Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
Hippocrates
The foods (and non-foods) we choose to eat have an effect on how we feel day to day. Most people know this intuitively, but American culture is obsessed with all the newest fads: dieting for weight loss, labeling “good” vs “bad” foods, paleo, research into the newest super food, the protein hype; I could go on and on. It can get very confusing and we learn from all this not to trust our gut, additionally we are inundated with processed foods that are manufactured for us to crave things we know aren’t good for us. My approach to nutrition and eating is rooted first in real foods, second in how our individual bodies are currently digesting and absorbing those foods and the relationships we have with the microbes in our gut that cooperate in that endeavor. My goal is always to teach people how to cook, eat and love real foods cooked in traditional methods, in order to feel good in their bodies and minds.
Naturopaths have gotten the upper hand on our allopathic peers concerning nutrition. A Naturopath receives over 150 hours in nutritional education, trained by nutritionists and experts in the nutritional sciences. This includes experience and mentorship in how to talk about diet and how to make those changes day-to-day. nutritional medical interventions. Unfortunately most MD’s get on average less than 25 hours of nutritional education (some get only 2 hours!); and these courses are often taught by other doctors rather than nutritionists. The food we eat provides the majority of the building blocks for the replication and function of EVERY SINGLE CELL IN OUR BODIES. How crazy that some people believe that what we eat doesn’t have an effect on our health!
Many of my patients are dealing with intestinal permeability issues leading to excess inflammation, reactions to certain foods, poor motility, digestive upsets or cravings for high sugar or high carb foods that prevent them from feeling well. There are root causes for all these issues and means to address them but we have to take into account the individual, their lifestyle, stressors and their environment. If my patients are willing to go on the journey to healing their guts and making more skillful choices for their lifestyle, they find healing from chronic issues. Issues with digestion often start with nervous system dysregulation, therefore an individual always has to be treated as the whole person with dynamic systems in order to truly get to the roots of the issues.
Eating real food that works well with your body is only the first part of good healthy eating! Food is also meant to nourish our spirits and our community, so eating relaxed and with those you love can be just as important as eating food that is good for you.