Help Your Body Heal Itself: How Holistic Nutrition Works

These B vitamins are also supporting brain function, metabolism and energy production, DNA and RNA synthesis and repair, among other essential functions of the body. The important thing to note is that B vitamins are synergistic, meaning that the presence of one or more of these eight vitamins increases your body’s need for all the others.

Synergy–not to put too fine a point on it–occurs when an interaction between compounds produces effects that are greater than the combined individual effects of each one. Synergy may help to enhance absorption, distribution, activity, metabolism, utilization and function of the nutrients.

So, synergy: it’s a good thing.

When nutritionists say whole foods, they’re referring to foods that molecularly and aesthetically are found in nature

What are processed foods? Nay food processing system that changes the basic form of the originally natural food involves some degree of processing. Some food processing makes sense. For instance, pasteurizing milk helps make it safe to drink.

Olive oil comes from the mechanical pressing of olives. But your puffed rice breakfast candy “with real natural fruit flavors” are processed to the point that any conceivable nutrition value in its consumption is scant at best.

Many companies add salt, sugar and saturated fats to their food products for purposes of preservation and of course to make the foods more palatable to a mass audience of salivating consumers. On the whole, the closer a given food is to its original source, the less processing has occurred and the greater the nutrient density. Conversely, highly processed foods are low in fiber, vitamins and minerals, but just chock full of sodium, sweeteners and saturated fat. 

When nutritionists speak of whole foods, they are referring to foods that come closest to resembling (molecularly as well as aesthetically) the way those same foods are found in nature.

Among the foods out there with the least amount of processing are:

• fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit
• dried, canned and frozen beans and legumes like lentils and chickpeas
• whole grains like oats, brown rice, barley and quinoa
• fresh and frozen poultry and meat
• fresh, frozen and canned fish and seafood
• milk and plain yogurt
• eggs
• nuts and seeds

How can you replace the heavily processed foods in your kitchen or pantry with healthier foods? 

First, begin by buying the right food. That may sound basic, and it is, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. The people in your home are likely accustomed–as you may be as well–to eating highly artificially-flavored freeze-dried synthetic toad crackers for between meal snacks. Fruit and vegetable stores, bulk bin stores, a local butcher and even some sections of your local grocery will likely have food that does not contribute to poisoning your beautiful system.

Second, buying the right food presupposes that you are cooking at home. That is a good idea because when you cook at home, you are in control of what goes into your favorite couscous recipe or whatever fine food you happen to be preparing.

Third, when you are shopping for delicious and healthy food, take a few moments to read the labels, often called the Nutritional Ingredients Label. Just because a Big Label claims the food is natural or organic or has no added rat poison in it does not mean you should be shoveling that company’s glop into your fragile cake hole. In particular, check for the presence of what we call the three S’s: Salt, Sugar and Saturated fat. The less these three items are swimming around in your food, the better.

And fourth, because of the resistance you may face as you attempt to change things for the better, you ought to build between-meal snacks into your household diet plan. But instead of treating your family or yourself to a quick snack pack of Botulism Crisp Toastees With The Taste of Real Cheese, consider switching in some rare vegetables like carrots and celery, or a small bowl of hummus or some unsalted nuts. 

Do you need a holistic nutrition coach?

You can benefit from the presence in your life of someone who looks beyond the fast fad trends of diet and exercise programs that often cancel one another out and who instead helps you to recognize, identify and understand the behaviors that have actively prevented you from meeting your health and fitness goals.

Once the coach has helped you understand why you have been guided into allowing your precious body from maximizing its potential, that same coach can help you find the tools, skills and strategies you need to make whatever improvements seem desirable to you.

Other advantages to you for using a holistic nutrition coach versus going it alone is that you are working with a trained professional, someone who hears and listens to you, someone who cares about you being an active participant in your own health system. 

The bottom line is that with a holistic nutrition coach, you are more likely to succeed and feel a greater sense of accomplishment in your health care. Certified holistic health coaches will help you implement small behavioral changes one at a time at a pace that is comfortable for you. In time, you succeed at achieving big goals and creating overall healthy lifestyle change.