What is Holistic Nutrition?
On the Sambience BTG website, nutrition and holistic health have been explained, but what is holistic nutrition? An obvious answer would be that holistic nutrition is the intersection between nutrition and holistic health. This is true in a couple of different ways. Recall that “holistic” means whole, and the parts make up the whole. Holistic nutrition is a form of natural healing; it is about using food to target the health of certain parts of the body for the optimal wellness of the whole body. The nutrients in certain foods can be used to target kidney health, liver health, thyroid health, gut health, heart health, adrenal health, and bone health. Strategies of holistic nutrition can also be used to fight chronic fatigue, candida, and boost the immune system. Also, holistic nutrition incorporates other areas of holistic health by treating the whole individual, that is the physical, the mind and body, and the spiritual and social. The dimensions of holistic health are nutrition awareness, physical fitness, stress management, environmental sensitivity, and self responsibility. You can read more about the dimensions of holistic health on the Holistic Health page.
Consider an example of a person with a heart condition being treated with holistic nutrition methods. A whole lifestyle regimen would be recommended. The first part of the regimen would be sound nutrition, such as consuming a diet low in fat and, likely, vegetarian. Other parts of the regimen would include regular exercise, smoking cessation, and stress relief techniques like meditation. The lifestyle regimen would also include aspects of social support, which deals with how a person connects with others. Examples of trying to connect with others include: being aware of what one says and how it is said; finding a support group; understanding the importance of confession, forgiveness, and redemption; trying to be more altruistic, compassionate, and of service to others; making commitments to others; and perhaps, going to therapy.
Keep in mind that regular medicine may not always support natural healing methods. This is because the present medical industry is structured around pharmacology (pills). The field of holistic health recognizes the important contributions of scientific medicine and is not trying to replace it. However, the methods of holistic health have been used for thousands of years since ancient times. Just remember that holistic health, or holistic nutrition, is like the common sense from the “old times” that is now resurfacing. And, if you have any questions about natural healing methods and whether or not they are right for you, please feel free to ask your doctor.
The Gut Biome: Improve Your Gut Health the Holistic Way
What is the gut biome? Well, the gut is the gastrointestinal system which includes your intestines, stomach, and colon. A biome is a significant ecological community type, such as a tropical rainforest or desert. However, the gut biome is a microbiome. A microbiome is a community made up of microorganisms, like bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that live in a particular environment. Hence, gut biome, or gut microbiome, is an extensive community of trillions of bacteria and fungi that live in every part of your gastrointestinal tract. Your gut biome is vital for your health. It significantly influences your body weight, metabolism, immune system, appetite, and mood.
Most of the microorganisms in your gut biome live in your lower intestine, also known as the colon; and altogether, the gut biome microorganisms outnumber all the cells in the rest of your body put together. Your gut biome is also unique, because no two gut biomes are the same. Signs of poor gut health include gas, constipation, bloating, heartburn, diarrhea, low mood, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and fatigue. There are a number things you can do to improve your gut health holistically. Check out the to-do list below for tips.
1. Eat Fermented Foods
Fermented foods contain probiotics and will create a healthier mix of microbes in your gut biome. Examples of fermented foods include raw milk cheeses, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, greek yogurt, and kombucha. Miso is a Japanese seasoning made from salt, koji, and fermented soybeans. Sauerkraut is a dish topping that is fermented and made from thinly cut raw cabbage. Kimchi is a Korean condiment made from garlic, chili, and cabbage. Kefir is a sour milk drink that has five times the amount of microbes as yogurt. Greek yogurt is yogurt that has whey strained out of it. Kombucha is a sweet and fizzy tea that contains yeast and sugar.
2. Take a Daily Probiotic
Probiotics are a collection of live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system. Probiotics help fight against bad microbes (infections) and boost your immunity. Choose a daily probiotic with at least twenty three billion colony forming units (CFUs); a variety is better than just one type. One example is Raw Flora’s Probiotic-25, which has thirty billion CFUs.
3. Eat Prebiotic/Polyphenol Rich Foods
Prebiotic foods provide undigested carbohydrates that act as food for your probiotics. Prebiotic foods include apples, berries, and green vegetables. Polyphenols are similar to prebiotics. In fact, they may be considered a category of prebiotics. Polyphenols are antioxidants that also act as fuel for microbes, like prebiotics. Polyphenol rich foods include berries, nuts, seeds, olive oil, tea (especially green tea), and brassicas.
4. Avoid Gluten and Dairy (Leaky Gut Syndrome)
Leaky Gut Syndrome is a theoretical condition that does not have a medical diagnosis. The symptoms of the unofficial condition include cramps, aches, pains, gas, bloating, and food sensitivities. A possible cause of Leaky Gut Syndrome is intestinal hyper-permeability, or the increase in the permeability of the intestines. Removing inflammatory foods from your diet, like dairy, gluten, and refined sugar, is said to help heal a leaky gut.
5. Reduce Stress
Reducing stress is important for digestion. This is because the nervous system in your body has different response states that it can be in. Two of those states are the Fight or Flight Response and the Rest and Digest Response. The Fight or Flight Response causes elevated heart and breathing rates, and the body’s resources are diverted to the muscles to prepare to fight or run away.
The Rest and Digest Response lowers heart and breathing rates, and the body’s resources are diverted to the gut to digest food. Stress causes your body to be in the Fight or Flight Response state. Reducing your stress will bring your body back down to the Rest and Digest Response state. One way to reduce stress is with meditation. Other stress relief techniques are listed on the Stress page.
6. Avoid Antibiotics and Other Unnecessary Medicines
Antibiotics are antimicrobial medicines that fight bacterial infections in both animals and people. They work by stoping bacteria from multiplying or just killing bacteria cells. Antibiotics kill both good and bad microbes. You shouldn’t take antibiotics unless it is necessary, because it can take several weeks to recover your gut biome after taking them. Other medicines can also interfere with your gut biome. This includes even common medications like antacids.
7. Increase Your Fiber Intake
Eating fiber is helpful for maintaining the health of your bowels. Dietary fiber can help with constipation, and it is fermented in your gut to produce beneficial microbial metabolites. Eating fiber has also been shown to reduce weight gain, heart disease, and even some cancers. Try to consume forty grams of dietary fiber or more per day. Some good sources of dietary fiber include oats, avocados, apples, broccoli, artichoke, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, almonds, and chia seeds.
The Food-Mood Connection
The food-mood connection is the idea that what you eat affects how you think and act. This has been dubbed the law of nutrition by Julia Ross, the author of The Mood Cure and a pioneer in nutritional psychology. The food-mood connection is possible because of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that influence thoughts and actions throughout the brain. For example, the neurotransmitter, serotonin, can make you feel relaxed. The neurotransmitter, dopamine can make you feel stimulated. When you eat food, it breaks down in your digestive tract and is absorbed into your blood stream where these nutrients influence the behaviors of neurotransmitters that then impact your mood.
There are some popular food-mood connections that you may already know. For example, aphrodisiac foods include spices, chili peppers, avocados, and chocolate. You may find yourself craving these foods more when you are out on a date. Brain foods include salmon, eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, and leafy greens. They are said to have a sharpening effect that helps you focus.
Comfort foods are foods that lift you out of a bad mood, and they include chocolates, potato chips, soda, fries, ice cream, and more. The problem with comfort foods is that they are junk foods that contain plenty of sugar and salt. Sugar can make you fell energized, but salt can make you feel tense. Comfort foods only lift you out of a bad mood temporarily. That’s because junk foods cause junk moods. Unfortunately, the standard American diet, in general, is rifled with highly processed carbs, poor-quality animal meats, and not enough vegetables and water. You should try to have a basic understanding of how food affects your mood. See the tips below.
Carbohydrates
When you eat carbs, serotonin gets released in your brain. The effect is that you will feel more relaxed. However, if you eat too many carbs, or eat overly processed carbs such as flour or sugar, there will be an overflow of serotonin. Too much serotonin in your brain causes you to feel drowsy. An example of this would be feeling sleepy after you eat too much pasta.
Protein
When you eat protein, norepinephrine and dopamine are produced in the brain. These two neurotransmitters make you feel more alert and energetic. However, eating too much protein will cause you to feel tense and irritable.
Overeating
You are probably familiar with the effects of eating too much food in one sitting. After all, it happens every Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. When you eat too much, you become tired afterwards. You may even feel drowsy. To process the excess food, your body has to redirect blood to your stomach and away from your brain. This is what causes the feeling of lethargy after eating too much food.
Remember that everyone is unique. No two people have the same food-mood sensitivities. This means that you should pay attention to your body to determine the right amount of carbs, proteins, and fats for you. Once you become more conscious of the correlation between food and mood, you begin to be more careful with your food choices. A good idea is to keep a simple food log where you write down your meals and snacks and also record how you feel after eating. This will give you the insight to determine what food choices are right or wrong for you personally. You can also read more about nutrition on the Nutrition page.
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