Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy
Naturopathic Nutrition is a holistic therapy which can treat a wide range of health problems with the use of whole and organic foods together with appropriate supplements and natural therapies in an effort to treat disease and help the body energise its own healing resources. This is achieved through understanding the energy that food provides as well as the biochemical and physiological process that comprise sustenance. Treating people, not symptoms: each person is treated very much as an individual and each therapy programme is tailored to meet the needs of the individual rather than a set of symptoms. The root cause of a problem is identified and then diet is used therapeutically to reverse the course of disease and thus bring the body back into balance and ultimately good health.
Nutrition as medicine is an important concept in many traditional cultures around the globe. The power of nutrition can be underestimated in today’s world and although many people are now becoming interested in the importance of a healthy diet, most do not realise the true therapeutic value of food and the fact that it can be used to reverse the course of disease to regain optimum health. Naturopathic Nutrition is much more than keeping healthy by eating a healthy diet.
The role of nutrition in health restoration is invaluable. It is not by chance that Hippocrates has underlined its importance thousands of years ago:
- food as the primary medicine
- then use herbs
- then use intervention
Unfortunately, orthodox medicine has lost its roots and jumps directly to 3. Rarely do physicians subscribe to the importance of prevention of disease. GPs do not generally give advice on nutrition and yet scientific research has shown that food directly influences brain function, mood and energy, but also that appetite and eating habits can be significantly affected by specific conditions, feelings and energy levels. Throughout our entire life cycle, from preconception to senior years, food choices you make on a day to day basis can have a direct impact on your health, by increasing your susceptibility to disease, potentially reducing physical and mental development, and immunity.
“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness” -Edward Stanley
The phrase “you are what you eat” – recently changed to “you are what you absorb” given the complexity of healthy digestion and absorption – should not be overlooked. Food is a source of nourishment. Our bodies use food to provide our cells with essential nutrients and fuel for energy, growth and repair. The body conducts metabolic processes whilst awake or asleep; protein, fats, fibre, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins are absorbed throughout our digestive system supplying nutrients that are essential. The right food choices aid the transportation of vital nutrients into the blood and cells to render us ready for the demands we put our body through. The food we eat forms the basic building blocks of the body, but most of us have lost sight of the fact that food is fuel and that the purpose of eating is to provide the body with the tools it needs for energy. Absorption of the nutrients from a healthy/ varied eating regime gives you the best opportunity to maximise wellbeing.
In an environment plagued by exogenous toxins, increased oxidative stress and inflammation, poor nutrient status and high physical and emotional stress, further modifications, mutations and immune suppression, a nutrient-dense diet is even of more need.
Nutrition In The 21st Century
In the Western world, chronic disease can be characterised as “starvation in a sea of plenty”. There is lots of food present, but there is not a lot of it going to feed the cells and fuel the metabolic processes that keep us functioning on a daily basis. There is usually a very low level of micronutrients in the diet, so the cells are not truly getting what they need. A major part of healing the body will be feeding it what it needs.
Instead, we eat for a variety of different reasons, none of which usually relate to the idea of providing our bodies with quality fuel. More often we will reach for foods that based on convenience, even though we know that they not good for us. When we are busy or stressed, one of the first things that get affected is our eating habits. Stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, busy lifestyles, hormonal imbalances and ignorance can all affect our dietary choices. Overconsumption of processed foods ‘hijacks’ our sense of taste and smell, what leads to a vicious cycle of reaching for more processed foods.
Eating unconsciously or in a hurry, such as ‘on the go’, when driving or watching TV, minimises the health benefits of nutrition, by not allowing time to chew and digest food properly, while can predispose to gastrointestinal and other disturbances, indigestion, bloating and weight gain to name a few.
Why Do We Need More Nutrients Than Our Ancestors?
The right type and level of nutrients cannot always be obtained from food, as was possible some years ago, due to modern farming methods and soil depletion, excessive use of fertilisers and processing food. In addition, in some instances our bodies have increased need for a certain nutrient, due to suboptimal digestion and absorption, ‘blocked’ biochemical pathways, as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol, over-training, sun exposure, stress, medications. In these cases it may be necessary to get your daily levels through a dietary supplement. Functional testing is sometimes necessary to identify specific nutrient and antioxidant requirements, toxic chemical excesses or metabolic abnormalities.
Nutrition and Chronic Illness
Today more than 90% of all chronic illness is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise. Through nutrition the vast majority of health problems can be alleviated or in many cases eliminated altogether. Improved nutrition and simple lifestyle changes have been repeatedly shown, in scientific research, to support the health of all the important functions of your body. When you follow a healthier lifestyle you naturally become healthier and we can help you through these improvements.
‘’When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use, when diet is correct medicine is of no need” – Ayuverdic proverb
These ‘rules’ are important to understand and be followed by anyone interested in restoring their health, improving energy levels and stamina, preventing illness and promoting longevity. In addition to that, we help you in identifying what are the right foods for you to include in your diet and enjoy freely and what should be eliminated or avoided, and for how long. We do not believe in ‘one diet fits all’. Nutritional protocols are tailored to each individual’s circumstances, by determining the unique metabolic balance or nutritional type of each individual. Proper nutrition in not based on strict, faddy diets but aims to help the body obtain the nutrients it needs to work properly in the world we live in; a busy, demanding and at times, stressful place and in doing so, helps in the management of stress and overcome barriers to health and wellbeing.
Supplementation
We should all be getting most of our nutrients from foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats. Ideally, we would all eat the perfect amounts and balance of just the right foods to obtain optimal nutrition. I do think it’s realistic for some of us to meet most of our needs very well through food alone. But, most of us don’t live in perfect eating worlds. Our food supply, busy lifestyles and simply our choices make it difficult for us to meet our needs. This is why I say, there is a time and place for supplementing the diet. If your lifestyle, palate, time, energy or priorities make it hard for you to get all the nutrition you need in through foods, supplementation may be appropriate.
As we get older, our ability to absorb nutrients from food decreases. Yet even if you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, you may still fall short of needed nutrients making supplementation necessary. That’s a consequence of aging. “Also, our energy needs aren’t the same, and we tend to eat less.” Supplements can make up the difference but again we do not believe in “one supplement fits all”, we need to look at the individual’s specific needs.
Supplementation may be helpful or necessary. Just be careful; the manufacture of supplements isn’t monitored by the government in the way that the manufacture of pharmaceuticals is—so you can’t be sure exactly what you’re getting.
Bottom line: “Look for vitamins, iron, magnesium, and oxidants that are well-known and that have been around for a long time and is likely well tested.”