Recently I had the chance to participate in a seminar on nutrition and food nutrients that are important for the best performance of the ‘factory’ that’s called ‘the body’. But also how WE (as mind…) can help the ‘workers of this factory’ – aKa organs, to do their job right. If we are interested in a holistic approach to health, then we have to be aware of what type of food we put into our bellies even when our mind wants to be more entertained…
I’m interested in approaching nutrition as a holistic means to attain health and wellness and not to expand in technical terms and scientific knowledge on nutrition which up to date I don’t have enough. And most likely is never enough.. So, apart from having or not nutritional benefits in a piece of pizza when I crave to eat one, what makes the difference is how do I choose to do it. Prepare it myself? What ingredients do I choose? Do I like the sight of it (aesthetics/senses)? How slowly do I eat it? Do I really enjoy the process?
It all starts in the mind. When I say that the mind wants to be more entertained it is exactly the fact that it usually asks more from what it really needs. How many times you carry on eating while you have stopped being hungry? Why do we prefer to eat the whole bar of milk chocolate, when we know that a small piece of pure cocoa dark chocolate will cover our needs? Obviously that amount of sugar can be addictive and we want MORE, like with so many other ingredients.
Ultimate health and wellness affect the 3 levels of our being (Body, mind, senses). Small changes become part of your lifestyle and you see and feel the difference in the sense of wellness. And it’s great!
Body: Quality of the food that we eat and the combinations that we make; taking the right ingredients in order to build cells, tissue and muscles; consider the amounts of energy we’re taking in and consume; proper exercise to build a strong body; keeping the immune system strong; keeping the body temperature right; having a good rest.
Mind: Relationship with food and it’s preparation, honesty, recognising what is good and bad, interest and need to feel strong inside out, being curious and inventive, being creative.
Emotions: No violence, intuition, daring to change, bringing consciousness, stamina, patience, freedom to express and to feel, trust, love.
Another factor that affect our health is of course the environment we’re living in. Do we live in a big city and we are happy to buy from a convenient store nearby? Or we live in the countryside and have access to fresh plant based products? We are definitely able to look for the best ingredients and to observe what is good for us depending on where we live. There are soooooo many types of nutrition that we can experiment on. Apart from that, look at the main nutrients that we should look for: proteins and aminoacids, minerals, vitamins, fibers, micronutrients, fat, carbohydrates. These we find in foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole-grains, nuts and seeds which are good for us. It is much better when we choose seasonal plants from the local market. When we adjust our meals and make sure that we take the right nutrients so that the ‘workers’ in our ‘factory’ are happy and working efficiently, we then become the best observers. We can observe the effects in the metabolic processes, the digestive system and ultimately building the ‘strong wall’ of the immune system towards diseases. Spending some time expanding awareness towards our health is vital for longevity and happier life. There are enough means out there to get information from, however we need to use this information effectively and wisely! Well…eating handfuls of goji berries won’t do much good..or we might as well explore the extreme booming of the superfood market..
The thing is very simple in its’ complexity if we are ready to take a few small steps towards health every day.
Take all the necessary nutrients as above or as many as you can every day! You don’t have time and energy to spend on this…find it! You’re keeping the ‘workers’ happy and they work great together keeping the organs healthy.
Don’t forget the mind! Keep it happy also! A bit of chocolate or whatever you enjoy doesn’t harm!
Add more colours to your shopping list and plate! Think colour! Bright red tomatoes or strawberries, green peppers, orange carrots and more!!! It pleases the senses! All our senses during a meal are alert!
‘No violence’ attitude…How much do we need to incorporate that in all aspects of our lives nowadays…it should be the NO VIOLENCE time in history. Eat calmly, contemplate on the food you eat, chew it thoroughly and…don’t grab it violently with the fork…
Exercise, move! With awareness and respect to your body and needs.
Spend quality time with friends and family.!
You want to go crazy and overdo your favourite weakness for once? Do it! With awareness of having good time or bad time (afterwards!)
What is important is to observe, to explore, to get ourselves updated with what is good or bad according to new health reports as much as possible, to enjoy local and seasonal products and enjoy the balance of it all.
And if we struggle to change our bad habits…very little steps at a time can make a difference and these little steps will be the stepping stones to the present and future wellness!! We all deserve it!