What is holistic nutrition? How does it benefit the body?
This way of eating takes into account the person as a whole (body, mind and spirit) and tries to focus the nutrition process managing all these variables.
One of the issues that nutritionists try to convey the most is that diets should not have a beginning and an end. The ideal is to seek a change in our diet, with the aim of learning to eat beyond satisfying hunger and seeking benefits for our health with it. This is precisely one of the keys to holistic eating.
Holistic nutrition, also known as integrative nutrition, is a form of nutrition through which the benefit is sought through the integral understanding of the person as a whole (body, mind and spirit). In order to properly nourish ourselves and, therefore, to be healthier, we must not take certain variables into account in isolation (for example, our weight or some specific pathology we have), but rather everything must be understood together. The Vivo Sano Foundation, an independent, private and non-profit organization, also points out that this concept "is based on the principles of integrative medicine and studies the existing connections between the environment and the physiology of our organism to carry out a style of more natural, intuitive and healing life”.
One of its most outstanding characteristics is that it rejects temporary solutions and claims the need for a permanent diet where the important thing is to know the effects of food on this 'everything' that we human beings are.
The nutritionist Fabiola Piza affirms that, in this type of nutrition, food should be divided into two types. The first directly affects the part of mind and spirit, while the second affects the body. Both are directly related and cannot be treated independently. In addition, she also expresses that she does not believe in temporary diets and that 83% of those who follow a strict diet regain their weight.
How to carry out a holistic diet.
The first step is to consume natural products, leaving out processed products in which the original composition of the food has been altered. Thanks to this we make sure to obtain all the nutritional properties and not take certain harmful compounds common in these products.
In a holistic diet, all types of food are allowed: meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, among others, so that a balanced consumption of all types of nutrients is achieved, complete, varied and without excesses.
For example, advocate fresh and seasonal foods, such as fruits and vegetables (if possible in different colors), nuts, cereals, seeds, herbs... In addition to vegetable and animal proteins, we cannot forget about unsaturated fats, carbohydrates, fiber, probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
We must not go hungry or measure amounts: each meal must be adapted to the body of the individual who consumes it and their needs. In addition, the simpler the preparations that we are going to eat, the better, for two reasons: raw food tends to preserve its properties better and digestion is easier. The way of eating is the object of study in this type of nutrition. It is advisable to avoid cold drinks, since they can slow down digestion, and chew food well, also with the same objective.
But, in addition to food, holistic nutrition also speaks of the lifestyle that is included in that 'everything' that is the person: factors such as social relationships or the practice of exercise are included in what favors an improvement of the individual. For example, holistic nutrition speaks of the importance of exercising to improve overall health (maintaining our weight, strengthening muscles, keeping certain organs such as the heart young, being more agile...), but also rest, which is unavoidable if we want to. function well physically and mentally.
Finally, we must not forget to live life outdoors. With the sun we absorb vitamin D, but certain diseases are also improved, especially respiratory diseases, we will be more active by moving more and we will improve our social relationships, as well as our state of mind and, with it, our emotions, an essential part of this sense of the person as a whole.