We’ve all heard it said ‘you are what you eat’ but what does that actually mean and how often do we actually take it seriously? Most of us could probably agree that there’s always room for improvement when it comes to our diet but which improvements are the most important and why should we make them?
Let’s explore the relationship between nutrition and wellbeing.
Improving our gut health is something that has recently become more widely researched and understood and good gut health has more benefits for our wellbeing than many of us realise.
Did you know that 95% of our serotonin (the chemical that controls our mood, how we feel pain, our levels of desire and, along with melatonin, helps control our sleep) is actually made in the intestine?
The fact is that what we put into our gut affects our whole body, brain included. An unhealthy gut can lead not only to digestive and stomach issues but also to the any of the following:
- – Autoimmune problems
– Thyroid problems
– Sleep disturbances
– Skin problems and allergies
– General Fatigue and Sluggishness
– Poor Mental Health
– Cardiovascular Disease
So, good gut health is definitely something that is important to improve and there are several ways we can do that starting with gut healing to ensure it absorbs what we are putting into it.
This brings us to another aspect of our diet that is important to improve for better health and wellbeing; putting the good stuff in for our bodies to absorb by making sure we are eating nutrient dense food.
A lot of the fresh food we eat today just does not have the same amount of nutrients in it as it did 5, 10, 15 or 20 years ago due to the quality of the soil it is grown in and a lot of the store bought products we consume are so full of additives and chemicals that it confuses the natural chemical balance in our body which can create other health and behavioural problems.
When our food lacks nutrients we don’t reach the same level of satiety (‘fullness’ or satisfaction) so we tend to overeat, not because we are hungry necessarily but because our body is still searching for nutrients. Nutrients that are meant to fuel us in our everyday lives, give us energy, keep us healthy and help our brains function well.
So eating the right foods for YOU is also a very important improvement to make. We are all unique and there is definitely no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to diet and nutrition. Different body types require different foods and ways of eating to achieve optimal health and wellbeing and if they don’t get the right one for them it can place unnecessary stress on the body which can create other problems that decrease our health and sense of wellbeing.
As a nutrition coach I specialise in epigenetic, personalised and preventative health and believe that with a healthy gut and the right food choices, each person and their unique, individual body can indeed achieve better health AND wellbeing through nutrition because food can be our medicine or it can be our poison and we most certainly are what we eat, for better or for worse.
Anyetta X Southwell is a guest blogger for Ebb and Flow Counselling. Founder/Owner/Director at Core & Soul Wellness: Pilates-Nutrition-Breath, she says of herself:
I am an energetic and vibrant 46 year old woman who not only believes in an holistic approach to health but a personalised and preventative one also. With almost 20 years in the health and wellness industry I have an extensive background working with a variety of people from many diverse walks of life. Working in and around Australia as well as overseas as a Nutrition Coach, Pilates Instructor, Personal Trainer and Gym Manager I have seen hundreds of people change their whole lives both significantly and positively through achieving optimal health and wellness working with me and this inspires me to continue to assist many more to do the same.
You can find Anyetta here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573098981136
And contact her here: coreandsoulwellness@gmail.com
