Oxford languages defines food as any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth. Food is everywhere around us and we cannot live without it. Consuming it can help bring us closer to optimal wellness, make us unwell, or anywhere in between. From a nutritional standpoint our level of wellness is based on the many food choices we make on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, our modern society has made it difficult for us to fuel our bodies with nutritious food. Everywhere we look, modern “conveniences” have slowly stripped the things we eat of their nourishment. We are eating more and more yet our bodies are still craving sustenance.
We are overfed yet undernourished.
We are growing sick, overweight, exhausted, and simply tired of being sick and tired.
This is where nutritional therapy comes into play.
We literally are what we eat and we are what our bodies absorb. We are complex creatures yet it can be simplified down to the fact that we are fueled and nourished by what we consume.
Our bodies require energy from food in order to function. In turn the nutrient density of the food we eat affects how we feel, operate, and function. In our modern society most of the foods that are convenient and readily available offer calories and quick energy but they do not nourish our bodies. So much of what is prevalent today and consumed as food is nutritionally devoid and far removed from traditional food that was grown in the nutrient rich soil or raised on the land. It’s the sad truth and it’s not supporting us in living our healthiest lives. Think of a potato grown in nutrient rich soil without the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides that was harvested when it was at its nutritional peak. Compare that to a potato chip that has been treated with chemicals and fried in industrially processed (and often rancid) oils.
With nutritional therapy, I believe in supporting the body in its quest for optimal wellness by taking a holistic and individualized approach to both nutrition and lifestyle as they are truly intertwined. Each person is on a different path in their journey. This is why I individualize each approach to teach how to lead a healthy lifestyle where eating a nutrient dense, properly prepared, whole foods diet is part of the true foundation to getting you to feel your best.
Interested in finding out more? Let's set up a time to chat to see if it might be a fit for us to work together!
Photo courtesy of the Nutritional Therapy Association