Nourish Yourself with Whole Foods

by Sue Lemoine, RHNP

We all eat, but are the foods you’re eating nourishing you?

There is a difference between “nourishing” and “eating.” Eating includes anything you put in your mouth that you happen to find in your kitchen. Whether it’s a stalk of celery or a bag of cotton candy, if you swallowed it, you ate it. But nourishing is a whole differentconcept.

Nourishing yourself is a commitment to loving yourself through what you consume. The dictionary defines the wordnourishthisway:

“To nourish a person, animal, or plant means to provide them with the food necessary for life, growth,andgoodhealth.”Wemustnourishourbodieswithfoodforlife,growth,andgoodhealth.

Whattypesoffoodsdothat?

Let’s go back in time to the “cavemen” days when our biome originated. Think about the types of foods that were available. Foods from nature – berries and plants, animals, etc. So then let’s take a look at the definition of wholefoods: “ Food that has been processed or refined as little as possibleandisfreefromadditivesorotherartificialsubstances.”

These would be foods that are “from the earth.” For example, if it swam, flew, or grew, it is a whole food. So if it comes in a package with a list of ingredients as long as your arm, chances are that it didn’t swim, fly, or grow anywhere. It was packaged in a factory, sometimes with very few nourishingingredientsforourbodies.

One exception to packaged foods is one-ingredient foods. These include pure maple syrup, raw honey, natural peanut butter, rice, some canned items, and frozen vegetables and/or fruits. If you look at the ingredient list for these foods, they would be “maple syrup,” “raw honey,” “peanuts,” “rice,” “broccoli,” etc. Pay particular attention to added sugars and salts in frozen and canned foods.

One hint: if you can’t pronounce the ingredient on the list, it’s probably a chemical and should be put back on the shelf (more onchemicalingredientsinfuturearticles).

Nourish Yourself with Whole Foods cont'd

Whenyoueatwholefoods:

You’ll feel more energetic. Whole foods help regulate your blood sugar to avoid energy-zapping sugar spikes. Your body will also access energizing nutrients like B-complex vitamins and iron thathelpyourcellsaccessfuel.

You’ll improve your cardiovascular health. Fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are high in vitamin C, which helps strengthen blood vessels and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and highbloodpressure.

You’ll help prevent future disease. Eating whole foods provides more plant nutrients and antioxidants,helpingboostyourimmunityandwardofffluanddisease.

You’ll sleep better. Researchers have linked good-for-you foods like dark leafy greens, whole grains,andfishtobettersleep.Peoplewhoeatbettersleepbetter.

You’ll improve your mental health. An increased intake of B vitamins will boost your dopamine production, increasing your happiness factor. Foods like salmon, fish, walnuts, chia seeds, spinach, and soybeans provide a healthy dose of Omega 3s that combat moodiness and depression.

You know that your improved health starts in the kitchen Healthy, whole foods pack more nutrition in smaller portions than processed foods They keep your blood sugar on an even keel so you’re not fighting appetite and energy swings, and they help you overcome chemical/sugar food addictionsthathaveyou constantly craving andovereating.

WhyshouldIeatwholefoods?

You care about your health, which is why you’re reading this article. It’s important that we show ourselves some love by nourishing our bodies with foods that promote our healthiest selves. We only have one body, and if we don’t care for it, it won’t beabletofightsicknessanddisease.

Changing how you eat can be hard, especially if you’ve been eating processed foods for a long time. If you start slow, replacing one food at a time, the change will be easier to manage andwill bealasting change.