Whole person well-being

Whole person well-being; focus on Purposeful Nutrition

Being human is a complex business that can seem overwhelming at times, but the good news is we can make life better for ourselves with some awareness and commitment.

There are at least 14 lifestyle factors that contribute to our overall well-being. Today I’m going to focus on the need for purposeful nutrition.

The term purposeful nutrition is not commonly used but implies that what we eat should be fit for purpose. When I was in the third form (Year 9), we were taught “You are what you eat”- and this is so true. At a cellular level, our bodies require nutrients- vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats but our contemporary diet is all out of whack.  People are often eating and drinking too much refined sugar, processed food and not enough of what nature intended- natural whole food.
Sorry to disillusion you but your body doesn’t need deep fried anything – including chocolate bars!

If you have a sedentary life, you will need less calories than someone who has an active life but otherwise the requirements are the same.

Quantity vs Quality of life – the same or different?

When Dan Buettner researched the Blue Zones around the world, he was wanting to identify the healthiest populations who had not only longevity but extraordinary good health and well-being. The residents of these areas, regularly live to be 100 years old.

We all have choices to make around our health- will we take responsibility for ourselves?

Personal choice = personal responsibility

Or, will we eat what we want when we want it, giving no thought to our future selves? So many take the latter approach and the demand on our health system is massively overstretched. We must take responsibility for our own health instead of depending on the health system to rescue us when we become chronically ill from self-induced poor lifestyle choices.

Government action is required to make lasting change

Attention needs to be paid at a government level to education and prevention. Tragically, our current government seems to be determined to undermine all the progress made in many areas of health by cutting funding and reducing resources.

We have frightening statistics for obesity and chronic metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease- all made worse by smoking and poor diet.

Yet, the National government is stopping the anti-smoking campaign that was on track to make significant societal change. This combined with their refusal to address the need for tax on sugary drinks are just two areas that leave me wondering where the government officials obtain their information? Certainly not from our frontline health professionals or the people affected by these largely preventable diseases.

Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Vegan or Carnivore- what’s best?

Personal choice has many people eating more plant-based meals, less processed food and feeling the benefits of making the switch.

There are of course global issues as to why we should eat more plants as the world struggles to feed our huge population and we are faced with climate change issues everywhere – in our air, on our land and sea.

In Aotearoa, New Zealand, we also have incredibly high rates of bowel cancer, which is directly linked to too much red meat, especially too much processed meat and is often combined with lack of variety and fibre rich foods.

“Food is not a religion”

My IIN Tutor, Joshua Rosenthal, taught us that food is not a religion, you don’t always have to eat certain foods and avoid others if you need or want something different. In fact, restricting yourself because of your beliefs may not align with what your body needs and may leave you feeling deprived and unhappy.

As Dan Buettner found when researching the Blue Zones, enjoyment of food and socialising for meals with family and friends, has huge implications for positive well-being.

Something sweet

My go to- is always fresh seasonal fruit. I eat several pieces every day for their nutrition packed, fibre- rich deliciousness!

The last thing I eat after dinner some days, is a few pieces of good quality dark chocolate, (I love the Trade Aid selection) with a few pieces of organic crystallised ginger.

Everything in moderation – just as our grandparents taught us.

By taking responsibility for what we eat and drink, we are making huge progress towards living a mindful life for our benefit but also the greater good of all life on Earth.

When you feel depleted/drained/ lacking in energy…

On a more personal level, if you feel depleted because you aren’t sleeping well, you’d benefit from foods that will give you energy, so eating lots of vegetables & fruit, pulses and legumes, nuts and seeds, wholegrains, healthy fats i.e. avocado, coconut oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil; and avoiding high carbohydrate/ processed food or refined sugar of any kind- especially white bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits.

When you feel “off” …

If you feel “off”, like you might be “coming down with something”, adding in extra antioxidants (fruit & veges again), more vitamin C, garlic and parsley will all help your immune system fight any microbes you encounter. There is research that shows homemade chicken & vege soup has immune system building capability and has been a “go- to” for me when feeling depleted and/or run down. Increasingly, I prefer a vegetarian option with some cannellini beans or red lentils instead of the chicken.

In terms of flavouring, fresh herb sage, rosemary, thyme; can be great or I love Louisiana style cajun spices.

Spice it up!

A wealth of spices and herbs shift food from bland to amazing! Winter is a fabulous time for curries and soups. I love Mrs Rogers spice & herb selection- especially the organic ones. My kitchen is an international haven – Mexican, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish, Greek & Turkish food is created depending on the season and mood!

I recently discovered French Pistou soup in one of my many Annabelle Langbein cook books; a green vegetable soup that contains basil pesto – it is delicious!

Eat less, eat well…

Healthy food is cheaper than processed food because we require less of it to satisfy our hunger if we learn to eat to the 80/20 rule- simply eating until we first feel sated. Not continuing to eat because there is more on the plate. Saving any leftovers for the next meal is a great way to reduce the risk of over consumption.

Body size is not an indication of a healthy diet. People can be malnourished and can appear very thin or very overweight. Many indigenous people around the world ate their traditional diet and were healthy, living on natural food they could catch or grow.

Unfortunately, when they were introduced to a Western diet with too much processed and refined food, their body weight increased, their immunity declined and their health suffered – many people died and continue to die, much earlier than they would if they had maintained their natural wholefood diet.

The Blue Zone research found that there are no magical healthy places to live, when people left the blue zones to live in cities, they often reverted to eating the way of so many today – too much fat, sugar, and salt.

Why do we crave junk food?

Our ancient brain is wired for survival in times of scarcity when our ancestors would stock up because they didn’t know when or where their next meal was coming from. Scarcity is tragically an issue in many parts of the world and often much closer to home than we are aware of. or choose to acknowledge. However, for many of us the abundance of choice and availability combined with lack of awareness around nutrition, is the reason most people over consume.

Is emotional eating an issue for you?

Of course, nutrition isn’t always about what we eat, it’s also about why, how, and when we eat, which can be a much bigger emotional and mental issue. It can also be a financial issue and I love to address this with people who want to work on changing eating from a battle to a pleasure.

Eat consciously

Whatever you are eating, eat slowly, paying attention to the taste, texture, smell of the food. Eating slowly increases enjoyment (unless it’s brussel sprouts- possibly the only vegetable I don’t like much!) and facilitates the full feeling.

When we rush our eating our bodies don’t have chance to register that we’ve eaten more than enough and we can continue to eat unnecessarily – possibly resulting in a sleepless night, indigestion, guilt/shame. So, try to slow down with no distractions, enjoy what you eat!

Hacks for purposeful nutrition;

• Try growing your own vegetables and or herbs. Growing sprouts in your kitchen is a great way to start. Involve your children – enjoy food from the garden to the table.
• Explore what can be foraged in your neighbourhood, just make sure it is safe to eat. If you have surplus fruit or vegetables, please share this in your community.
• If all the different advice leaves you completely lost in terms of what information to follow, looking at the Mediterranean diet is a great place to start.
• Support your nearest farmer’s market for fresh produce.
• Increase the amount of water you drink. General rule is multiply your weight by three- and drink that many mls/day- UNLESS you have been encouraged to have a fluid restriction by a health professional.
• Herbal teas are great, refreshing and so many choices!
• Try non- dairy milks if you are lactose intolerant or wanting to have less animal products in your diet.
• Decaffeinated coffee is as good as regular in terms of antioxidant content but has none of the caffeine hit risks. I love Hummingbird Decaf for my plunger. Tastes better and is cheaper than buying from a café.
• Buying frozen vegetables can reduce waste. I love the Macro organic range at Woolworths.
• Meal planning for the week ensures you have the right ingredients when you need them. Involve the family in the whole planning/preparation and cooking process.
• Prepare a meal in a slow cooker pot the night before you plan to eat it refrigerate and turn it on to cook before you go to work.
• Don’t buy food you don’t want to eat because you will!
• Cooking methods count – stir frying, poaching, roasting, air frying and baking.
• Use healthy oils – my preferences are Extra Virgin Olive Oil for tossing through food or using in dressings and Rice Bran oil for cooking and baking.
• In the winter, warm woolies, adequate heating and keeping moving as much as possible, will mean you don’t crave the “junk” because the need for comfort and keeping warm is not an issue.
• Try having a break between meals of 4-5 hours to give your digestion a rest. Our microbiome (where 80% of our immune system resides), loves a long break – intermittent fasting is easy if you eat dinner around 6pm and then don’t eat for 12-16 hours later.
• Pay attention to all the other areas of your life as everything is entwined.
•  Baby steps- all progress counts!

I hope you enjoyed this piece and that it has given you “food for thought”.

I would be delighted to help you explore ways to live healthier, prevent illness and be able to move more easily. Life is to be enjoyed!

Hippocrates is quoted as saying “Let food be thy medicine”- I couldn’t agree more.

Love and blessings to you,
Sally