My 4 Top Tips to Eat For Health
“It’s an extraordinary time in medicine, because those people who have provided health in the past, mainly doctors, are not going to be the people who create health in the future. Those are going to be health coaches.”
Health Coaches are different from all other modalities because we support all areas of your life, body, mind and spirit. I’m trained to help you shift your health blocks; those things that get in the way of change and support you in making small, sustainable tweaks to your diet, your lifestyle, your thoughts, and even your words to ensue lasting, life-long-transformation.
I’m focusing on the whole lot. All at once.
But today I’m focussing on food.
Food is a cornerstone. It’s the foundation of a healthy body, a balanced mind, and a calm spirit. It’s the key to a happy gut—and your gut is the linchpin to your entire health and wellbeing.
Happy so far? Mental health has now been scientifically linked with our gut micro-biome - our gut "flora". (It's not in our heads… it's in our gut!). 75% of our immune system sits in the (approximately) 6 metres of intestines inside us... Wow! Isn't THAT an amazing figure! Loooong "pipes”!!!! And here's another... in terms of actual microbiome (cells) numbers IN those pipes, in the "average man" they number about 39 trillion bacterial cells living among 30 trillion human cells. That's MORE microbiome cells than we "are".... Mind boggling! It's no wonder there is so much talk about "microbiome" and "gut"...
All disease begins in our gut. I need you to consider this because it's where our food is turned into magic...
So let's look at our food ... and how to simplify the process of feeding ourselves for energy and vitality ... and a healthy gut...
Two really important things to remember are:
Every cell, feeds every cell, every time and
Food either feeds disease or fights disease
These statements help put an important perspective on the process of choosing what to eat.
These truths can help shift your mindset and bring clarity to the choices you make every time you eat.
4 Steps to Support Your Gut (and Your Whole Health)
1.
Eat Whole Foods
Leave anything processed out
If it's in a box, tin, packet or has been "made" by someone other than a home-cook, minimise how often you eat it. If there are "ingredients" you can't pronounce, you don’t recognise it, then it's certainly not food. It's a "food-like" substance. Your gut will not recognise it either!
Eat the rainbow! Consume 5 vegetables & 2 fruits each day and here's the challenge, articulated by Dr.Chatterjee in the UK, make each a different colour...
2.
Eliminate Sugar
And sugar-like substances
So here we turn to the notion that it's not what the food "looks like" it's how the body actually processes it. By "sugar" I don't only mean the highly processed white sugars available and the processed honey/’maple-taste’ syrups/agave etc etc, I also mean all other sugar substitutes. As well, because the liver processes things like white bread and white pasta just as it does sugar (so they spike blood levels, requiring a blast of insulin to process them), to our bodies they may as well be sugar. Take them all out of your diet and note how you feel. Once the detox happens, I have no doubt you will feel better than you have in years. These things are a mammoth addiction in our society and once you have broken the addiction your overall wellbeing WILL improve.
Completely exclude sugar for a period of 6 weeks. You will be amazed at how wonderful you feel in such a short space of time. As always, reach out for a raft of tips and tricks. I've got you covered!
If you are a soda drinker, the BEST thing you can do is halve your daily intake for a week and then completely eliminate it from your world. NOTHING good comes from drinking soda. And "diet" soda is worse-still.
3.
Gluten
Free
These products
are tricky
If you eat gluten free, beware of commercially produced items, as they often contain even higher amounts of sugar and salt and are made with corn starch, maize and a few other "ingredients" that spike insulin levels beyond ‘standard’ items. It’s called green rinsing (that’s where a ‘food’ producer wants you to think you are buying healthy when in reality they’re looking to increase profits by charging more and providing yet another franken-food).
The real trick is to keep processed products to an absolute minimum and stick with whole foods.
My family has been eating gluten free for years so get in contact to find out how we do it. Why gluten free? I'll go into that another time, but commercially mass-produced gluten products are now linked to a raft of diseases and conditions. Know someone with PCOS, thyroid conditions – especially Hashimoto’s - diabetes or who suffers with anxiety attacks? People with these conditions all do better living a gluten free life.
4.
Eating hygiene
Slow down &
take your time
I'm not talking about washing your hands, I’m talking about something your grandmother probably told you… "chew your food". Go granny! She was right! You see the very first step of our digestive process happens in our mouth! Our teeth (chewing) and our saliva together begin the breaking down of our food so our intestines can do the job of extracting all the nutrients. Eating hygiene is about slowing down, taking time enough to be present at mealtime, chewing at least 15 times per mouthful and resting between them. Not gulping our food down and "whoosh" washing it all down with a big glass of water. Nooooooooo. Slow down, Chew, Enjoy your meals. Your gut will be so thankful, and you might just enjoy a little extra energy as more nutrients are absorbed...
Water? leave that to no closer than half an hour before and at least one hour after you finish eating. Otherwise, it literally waters down your gastric juices... and that's not a good thing for optimum digestion.
Start Small & Stay Consistent
Don't try to change everything at once. That’s a recipe for overwhelm.
Pick just one of the above steps this week. That’s it. Just one, then build from there.
Small steps, taken consistently, lead to lasting transformation.
And if you ever need support? I’m just a message away.
What’s possible for you?
What’s the one thing you’re going to try this week?
Start small. Stay curious. Keep going.
“Need support with any of these changes?
Let’s chat.
Book a call and let’s make a plan that works for you.”
