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When people hear the word ‘holistic nutrition‘, they often consider it as a specific diet. But holistic nutrition is not a diet but a lifestyle. Nowadays, more people are leaning towards the holistic approach for optimal health and nutrition. The term refers to a kind of wellness that is focused on a whole-life process for being healthy.
Holistic nutrition uses food as healing for a person’s emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual healing. It involves consuming healthy and whole foods that are unrefined, unprocessed, and organic.
Holistic nutrition is a lifestyle that accepts diets as a whole. It includes physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects in a complete package. Holistic nutrition recommends eating healthy, organic, fresh, and seasonal foods. It advises the consumption of different colored fruits and vegetables and a higher amount of protein that comes from various vegetable sources.
What is holistic nutrition?
A holistic approach is not a standardized approach; instead, it is an approach based on analyzing a person’s complete physical and mental health. It is based on an individual’s unique nutritional needs and overall health.
A holistic approach focuses on a natural approach to a healthy diet and considers the individual as a whole, including all aspects of a person’s lifestyle. The holistic approach to proper nutrition encourages education on essential nutrition to develop a holistic diet that includes natural and organic foods, natural holistic supplements, and food treatments for chronic health conditions. Holistic nutrition involves the following as its primary factors.
- Importance of food-
The basic principle of holistic nutrition is that food provides the energy required to function correctly and supplies the nutrients needed to build and regenerate bone, muscle, fat, and blood. The nutrients consumed from food are essential for the natural processes that take place inside the body.
Moreover, holistic nutrition involves three primary components- macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fats: micronutrients that include vitamins and minerals: and fiber. All these aspects play a role in how the body functions and are necessary to a complete and balanced diet.
- Holistic Healing-
Holistic practitioners, including an acupuncturist, chiropractors, herbalists, and nutritionists, admit that following a diet under holistic nutrition guidance allows people to heal naturally without prescription drugs. Holistic nutrition needs a proper balance of protein, vitamins, and other nutrients for optimal health.
- Types of food-
The most critical component of holistic nutrition includes natural foods in your diet. Foods such as vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans, fruits, nuts, and seeds are the basics of a raw food diet. It is also essential to eat various foods within each food group, particularly leafy green vegetables.
What are the benefits of holistic nutrition?
Mentioned below are few of the positive benefits that a holistic plan can provide-
- Weight loss and weight management
- Improved digestive health
- Relief from constipation
- Prevention from disease
- The increased energy level and mood
- Improvement in sleep
- Reduced blood pressure and cholesterol level
- Balanced blood sugar level
- Strengthened immune system
- Improved skin tone and texture
Simple steps to use holistic nutrition to your daily life:
Here are some moves that can aid you to start holistic and healthy eating-
- Choose unprocessed food-
The human body is arranged to digest food in its natural form, which brings the most energy. So, you will have to select whole food whenever possible such as whole fruits instead of juice and whole vegetables instead of canned or ready-made. Frozen fruits and vegetables also count as real natural foods. Moreover, include some whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds as well. Try to eat them as much as possible.
- Practice mindful eating-
Being in touch with your natural hunger and emotions is crucial for a healthy relationship with food. It is essential to connect your food with your mind and body. Before taking a meal, think about what you need, what you want, and what specific foods will or will not affect your physical appearance and mental health.
During a meal, eat slowly, take your time to chew, and pay attention to the different textures and flavors of your food. Ensure to eat without any distractions. Mindful eating can help you achieve control over your eating habits, leading you to make healthier food choices.
- Don’t focus on the calories-
Many people think that counting macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and protein is the only way to go for a balanced diet. However, this is not only a false statement, but it also encourages unhealthy eating behavior. Rather than try to eat a variety of whole foods to get all the micronutrients.
- Follow holistic living-
To better your nutrition is a great way to lead a more holistic lifestyle. For example- include regular physical activity into your routine for better health, sleep, energy, and general happiness. Similarly, you should limit unnatural foods and try to reduce the toxins you are exposed to in your environment by using natural products.
Diseases that can be prevented with holistic nutrition:
Holistic nutrition not only optimizes your health and helps balance your diet, but it can also play a key role in preventing diseases. Following are some diseases that can be controlled with the help of holistic nutrition.
- Heart disease-
Unbalanced or high diets in fat and cholesterol usually lead to heart disease, which claims more lives than all forms of cancer together. Here holistic nutrition helps create a balanced diet and reduce fat and cholesterol intake by avoiding processed food.
- Cancer-
Proper holistic nutrition can prevent certain types of cancer such as breast cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, rectum cancer, and uterine cancer. Moreover, a healthy weight significantly reduces the risk of developing these types of cancer.
- Obesity-
Obesity has become a significant problem in America. Still, holistic nutrition can help you lose weight by cutting out processed foods and developing an individualized diet for the body that ensures you are getting all the necessary nutrients that your body needs.
Other than the above diseases, holistic nutrition can also treat addiction issues such as drugs, alcohol, substance abuse, and more. Many centers offer holistic rehab approaches in their treatment plan.
Conclusion:
Holistic nutrition deals with the person as a whole to reach optimal health and nutrition. The aim is to enable you to develop healthier eating habits and develop a relationship with food. Holistic nutrition has many health benefits and the ability to help with certain diseases mentioned above in the article.
Author Bio:
Jennifer is a passionate blogger who explores the field of addiction recovery. With the help of her blogs, she provides information and knowledge about various types of addiction recovery. Explore her writings by visiting www.mandalahealingcenter.net