Nature And Nurture

When it comes to nutrition, we all have our own mental image – from the latest fad diets, to boring and bland salads, superfoods or expensive supplements. But here’s the reality – we are what we consume, and that extends beyond just food. It includes the information we consume, and our overall lifestyle factors.

It’s true that nutrition is a combination of both nature and nurture. It’s like the soil that prepares the ground for life to grow, and the fertiliser that ensures strong and healthy plants. As we move towards a more holistic approach to health, we are seeing greater autonomy and personalisation taking centre stage.

You don’t need to buy expensive genetic tests for personalised recommendations. Instead, small lifestyle adjustments and new habits, backed by scientific knowledge, can help you achieve an optimised sense of mental and physical well-being.

In light of the recent pandemic, many of us are re-evaluating what’s important. We are shifting towards a better work-life balance, finding more meaning through work, and adopting a prevention is better than cure approach to burnout and holistic well-being.

Nutrition is something that concerns us every day, whether we like it or not. So becoming more conscious about our daily food habits can have a wide-reaching impact. Although our current lifestyles are set up for pleasure and convenience, it’s important to remember that the easy option isn’t always the right one long-term.

Making health the focus, instead of physical appearance, is easier to adopt a positive mindset of self-care, over a more punishing approach to achieving ambitious goals. So let’s try shifting into a more self-aware state of self-nourishment, moving closer to an 80:20 approach: eating well for the body and mind at least 80% of the time, but still allowing for tasty food for the soul around 20% of the time.

Nourishing Nutrition

Knowledge is power, so it’s important to access good quality, evidence-based information over misleading marketing and plain misinformation. Eating well is a personal journey that involves assessing your authentic internal motivators, personal opportunities, and your own set of values.

There is no real right or wrong approach to nutrition. Everyone finds their own alternate ways of living that work for them at different points in time. It’s important to opt for low processed, natural, and organic foods that are rich in nutrients. After all, just because a product is labelled ‘vegan’ or ‘low fat’ doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Such foods can still be highly processed and contain high fructose syrups that are known to contribute to modern health conditions.

Our produce is becoming less and less nutritionally dense, compared to the past, due to antibiotics, pesticides, and leaching. But obtaining your nutrition from whole foods is always going to be better than a supplement. When vitamins and nutrients are in their natural context, they can work together with pre-existing co-factors to be delivered to your cells, as they should be.

Going With Your Gut

The first place that food reaches is our digestive tract – the second brain. This is like a living organism all on its own, with an extensive and diverse range of living bacteria, forming one giant super-organism that creates new molecules out of the material that it’s fed. Eating more healthy fibers from natural fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your gut.

Changing your diet impacts the biodiversity in your gut. Meaning that it alters the ratios of different bacteria, affecting how your nutrients are absorbed and altered. While some of our gut flora is affected by our genes, there is a lot of synergy between which genes are switched on and off depending on lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep and exercise. Creating one giant feedback loop that is constantly in flux.

So instead of relying on expensive and often low-efficacy probiotics or taking too much highly concentrated prebiotics, focus on getting prebiotics from a healthy holistic diet that is rich in natural plants and fibers.

Better Basics

At ProLifestyle Wellness, we believe that dietary changes don’t have to be complicated. By making personalized recommendations, backed by science and evidence, we aim to help you make those health goals a reality. Our tips include mindful eating – bringing a conscious approach to meal times, ensuring presence and calm, as well as implementing the principles of meditation to the kitchen.

Mindful eating can help you to slow down, reduce distractions, and recognize your cravings and bad eating habits. Simply avoid eating in front of the laptop or TV, become engrossed in the sensations and flavors of what’s on your plate, remember to put your fork down as you consume, and keep leftovers for another time instead of feeling the need to finish everything at once.

By adopting a more mindful approach to meal times, you can get to know yourself better and understand your cravings, leading to a more positive mindset of self-care. At ProLifestyle Wellness, we are committed to helping you achieve optimal health in body and mind.