“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
- Dr. Ann Wigmore, the founder and director of Living Foods Lifestyle, healer, teacher
The present fast-paced and demanding world has made people workaholic. This vast majority of people, being so engrossed in their work and in a quest to win the rat race, have either forgotten the importance of a healthy diet or cannot keep pace with the same because of their busy lives. This habit, supplemented by several other factors, leads to various ailments like stomach-related problems, chronic eating disorders, and more.
This is where the wholistic approach to life and a wholistic diet comes as a savior. A wholistic approach to diet is the foundation that addresses almost every health problem from reversing chronic inflammation to treating chronic disorders. It is a natural method used to heal the body from the ailment. This diet habit focuses on building a long term framework for good physical and emotional health.
Nutritionists believe that good food is the foundation for good health. A healthy diet not only works as the fuel but as the medicine for the body. The father of medicine Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This principle is adopted and promoted by wholistic nutritionists.
Health Benefits of a Wholistic Diet
There are many factors that make a person unwell, but healing and wellness start with the eating habits of the person. The core of the wholistic diet is to heal the soul, body, and mind so that a person can achieve ultimate wellness.
There are a number of benefits of eating a wholistic diet. Some of them are:
- Disease prevention
- Improved mood
- Enhanced energy levels
- Improved skin tone
- Weight management
- Better sleep
- Stabilized blood sugar levels
- Strengthened immune system
- Improved digestion
- Reduced cholesterol levels
- Reduced blood pressure levels
- Relief from constipation
Also, it is believed that a lot of chronic disorders can be improved or prevented through a healthy diet. A wholistic diet can manage conditions like:
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Gout
- Colitis
- Cancer
Wholistic Diet Habits
Wholistic diet is the notion of consuming food in its natural state to support the body for optimum well-being and health. At the core, a wholistic diet is a focus on organic, unprocessed, unrefined, and locally produced foods that improves the immune system of the body. The wholistic diet habits provide portions, recipes, and ingredients to ensure a healthy balanced diet. Mainly it focuses on eating habits for wellness, above all else.
Here are some universally accepted wholistic diet habits that act as a foundation to begin the journey of health or healing.
1. Increase Water Intake
Approximately 75% of people are chronically dehydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches, accumulation of toxic substances in the body, early aging, chronic fatigue, digestive concerns, increased body inflammation, and more. A lot of these symptoms can invite serious health problems. Appropriate water consumption is an essential wholistic diet habit. Each cell in the body demands proper hydration to function accurately and flush toxins. On average, eight to ten glasses of water a day is recommended by wholistic nutritionists to encourage good digestion and health.
2. Consume Whole Foods
The body is designed to assimilate and digest food in its natural form. Choose whole foods, like try consuming a whole raw fruit rather than applesauce or fruit juice, and whole vegetables rather than canned ready-made soups or ratatouille. Also, include whole grains, seeds, nuts, and beans as well. Consuming these foods leaves little room for high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat processed stuff.
Organic food is more nutritious and also helps to avoid herbicides, pesticides, and antibiotics.
3. Practice Mindful Eating
For a healthy relation with food, it is crucial to understand the natural hunger clues and emotions. It is necessary to connect the food with the whole mind and soul because it affects a person’s mental state and physical appearance.
Mindful eating can assist to regain control over eating habits, guiding to make healthier diet habits.
4. Say No to Fast Food
Fast food outlets alter foods to incorporate a lot of toxic and inflammatory ingredients. For instance, animal proteins consist of hormone-rich chemicals that contain high sodium, pesticides, nitrates, and preservatives. Also, fast food contains trans fat, gluten, sodium, and sugar. These things may cause neurological inflammation, heart disease, and can also alter brain chemistry.
As of June 18, 2018, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has banned trans fats. Although, products manufactured before June 2018, can be sold till 2020 and in a few cases till 2021.
5. Eliminate Soda
Eliminating soda can be a challenge for the person who is a passionate soda drinker. Even the sodas made by natural sugarcane are not good for health. Sugar intake in any form can cause weight problems, degenerative illness, type 2 diabetes, and brain degeneration. Sugar-free sodas are worse as it contains artificial sweeteners that can cause cancer.
The most important reason to eliminate soda is that it dehydrates the body.
Conclusion
Health is a lifetime marathon, not a race!
If you are willing to adopt healthy diet habits as a part of the fitness journey, then keep it easy and simple to kick-start the wholistic diet habits.
Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Wholistic nutrition considers the person as a whole to reach optimal wellness and health. The goal is to promote healthier eating habits and a more balanced relationship with food. A wholistic diet has several health benefits and one can easily practice it in daily life.Become a Member of Dr. Nancy’s Body Soul Essentials workshop and learn the wholistic lifestyle and diet habits.
