By Anu Paavola, our food and nutrition expert.
I recently sat down with Angie to have a proper chat about nutrition. She finally said it in a nutshell: “There is a total nutritional confusion”.
I couldn’t agree more.
We are so bombarded by the media with all sorts of facts about the good and the bad of our diets that no-one really knows what is right and what is wrong any more.
Different advice suits different people
Let me tell you what is wrong first of all: there is no one piece of advice that is good for everyone.
We have to come to an understanding that every one of us in the universe is a uniquely built being and responds differently to every variety of food, food supplements, activities and stressors from the environment.
A jog might be beneficial for people with good stamina but not for someone who hasn’t been jogging for a long time. An apple a day might keep the doctor away from someone who doesn’t get an acid attack right after eating it. Different sorts of vitamins of might benefit you or not. It depends how you digest what you take in.
I have a number of clients coming for a health consultation who tell me that there is nothing wrong with their diets and that what they eat is said to be healthy and with a high nutritional content. Still they complain they can’t lose weight, they feel tired or have problems of different sorts, ranging from digestive issues and skin complaints to headaches and sleeplessness, to name a few.
We don’t know how to consume our food anymore
Here lies another core problem behind our dietary confusion. We don’t know anymore how to consume our food.
It isn’t enough to know the nutritional contents of your smoothie. If you have it at the wrong time of the day, combined it with the wrong foods and perhaps eaten on the go, you are not likely to get many benefits from it.
On the contrary, bloating, gas, cramps and unexplained pains become an unwelcome but familiar presence in your life.
When you know all the simple things about correct eating you will be able to enjoy proper tasty food, not have uncontrollable cravings and have your body return to its ideal weight without too much effort.
How you eat affects how you think and feel
And what lies behind it? That’s the Feeling Fab that Angie is talking about. When we feel good and relaxed our bodies are able to heal themselves. Most importantly, our minds are able to make decisions on our health that are conducive to stability, wellbeing and happiness. What this means, is that it is all in our minds. And believe it or not, your diet has much to do with your mindset.
I will be writing articles in this section about correct nutritional habits and I am happy to answer all your questions regarding diet and lifestyle and their impact on health. Let’s create the optimum conditions with correct diet and lifestyle where we can express our true selves, to create and inspire others to join our mission for Feeling Fab.
Life – Light – Love
Anu
Anu is founder of Jivita Ayurveda, an organic wellbeing centre in London.
Photo credit: Jivita Ayureveda
