worse. They can sometimes swing
like a pendulum in response to other factors in your life. So what you
can eat one month is not necessarily what you can eat the next month.
Whatever your situation or condition may be you can't go wrong with
holistic nutrition. It leads to a better quality of life and a
higher level of functioning. You'll find more balance and harmony
in your mental, physical and spiritual well being.
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