A Naturopath’s Guide to Living Your Best Life: Nutrition Edition

One thing I hear commonly among patients is that the amount of information out there is actually overwhelming and gives them what I like to call decision paralysis. There’s too many options, and it’s too hard to sift through what works, and what’s BS…So, I’m taking it upon myself to help guide and show you some simple, tried and tested tips to help improve your overall wellbeing!

Let’s start with our Nutrition - the fuel we give our body and how we can best ensure we are supporting ourselves. Because without the proper fuel, how can we expect our body to work?

Dietary Recommendations:

1. Hydration is key.

Making sure we are properly hydrated is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our body. If you are drinking enough water but not feeling hydrated, OR running to the bathroom what feels like every 5 seconds.. put a small pinch of Celtic salt into your water, this helps our cells actually absorb the water we are drinking and restores our electrolyte balance.

2. Salad/veg FIRST.

Hear me out, having even a couple mouthfuls of non-starchy veg (like salad, or broccoli etc) before eating our protein and carbohydrates can reduce our glucose spike and fall, making it easier for our body to regulate both our blood sugar and insulin release. Not to mention a lot of raw veg are naturally high in digestive enzymes making it easier for our guts to break down the food we are eating.

3. Don’t underestimate Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).

EFAs are needed for brain health, eye health, skin health, hormonal health and for gut health, so yes, basically every aspect of our health. Making sure we include an array of EFAs in our diet is super important. These include; avocado, oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, butternut, tofu, seaweed, seafood, mustard seeds.

4. Protein isn’t just for gym junkies.

We need protein for a number of processes in our body. Without it we can’t repair/build muscles, manufacture all our neurotransmitters or regulate our energy levels. Making sure to have adequate protein with each meal is imperative. The Estimated Avg Protein Requirement for males is 52g per day, and for females it’s 37g per day. For reference, a large egg contains 6g of protein. So, most Australians are definitely lacking in the protein department. Protein rich foods include: meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, quinoa, dairy products, seafood, eggs, buckwheat, whole grains, tofu, spirulina, hemp products, beans. Be mindful that many vegetarian protein sources don’t contain a full amino acid profile (building blocks of protein) and often need to be combined to ensure they are ‘complete’ protein sources.

5. Fats for reduced sugar cravings.

Having a spoonful of a high fat food after meals can help reduce those pesky after meal sugar cravings. This works by engaging the same receptor sites that sugar engages in our brain. I like to have a teaspoon of hummus, coconut oil or avocado to help with this.

6. Our liver works hard, let’s help it.

Incorporate ‘liver friendly’ foods to help our most important detoxification organ. Foods that can help our liver work at it’s best are important, the poor thing works all day, every day to remove toxins that we consume, make endogenously, inhale or absorb through our skin. Consuming these particular foods can assist in it’s mission: rocket, endive, radicchio, dandelion root, turmeric, garlic, ginger, green tea, sauerkraut, beetroot, avocado, coffee (in moderate amounts), broccoli, kale, cauliflower, grapefruit, artichokes, raw carrots and olive oil - just to name a few.

7. Live that 80:20 lifestyle.

80:20 Rule is paramount when it comes to almost all aspects of your health, but none more so when it comes to our nutrition. We aren’t always going to have a ‘perfect diet’, sometimes that is simply out of our control and sometimes we need that soul food. This is more than okay, just aim to nourish your body with the best possible nutrition and foods 80% of the time, then the other 20 can be for the soul!! That one block of chocolate, or birthday party on the weekend isn’t enough to tip the scales dramatically. Live, and enjoy what life has to offer.

Information on this blog is not intended to treat or diagnose any condition, it is purely for general education purposes. If you are wanting to get on top of your health and see if these dietary recommendations are right for you - book an appointment with me here: https://alchemy-natural-health.au2.cliniko.com/bookings#service